The Saskatchewan Roughriders started the 2025 season with their 31-26 win over Ottawa. I could empathize with the Riders suffering four injuries to starters in the game. I went to the June 5 game with a broken humerus bone leaving me in a sling to begin the season. Hopefully we can all heal quickly.
When a starter goes down an opportunity is created. Thomas Bertrand-Hudon became the starting running back when A.J. Ouellette went down after three carries. I consider Bertrand-Hudon the star of the game.
His 57 yards on 14 carries meant the Riders had an effective running game unlike the Redblacks, who gained but 40 yards in total on the ground.
Head Coach Corey Mace thought Ottawa might have gone away from running the ball with Dru Brown passing for 413 yards. I thought the Rider defence forced Ottawa to the air. Micah Johnson said the Riders want to be the best at stopping the run.
Bertrand-Hudon’s touchdown was crucial because it forced Ottawa to respect the run in a passing situation. The Redblacks, with the Riders in second and goal from the 6 yard line, had to expect a pass.
Bertrand-Hudon is not just a straight line runner. He started upfield on that touchdown but stepped to the left and charged for the end zone. He said he saw middle linebacker, Jovan Knox-Santos, peaking in the hole way too fast and, knowing Knpx-Santo was committed, he bounced out to the left. He acknowledged that he sees the field well. Rider centre Logan Ferland, affirmed Bertrand-Hudon has good field vision.
Adding capable blocking to his running skill, Bertrand-Hudon is ready to start against Hamilton. I hope he gets the chance.
For three quarters the Rider offence was efficient. The fourth quarter was a struggle. On five possessions they gained only one first down and that was from an Ottawa pass interference penalty.
Trevor Harris described the problems as self-inflicted.
He took responsibility for the first error. Rolling right to avoid pressure he said he babied a throw to Dhel Duncan-Busby and it went high. A good throw and Duncan-Busby was on his way to a first down.
On the next series Dohnte Meyers dropped a well-thrown pass.
The third series ended with KeeSean Johnson fumbling the ball after a catch.
On the fourth possession Harris looked to Mitch Picton. Early last season Picton gained recognition for late fourth quarter receptions. I was thinking it was Mitch time again until he could not hold onto the ball 24 yards down field. Picton said a defender punched at the ball from behind but he should have held the ball.
Picton summed up the Rider offence in the fourth quarter as disjointed.
While the Rider defence gave up big passing yards they were at their best on the final two Hamilton drives in the final three minutes stopping both drives with sacks.
On the first sack Jameer Thurman blitzed up the middle untouched. Mace said it was not his scheming that freed Thurman. He said they had not called many blitzes and the Redblacks offensive line were maybe getting complacent from what they were seeing. He continued that it was like Moses for Thurm.
The Riders had the ball on the Redblack 39 with 0:40 to go. I asked Mace if they considered kneeling rather than sending Bertrand-Hudon into the line twice. Mace said Ottawa still had a timeout. On third down and 0:27 to go he said they thought about taking a time count penalty to gain a second but they would have lost 10 yards. They called a timeout with 8 seconds to go. Deciding to punt the Riders did a little rugby style kick respecting returner Devonte Dedmon and ran out the clock.
Mace deftly described the final play: “Hell of a punt. Hell of a cover. Game over.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Bill Selnes, who’s based in Melfort, has written about the Saskatchewan Roughriders since the late 1970s. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Football Reporters of Canada wing on Nov. 24, 2013
