The Bell system has received a ringing endorsement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Complimentary\u00a0comments from\u00a0Head Coach Corey Mace extended to Defensive Co-ordinator Joshua Bell following\u00a0the Saskatchewan Roughriders\u2019 28-26\u00a0CFL\u00a0victory over the Edmonton Elks in Saturday\u2019s West Division showdown at Commonwealth Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saskatchewan evened the score after losing 36-34 to Edmonton on July 23 at Mosaic Stadium \u2014 where the Elks\u2019 Cody Fajardo passed for 510 yards and four touchdowns\u00a0to open a home-and-home set.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always good when you play an opponent another\u00a0time,\u201d Mace said after Tuesday\u2019s\u00a0practice\u00a0at Mosaic Stadium. \u201cYou have an idea of how they attacked you and\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0maybe\u00a0seen how\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0potentially going to attack you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a matter of allowing Bell to put together a\u00a0really good\u00a0plan of how\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0going to execute and call the game. This is the time as coaches to play chess. I have no idea how to play that game,\u00a0but Bell plays it every day.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0a good thing for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Especially on Saturday,\u00a0when 224 yards were pared from Edmonton\u2019s July 23 passing total. The Elks were also limited to two touchdowns \u2014 half as many as Saskatchewan\u00a0\u2014 in the rematch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was good to get another win because of how long it takes after a loss to feel\u00a0that,\u201d said Bell,\u00a0recalling\u00a0the nine-day gap between games\u00a0versus Edmonton. \u201cThat is the worst feeling in the world \u2014 to have a long week after a loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was most definitely good (to win). We felt like we were going to win the game emphatically. We had to fight and scratch and claw all the way to the end.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The end of the day for the Elks\u2019 offence\u00a0was soon followed by\u00a0the home side\u2019s\u00a0punt from\u00a0its\u00a0end zone with 2\u00bd minutes left in the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trailing by two, Edmonton began what proved to be its final possession needing to travel 83 yards for a touchdown. The home side went in reverse from there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edmonton was flagged for holding on first down. Ten yards were marched off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On first-and-20, Roughriders middle linebacker Jameer Thurman wrapped up a scrambling Fajardo after a two-yard gain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bell then dialled up\u00a0a pass rush that\u00a0resulted\u00a0in\u00a0heavy pressure exerted by defensive end Desmond Evans and\u00a0a\u00a0sack by linebacker Josh Woods.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Backed up to their six-yard line, the\u00a0Elks had no choice but to punt on third-and-31.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saskatchewan\u2019s offence\u00a0proceeded\u00a0to extinguish\u00a0the final 2\u00bd minutes, recording three first downs before quarterback Trevor Harris executed three kneel-downs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Roughriders then improved their record to 5-2. Edmonton\u00a0is 6-2 after facing a Saskatchewan side that\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0the mettle\u00a0that is reflective of a\u00a0defending Grey Cup champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIndividually, guys have their purpose and what they\u2019re intentional about,\u201d Bell said. \u201cI think\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0one\u00a0reason why\u00a0we could go out there and do certain things. Other than that,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0our unified purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have somewhere that we want to go. We have somewhere that we expect to be.\u00a0So\u00a0when we go\u00a0to work and we go hunt,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0doing what\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got to do, regardless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think we need too much gunpowder on our food\u00a0(during the week). Our guys come to work.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0just blue-collar guys who go to work every single day.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0probably what\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0the\u00a0most proud\u00a0of as coaches.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Roughriders\u2019 3-0 road record is also a source of pride. Most recently, Saskatchewan prevailed in front of the Elks\u2019\u00a0largest home crowd (31,757) since Saskatchewan\u2019s\u00a0previous\u00a0visit (30,053 on Sept. 27 of last year).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe travel,\u201d Bell said. \u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0the thing. When we go into somebody else\u2019s stadium,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0going to have better numbers because\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0coming. The Riders are really ballooning their numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhenever we go on the road,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0tough to see or tell\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0cheering for who. Even on the road, we hear eruptions like\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a home crowd. We\u00a0have to\u00a0realize\u00a0that,\u00a0\u2018Oh, those are our fans in the other team\u2019s stadium, being louder than (fans of) that team.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u00a0kind of power\u00a0us up on the road. When our fans get loud, I know the (opposing) offence\u00a0has to\u00a0deal with it, but defensively we get a rush out\u00a0of having our fans in the stands. It often seems like\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a home game, even when\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0on the road.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n