Devotees of the home team at Hamilton Stadium have been known to make comments that are, well, catty.

That is part of the picture for a visiting team when it opposes the Hamilton Tiger-Cats — as will the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday.

“It takes me back to early in my career,” said Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris, who was a member of the 2015 Toronto Argonauts when he journeyed to Hamilton for his fifth CFL start. “The place was really rockin’.

“Their fans are great — for the home team, I guess I should say, because they’re one of the more rude fan bases, but it’s fun. They get after the players and they make it fun.

“They make it feel like a hostile environment, so it’ll be a fun test to go in there.”

Harris is poised to start in Hamilton for the ninth time.

On the third occasion, he completed 36 of 48 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Ottawa REDBLACKS to a 37-18 victory in Steeltown on Aug. 18, 2017.

The 36 completions are top-five material for Harris, a future Canadian Football Hall of Famer:

44 — Aug. 11, 2018 (for Ottawa; at Montreal).

39 — July 8, 2016 (Ottawa; vs. Calgary).

37 — Nov. 12, 2017 (Ottawa; vs. Saskatchewan in a playoff game).

36 — Aug. 18, 2017 (Ottawa; at Hamilton).

36 — July 12, 2025 (Saskatchewan; vs. Calgary).

The 44 completions put Harris in a tie for the second-most in a CFL game. Anthony Calvillo of the Montreal Alouettes connected 44 times at Hamilton on Oct. 4, 2008.

Henry Burris set the league record of 45 for Ottawa against Montreal on Oct. 1, 2015.

The numbers, as impressive as they are, don’t interest Harris. He is singularly focused on doing whatever he can to help the Roughriders win in Hamilton and boast a 7-2 record at the midpoint of their schedule.

Saskatchewan has won both games Harris has started in Hamilton since he joined the Green and White in 2023.

On June 16, 2024, he threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns — both to Kian Schaffer-Baker — for Saskatchewan in a come-from-behind, 33-30 victory over the host Tiger-Cats. Hamilton led 30-20 with 5½ minutes left, only to have the Roughriders rally for 13 unanswered points. Brett Lauther snapped a 30-30 tie with a 43-yard field goal on the final play.

The Roughriders won 28-23 at Hamilton Stadium on June 14 of last year. Harris threw for 295 yards and one major, increasing his career numbers in Hamilton to 218 completions, 310 attempts, 2,399 yards and 12 touchdowns, with only two interceptions. Completion percentage: 70.3.

All of that is in the past, however, and Harris knows what is in front of him.

“They’re a good football team and they have a really good defence,” he said. “We know that we’ve got to be on our P’s and Q’s and be on our details if we want to have success.”

Hamilton enters the contest with a three-game losing streak and a 3-6 record.

“I know everybody continues to look at records,” Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace said. “They’re still trying to figure a couple of things out, but they’ve got a lot of really good ballplayers and good coaches on that staff.”

The Tiger-Cats’ coaching staff is headed by Scott Milanovich, who was the Argonauts’ field boss when Harris entered the CFL in 2012.

There is also a history between Mace and the Tiger-Cats’ Defensive Co-ordinator, Brent Monson. They were long-time coaching colleagues in Calgary.

“He’s a heck of a coach,” Mace said. “He’s really intelligent and he puts his guys in good positions and they’ve got some good players on the defensive side.

“It’s another task for us offensively. We have to make sure we execute and hopefully the defence can help them out and maybe give our offence some short fields. That applies to special teams as well.

“It’s a full-meal deal. We’ve got to execute and continue to try to play complementary football.”

FROST WARNING

The Roughriders are about to face Harrison Frost for the first time.

Frost is to make his second start at quarterback for the Tiger-Cats this season. He is the third QB to start for Hamilton since Bo Levi Mitchell suffered an ankle injury on July 5 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Jake Dolegala and Tre Ford saw first-team duty behind centre for Hamilton before Frost took over on Aug. 8 against the host B.C. Lions.

He completed 20 of 33 passes for 239 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, in a 27-24 Lions victory over the Milanovich-coached Tiger-Cats.

“(Frost) has been entrusted with the job and the ball in his hands each play by a coach who has had tremendous success in this league and has worked with some really good quarterbacks,” Mace said.

“They feel that he’s the best option. We have to operate as if we’re getting a better version of that team.”

DEFENSIVE DISTINCTION

Entering this weekend’s games, the Roughriders had allowed a league-low 26.7 points per game.

“Whatever that number is, if you’re leading the league in it, generally that’s pretty good,” Mace said. “If we’re giving up 45 points but scoring 46, I’m OK, as long as it ends in the win column.

“One defensive stat you want to look at is ‘where are we at in points per game?’ If that’s where we’re sitting right now, it’s something to hang your hat on, but there’s a lot of football left.”

A STAR IS BORN

For the first time in a decade, the Roughriders will start a third running back in the first half of a season.

Star Thomas is to receive his first CFL start on Saturday in Hamilton. He got the nod after a hamstring injury sidelined Quali Conley. Conley and A.J. Ouellette split the starting assignments over the first eight games of the season.

In 2016, Curtis Steele was the starting tailback for the first four games. Michael Dyer was the featured ball-carrier in the fifth game. Kendial Lawrence started the next six games before Steele returned to the lineup.

SHORT SHORTS

• Along with Thomas, the Roughriders have activated recently signed receiver Vyshonne Janusas for the game in Hamilton. Thomas and Janusas increase the Roughriders’ All-Time total of active-roster players to 2,179.

• Harris needs 109 yards to pass Tom Burgess and move into fifth on the Roughriders’ career passing-yardage list. Burgess threw for 11,850 yards over five seasons (1987-89, 1994-95) with Saskatchewan. With 69 TD passes, Harris needs five to tie Burgess for fifth All-Time.

• Saskatchewan enters Saturday’s game with a 3-0 road record this season. The franchise record for consecutive road victories to begin a season is five (in 1976). The Roughriders were 4-0 on the road in 1970 and 2025. At 3-0, the 2026 team joins the 1975, 1981, 2008 and 2013 editions.

• Frost will soon become the 58th Tiger-Cats quarterback to throw at least one pass against the Roughriders. Of all Tiger-Cats QBs, Danny McManus has played in the most games (16) against Saskatchewan. Next in line are Mike Kerrigan (11), Joe Zuger (10), Jeremiah Masoli (7), Zach Collaros (6), Todd Dillon (6) and Kevin Glenn (6).

• Dohnte Meyers, a member of the Roughriders in 2024 and 2025, caught three passes for a team-high 29 yards in his NFL pre-season debut with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. Meyers also rushed for a 13-yard gain during a 16-14 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions. His 52 yards from scrimmage paced the Bengals.

• KeeSean Johnson’s next catch will be his 200th with the Roughriders and in the CFL.