news-engine

Follow SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS ™ © 2026 Saskatchewan Roughriders ™. All rights reserved. © 2026 Saskatchewan Roughriders ™. All rights reserved. At 6-3, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are on pace to match last season’s record of 12-6. The 2025 season proved to be historic, as the Roughriders won a Grey Cup championship for the fifth time since the franchise’s inception. Even though there is much more football to be played in 2026, does a 6-3 slate signal that the Roughriders are on the right trajectory? “No, it doesn’t,” Head Coach Corey Mace stated after Wednesday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “I’ve been around long enough to see teams that won Grey Cups at .500 or less, and I’ve seen teams that have gone 16-2 and 15-2-1 and not hoisted the trophy at the end of the year. “(The record) doesn’t tell all. At the end of the (regular) season, that’ll be a little bit of a tell. Ultimately, that doesn’t tell you anything, anyway, because you get in the playoffs and it’s going to be who’s the best that day. “We’re happy that the wins outweigh the losses, but we haven’t met the standard that we want to meet as a team, and that’s what we chase.” The race, as much as it is emphasized by followers of the CFL team, is not a point of emphasis internally. “That’s something for the media to talk about,” quarterback Trevor Harris said after Day 1 of on-field preparations for Sunday’s game in Vancouver. “It’s not something we concern ourselves with. I’m concerning myself with the B.C. Lions this week and trying to get a win on the road in a tough environment against a good football team. That’s where our heads are at. “We want to keep stacking the days, keep stacking the games and hopefully stacking the wins. We’ll come up for air at the end of the year and say, ‘What do we need to do?’ “If we can clinch the West, awesome. If we’ve got to battle for it, awesome. Whatever it is, we’ll take it in stride.” The Edmonton Elks lead the West at 7-3. Saskatchewan, which has one game in hand on Edmonton, is in second spot. The Roughriders and Elks have split the season series to date. They are to meet on Oct. 24, 1 p.m., at Mosaic Stadium on the final weekend of regular-season play. Tickets are AVAILABLE HERE. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-4) are third in the West, followed by B.C. (4-5) and the Calgary Stampeders (4-6). The Lions carry a three-game winning streak into Sunday’s game. “Obviously, they’re rolling right now,” Mace said. “They discovered a run game. They still have the same pieces that they had (earlier in the season) Their defence is playing really well and and they’ve got some really good, aggressive players on special teams. Their specials have been on point. “They’re a good team. It’s another test for us.” The game will feature the CFL’s co-leaders in touchdowns. Saskatchewan quarterback Tommy Stevens and Lions running back Zander Horvath both have 11 majors. Stevens has rushed for all 11 of his scores. Horvath has found the end zone on eight rushes and three receptions. After rushing for 63 yards over the Lions’ first six games, Horvath has amassed 355 yards over his last three contests. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder has scored six TDs over that span. “He’s a behemoth of a human being,” Mace said. “You’ve got to be sound in your tackling and you can’t sleep on his athleticism. Everybody just wants to talk about how big he is, but he’s agile, he’s athletic and he’s still fast. “It’s a good one-two punch that they have going (with Horvath and fellow running back James Butler) and it’s giving them some juice. We’ve just got to do what we do and make sure we try to contain them.”