Nice to have a Classic live up to the title. No one left Mosaic Stadium early during the 60th Labour Day Classic, which the Saskatchewan Roughriders won 34-30 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. While offence, defence and special teams were important to the Aug. 31 Rider victory, I want to focus on the defence.
While they gave up 30 points they made life miserable for Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros for most of the game. They had five sacks and relentless pressure. He was often forced from the pocket. I can remember past seasons where he barely had to move.
Rider defensive end Malik Carney had an outsized presence during the game with two sacks including a strip sack and recovered fumble.
On the first sack he was lined up as a linebacker on the left side. He waited a moment and shot through the A gap barely touched by guard Pat Neufeld.
On the second he said it was the same type of call on the other side against guard Gabe Wallace. He said they had noted some tendencies and took advantage.
In recent years the dominant defensive lineman in the Classic was Willie Jefferson. Carney replaced him on Sunday.
The Bombers have often moved Jefferson around to allow him to disrupt games. The Riders adopted a similar strategy for Carney. He lined up at both defensive end positions, as a tackle and as a linebacker at multiple linebacker positions.
Riders head coach Corey Mace said Carney has been getting his flowers. He said they have been doing it all year and Scoop was making plays on Sunday taking advantage of his one-on-one opportunities versus the Blue Bomber guards. Mace added that Shane Ray and Habakkuk Baldonado can do the same things as Carney.
All the Rider defenders were very aware that under pressure or, to reduce pressure, Collaros will scramble or roll to his right. Mace said Collaros had a bit of a habit doing that through his career. Through the first, second and third quarters he repeatedly escaped to the right.
In the fourth quarter the Rider defence refused to let him go right. There were one or more defenders attacking from his right, the left side of the Rider defence. Carney said they forced him to his left, his weaker side.
Mace said that, depending on where the back is, they could sometimes get in trouble by leaning on containment to the right as Brady Oliveros could run forever.
The strategy worked through the first three Bomber possessions of the fourth quarter until Mario Alfred fumbled a punt and the Bombers regained possession. Collaros broke his tendency to go right. On his touchdown throw to Keric Wheatall on a corner route he bought time by going left.
On their last possession, on 3rd down, Collaros again broke left to be able to throw a bomb to Nic Demski where Jaxon Ford was called for interference and set up their touchdown to pull within two points.
Carney said Collaros is a heck of a player.
Ford said that on the pass to Demski he needed to show better football IQ. He said the ball was underthrown, it did go about 60 yards in the air. He did not think Collaros could throw it that far. He said he was caught leaning too far back. He added that he should have been ahead not behind Demski.
Mace said the defence could extend plays but they got caught in a man defence and in a scramble drill.
While fans were deflated the Bombers still needed a two- point conversion to tie. Tevaughn Campbell said as soon as he and Demarcus Fields saw the Bomber receivers stack on the right side they knew the receivers would be going in and out. Lined up outside he took the inside receiver, Dalton Schoen, and was in perfect position to intercept when the receiver ran an out pattern.
After catching the ball he raced 112 yards down the sideline. I said he showed excellent acceleration for the first 60 yards pulling away from the Demski chasing him. Campbell said he was a national champion in the 60 meter Canadian university dash while at the University of Regina. In his peripheral vision he could see the Bombers slowing down behind him as he passed midfield. He had not intercepted and returned an attempted convert before Sunday.
As always on Labour Day there was yet a final moment of drama. The Bombers attempted an onside kick. Rolan Milligan said he realized it was way shorter than 10 yards and decided to make a play on the ball. He was hit as he was catching it and fumbled. In the furious scramble in a pile of bodies he said he recovered the ball.
Next week’s Banjo Bowl has rarely gone well for the Riders. For a change the Bombers go into the game having the pressure of needing the win. I will be very interested in seeing if the Riders can keep Collaros contained from escaping to the left, the middle and the right.
