Skidding Roughriders 'looking for some payback' vs. Blue Bombers in Banjo Bowl
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The struggling Saskatchewan Roughriders have a chance to shake up the playoff picture in the West Division when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Banjo Bowl on Saturday.
But the Roughriders (5-6-1) enter the Week 14 contest frustrated and looking for revenge after falling 35-33 to the Blue Bombers (6-6-0) in the Labour Day Classic.
Losing at home to the Blue Bombers last week isn’t sitting well with the Roughriders as they prepare for the rematch.
“We’re frustrated for sure. Looking for some payback, you know, they came into our house and did that and we have to go into theirs and do the same,” offensive lineman Logan Ferland told CTV News after practice on Wednesday.
“We’re as frustrated as you can get as a competitor. If you’re not mad about the situation then we have a problem. We’re all competitors in here and we all want to win. So you have to get mad, have to have some kind of fire lit under you and go out there and play that much harder,” added teammate, KeeSean Johnson.
The Roughriders’ last win came against the Blue Bombers in Week 7 and since then the club is winless with five losses and a tie.
Despite the skid, the Roughriders are currently third in the West, one point behind the Blue Bombers and BC Lions (6-6-0), who each have 12 points.
“The priority is to keep things positive, keep things happy. We still want to harp on keeping the mood up because when everything’s caving in around you, when guys focus on the negative, that’s when it gets [you] into trouble. And that’s what we’ve seen in the past,” Ferland said.
History hasn’t been on the Roughriders’ side in the Banjo Bowl, with the Blue Bombers taking 12 of the 19 meetings overall.
Winnipeg has won the last four Banjo Bowls over the Roughriders, all in routs. The Bombers beat the Riders 35-10 in 2019, 33-9 in 2021, 54-20 in 2022 and 51-6 last season.
The Roughriders still control their own destiny and could shift the balance of power with five games remaining against Western rivals.
Roughriders head coach Corey Mace remains confident his team can still accomplish its goals for the 2024 campaign.
“The reality is we still have games to play in this season and the reality is if we handle business, we put ourselves in a really good position to attain a lot of things that we looked to attain as the season started,” Mace said. “So everything we still want is still in reach and still in our control.”
Banjo Bowl headlines CFL's Week 14
Week 14 in the CFL begins Friday night with first-place Montreal Alouettes (10-1) taking on Nathan Rourke and the BC Lions (6-6). The action begins at 7pm ET/4pm PT on TSN1/5, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Saturday features the first tripleheader of the season.
The Toronto Argonauts (6-5) and Ottawa Redblacks (7-3-1) kick things off from the nation's capital at 1pm ET/10am PT on TSN3/4, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Next up is the game of the week as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-6) host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-6-1) in the annual Banjo Bowl. Coverage begins at 3pm ET/Noon PT, exclusively on CTV.
The day wraps up with the Calgary Stampeders (4-7) and Edmonton Elks (4-8) squaring off from Commonwealth Stadium at 7pm ET/4pm PT across the TSN Network, TSN.ca and the TSN App.