The Roughriders held their final walk through prior to their July 1, 2010, matchup against the Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes.
Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post
REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders' Darian Durant is not one for statistics — save for the numbers that appear in the victory column and on the scoreboard.
"I feel like we can score 35 or 40 points a game,'' the Roughriders' quarterback said Wednesday. "It's just up to us to do it. It's up to all of us to be on the same page.
"I want to make sure everyone is on the same page and that we're doing everything we're supposed to do to be the most explosive offence in the league.''
Saskatchewan and the Calgary Stampeders were the second-highest-scoring teams in the CFL last season, each producing 514 points over 18 games. The Grey Cup-champion Montreal Alouettes led the way with 600 points.
Montreal will oppose Saskatchewan on Thursday, 5 p.m., at Mosaic Stadium in the league's 2010 regular-season opener. Given the potency of the Alouettes' offence, which is led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Anthony Calvillo, Saskatchewan will likely need some firepower of its own.
"We have to score every game,'' Durant said. "I can't really worry about what Anthony does. I just have to make sure that, come the fourth quarter, I have my team in a position to win. That's what it's all about, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way.''
Durant is surrounded by an array of weapons. Saskatchewan is especially strong at receiver, boasting weapons such as Andy Fantuz, Weston Dressler, Prechae Rodriguez, Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Jason Clermont. The Roughriders' depth is such that there are more starting-calibre receivers (six) than starting spots (five).
"I'm pretty excited to be working with these guys,'' said Durant, who threw for 4,348 yards, with 24 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, en route to earning West Division all-star honours in 2009.
"If we're having success as a team, numbers will come. I'm not really worried about numbers. I led the league in picks last year and I was in the Grey Cup, so that shows you that numbers don't really matter at the end of the day. I'm not really a numbers guy. All I know is that if the team is having success, my numbers will be good.''
Durant & Co. hope to enjoy success on Thursday against a perennial powerhouse.
"What better way to see where you're at as a team and what you need to work on than going out against the champs?'' Durant said. "As of right now, they're still the best team in the league. We'll see how we stack up against them.''
As excited as he is, he also admits to being nervous.
"There's a lot of butterflies going around,'' Durant said. "There's nothing like the start of a new season. There's nothing like being able to do what you love for a living. That's what brings you the joy. Whenever you can start fresh and be able to build something, it's always a good thing.''
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