Photo: CFL
A Labour Day Classic, indeed.
The 60th edition of the prairie showdown between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers lived up to the billing and then some, like so many of the previous 59 games played on the unofficial last weekend of the summer. This time, it was the Green and White who won a wild affair 34-30 over their rivals to the East in front of a record crowd of 34,243 fans at Mosaic Stadium.
This one took on extra importance following the Riders loss to Calgary last week, as another notch in the loss column could have opened the door further for the Bombers or Stamps to take the top spot away from the Riders.
Saskatchewan needed a bounce-back win and to prove to themselves that they could, in fact, beat a Blue Bomber team that has been a pain in their behind for years.
Here’s the good, the bad, and the dumb of the Riders’ ninth win of the season.
The Good
The Riders may have finally picked up on the formula for defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers: make life miserable for quarterback Zach Collaros.
Last season, no one did that better than the Toronto Argonauts and it won them another Grey Cup. The Riders? Well, they were basically the exact opposite at getting in Collaros’ face.
In the two-game mid-season set and the West Final — all Bomber wins — Collaros simply had too much time to pick apart the Riders’ zone defence, racking up yards and touchdowns.
On Sunday evening, it wasn’t an easy night for Collaros, as he was sacked five times and faced relentless pressure from a veteran defensive front. Malik Carney was all over the field in the first half of the game, including a game-changing strip sack and recovery that led to the Riders’ first major at a time when they badly needed it down 10-0.
There was also a bad field goal decision from Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea that led to his team only having a 10-point lead early and let the Riders off the mat, but I’ll leave that to my colleague John Hodge to talk about.
After that Carney’s strip-sack, the Riders outscored the Bombers 34-20 and added another win to their record.
The Bad
They just about did the thing, again.
I don’t know what it is about this team and not being able to put away their opponents. It just about cost them again, but in the end they managed to get away with it.
With just over eight minutes to go, the Riders got the ball back after taking a 31-17 lead thanks to running back Mario Anderson Jr.’s second touchdown of the game and two-point conversion from returning receiver Ajou Ajou.
At the very least, if the Riders were able to string together a drive with a few first downs and pin Winnipeg deep — or better yet put some points on the board — this game would have been all but over.
Instead, they go two-and-out and hand the ball back to the Bombers. After the defence did their job and got off the field, it was a rare mistake from returner Mario Alford who fumbled the ball back to Winnipeg. A few plays later, the Bombers were in the end zone and it was a one possession game, again.
From there, a whole bunch of stuff happened — as it tends to when these teams meet in this game. Had the Riders simply put their foot down and ended this game with either of the two opportunities the Bombers gave them in the back half of the fourth quarter, none of it would have happened.
There have been far too many close calls for the Riders this season. Eventually they’re going to get bit if they keep tempting fate.
The Dumb
I don’t think Trevor Harris will take home the special teams player of the week award when our article comes out in a few days, but he certainly gave it his best shot.
With just under 90 seconds to play in regulation, head coach Corey Mace left the offence on the field for a third-and-six instead of tempting fate with a 49-yard field goal attempt from Brett Lauther.
I believe in aggressive football, but even I was a little surprised by the decision. I thought for sure they were just going to try and draw the Bombers offside to make it third-and-one.
Nope, the ball was snapped and suddenly, it’s in Harris’ hands. For a brief second, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Then Harris dropped it and booted what was a pretty nice short punt for a quarterback as Bomber defensive back Deatrick Nichols recovered it somewhere between the one-yard line and the goal line.
Saskatchewan quarterback, Trevor Harris, pouch punts the ball. Winnipeg’s Deatrick Nichols take the ball as is tackled into the end zone.
It was initially ruled a safety (and Saskatchewan possession), but after review, it was ruled a rouge (and Winnipeg possession)
— JM =^) (@jm539581.bsky.social) August 31, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Initially, the play was ruled a safety on the field, which would have made it a nine-point Rider lead and given them the ball to likely end the game. The replay centre ruled that Nichols’ momentum took him into the end zone, and therefore it was a rouge and not a safety.
I’m not sure I agree, I think he should have been ruled down at the one or a safety, but nonetheless. The Riders’ defence still should have been able to end it.
That decision did lead to more chaos, as we witnessed a long pass interference call, the rare pick-two on the Bombers two-point convert attempt to try and tie the game, and a wild scramble on a fumbled onside kick by Rolan Milligan Jr.
Long live chaos.