The Saskatchewan Roughriders took care of business on Friday night. <\/p>\n
Facing the winless Ottawa Redblacks in front of an announced attendance of 29,798 at Mosaic Stadium, the Roughriders improved to 6-2 on the season with a 42-20 win over the Redblacks (0-8) in Week 10 of the CFL season. <\/p>\n
Playing without many regular starters including top receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker and Samuel Emilus, cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. and running back A.J. Ouellette, the Roughriders were forced to rely on their depth on Friday night, while the regular contributors also played a major role. <\/p>\n
Quarterback Trevor Harris, who completed 30-of-38 passes for 401 yards, tossed a touchdown pass to veteran KeeSean Johnson and another to rookie Dylan Djete, while short-yardage specialist Tommy Stevens rushed for three touchdowns for the second straight game. Kicker Alex Hale chipped in with a pair of field goals for the Roughriders, who won their second in a row. <\/p>\n
While the final score was lopsided, the two teams battled back and forth for the majority of the first half \u2014 with Ottawa holding a 14-13 lead early in the third quarter \u2014 before the Roughriders pulled away with 22 straight points in the second half. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe did a good job, I think, just kind of setting the tone as far as the tempo of the game,\u201d said Roughriders head coach Corey Mace. \u201c(Offensive coordinator Marc Mueller) and the offence, they started attacking, going to a little bit of hurry-up offence there to keep the defence on their on their heels, and we executed at a high level. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s just nothing but credit to the coaches obviously for getting these guys ready. A lot of guys in the receiving corps, specifically, are relatively new. But for us, we practice this stuff all the time. To be able to be efficient as we were, I thought on offence with some new faces, it was excellent to see, but again, not really a shock because we see these guys every day.\u201d <\/p>\n
![\"Saskatchewan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20260807_hcy020.rg_304636093.jpg\")
Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris (7) throws the football against the Ottawa Redblacks during the first half of CFL football action at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, on Friday, August 7, 2026. (Regina Leader-Post\/Heywood Yu) Heywood Yu \/ Regina Leader-Post<\/p>\n
After losing their seventh straight game last week, the Redblacks fired defensive coordinator William Fields prior to the Week 10 contest. With longtime CFL assistant Jeff Reinebold taking over defensive playcalling duties for Ottawa, it made it a little challenging for Saskatchewan to prepare this week. <\/p>\n
However, the Green and White made their adjustments and were able to score touchdowns on four straight drives in the second half. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t know what to expect from this defence and I think once we had a firm grasp of what they were doing, we were able to really start cooking and moving the football,\u201d said Harris, who became the 12th CFL quarterback all-time to eclipse the 40,000-yard mark. \u201cI was proud of the offence in the second half with all the scoring drives we had.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what was really cool was when Ottawa answered, we were able to stay on the football field, put together drives, and always answer the bell and come back with a score. That\u2019s what championship offences do, and especially when you\u2019re down some prominent players, you need other guys to step up, and they did.\u201d <\/p>\n
While Johnson led the way for the Roughriders receivers with 11 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets, others including Johnny Johnson III, seven catches on seven targets for 117 yards, and D\u2019Sean Mimbs, six catches on eight targets for 84 yards, stepped up in the absence of Emilus and Schaffer-Baker. <\/p>\n
And Djete, making his first career start in his second career game, recorded his first career CFL reception on the first play of the game before finishing the night with four catches on four targets for 53 yards and one touchdown. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt means everything,\u201d said the 22-year-old Djete, who was Saskatchewan\u2019s second-round pick in the 2026 CFL draft. \u201cLike we talked about all this week, I\u2019ve been preparing myself. I\u2019ve been going through a lot with the injury, but mentally, I was there. And when my opportunity came, I just had to do what I had to do.\u201d <\/p>\n
On Saskatchewan\u2019s first offensive series of the night, following a 37-yard punt return by Daniel Wiebe, Djete caught a pair of passes for 29 yards from Harris before the drive stalled out on Ottawa\u2019s 26-yard line. <\/p>\n
Hale connected on a 35-yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saskatchewan early. <\/p>\n
On Ottawa\u2019s next series, a fumbled snap led to a recovery by Saskatchewan\u2019s Antoine Brooks Jr., before Harris gave the ball right back with an interception into the hands of Redblacks\u2019 defensive back Eric Cumberbatch. <\/p>\n
After a potential Saskatchewan touchdown got taken off the board following an unnecessary roughness penalty on Ottawa long snapper Peter Adjey following a blocked punt, the Redblacks took the lead as quarterback Jake Maier led Ottawa on a 13-play, 82-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a one-yard scoring rush by short-yardage quarterback Bryson Barnes. <\/p>\n
However, the convert was missed as the Redblacks went up 6-3 early in the second quarter. <\/p>\n
Following a second straight punt by Saskatchewan, Maier marched the Redblacks into scoring range but, without their long snapper, elected to gamble on third-and-four from Saskatchewan\u2019s 20-yard line. However, Maier\u2019s pass fell incomplete as the Redblacks turned it over on downs. <\/p>\n
On the ensuing drive, Harris marched the Roughriders down to the Ottawa seven-yard line before his goal-line pass on second down was nearly intercepted by Redblacks\u2019 defensive back Shadwell Nbuka II, who would have likely returned it for a touchdown had he not dropped the ball. <\/p>\n
Saskatchewan came away with a 15-yard field goal by Hale to tie the game 6-6. <\/p>\n
After a punt by the Redblacks, the Roughriders took the 13-6 lead as Harris led the Green and White on an eight-play, 71-yard drive, capped off with a five-yard touchdown pass to KeeSean Johnson with seven seconds left in the first half. <\/p>\n
Early in the third quarter, the Redblacks took the lead as Maier hit Justin Hardy for a 23-yard touchdown pass before hitting Kalil Pimpleton on the two-point convert attempt to put Ottawa up 14-13. <\/p>\n
![\"Ottawa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20260807_hcy018.rg_304636123.jpg\")
Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jake Maier (13) runs the football against the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the first half of CFL football action at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, on Friday, August 7, 2026. (Regina Leader-Post\/Heywood Yu) Heywood Yu \/ Regina Leader-Post<\/p>\n
Saskatchewan offered up an immediate response as Harris, despite being sacked on the first play of the series, marched to the Ottawa 18-yard line before finding Djete for a touchdown strike. With a two-point convert pass to KeeSean Johnson, the Roughriders took a 21-14 lead. <\/p>\n
Following an Ottawa punt, Harris methodically led the Riders on an 11-play, 95-yard drive before Stevens, who had a trio of touchdowns one week ago against Edmonton, scored his first of Week 10 to put Saskatchewan up 28-14 with the convert. <\/p>\n
On Ottawa\u2019s next drive, Saskatchewan\u2019s defensive backfield secured its first interception of the season as halfback Jonathan Edouard picked off Maier on the Roughrider 30-yard line with 12:48 left in the game. <\/p>\n
Harris proceeded to hit receiver Johnny Johnson III for a gain of 51 before Stevens rumbled into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, and 10th of the year, to make it 35-14. <\/p>\n
With 4:08 left, Maier ended Saskatchewan\u2019s streak of 22 unanswered points as found Keelan White on a seven-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-20.<\/p>\n
On the next series, Stevens and the Roughriders chipped away at the clock with a lengthy drive before Stevens sprinted into the end zone for his third touchdown of the night to make it 42-20, which concluded the scoring with 1:17 left.<\/p>\n
Next up for the Roughriders is a road game next Saturday as they are set to visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 11. <\/p>\n