REGINA — Today's column on the Saskatchewan Roughriders' quarterbacking situation (3,765th in a series) is brought to you by the number four.
Cole Bergquist is No. 4 on the depth chart. Darian Durant is No. 4 in the program.
Bergquist, a former University of Montana Grizzlies standout, is still adjusting to the size of the CFL football.
Durant, by contrast, is becoming acclimatized to opening a season as the Roughriders' starting quarterback.
As the new quarterback in town, Bergquist arrives with an unblemished record. No interceptions. No incompletions. No complaints.
Durant has been there. Fans and media vultures didn't have any reason to dissect Durant when he was an understudy to Kerry Joseph and Marcus Crandell.
For the longest time, Durant was perfect. He completed the only pass he threw as a first-year Roughrider in 2006. The statistical ledger was blank during the Grey Cup season of 2007.
It wasn't until last year that Durant began to compile some meaningful numbers. In back-to-back starts, he threw for five touchdowns and nearly 700 yards. He was touted as the Riders' quarterback of the present and the future.
But now reality has hit. Developing quarterbacks are going to commit errors, such as the three interceptions Durant threw in Friday's 28-24 victory over the B.C. Lions. As a counterbalance, the 26-year-old Durant ran for a 10-yard touchdown, threw for 313 yards, and had five completions of at least 39 yards.
Durant awarded himself a grade of C when asked Monday by the media to appraise his season-opening performance.
"After looking at the film, I did some good things,'' Durant said. "There some things I can get better at, of course. I didn't play that bad. I'll just learn from the mistakes and not make them again.''
CKRM's Rod Pedersen proceeded to pose the best question of the day. Alluding to the fact that the Roughriders are undefeated in games Durant has started, Pedersen said: "Do you ever feel like standing on top of the stadium and saying, 'I'm 5-and-0!'? ''
Durant paused and chuckled.
"You're putting me on the spot,'' he said with a smile. "It does feel good. I feel like the team rallies around me. I can't do this by myself.''
He needed some help from the head coach. Ken Miller stuck with Durant on Friday, even after two rapid-fire interceptions in the third quarter.
"It was huge for me,'' Durant said. "You realize the character in a guy when he's facing adversity. You see how he bounces back. Even after the three picks, I still made a couple of plays and still made some things happen. That's a tribute to the coach having confidence in me. I feel like I'm strong-minded enough to forget about the last play and keep going.''
Bergquist is more concerned with remembering plays — all of them — as he attempts to master the intricacies of the Roughriders' complex offence. There is also the football itself to consider.
"Actually, the balls are a lot different,'' said Bergquist, who attended a mini-camp with the San Diego Chargers earlier this year. "I've been training with the NFL balls for the last couple of months. They're a little skinnier and a little easier to throw. I'm going to throw this ball for a couple of weeks and I'm sure it will be fine.''
It did not appear that Bergquist was encountering any difficulties adjusting to the Canadian football. Most of the passes he threw Monday were crisp spirals.
"I was impressed,'' Miller said.
Bergquist had a brief introduction to the CFL on Friday. He arrived around halftime and watched the remainder of the B.C. game from the sideline.
The game attracted 30,062 spectators, a near sellout. Bergquist is accustomed to playing in front of 25,000 spectators, so he noticed some parallels.
"We have some of the craziest fans in college football, given that Missoula only has 60,000 people,'' the affable Bergquist said. "I was under the microscope over there so I'm pretty used to it.''
It sounds that way. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, and blessed athleticism and a strong arm, Bergquist appears to be right out of Central Casting.
The Rider Nation breathlessly awaits his second practice
Cole Bergquist is No. 4 on the depth chart. Darian Durant is No. 4 in the program.
Bergquist, a former University of Montana Grizzlies standout, is still adjusting to the size of the CFL football.
Durant, by contrast, is becoming acclimatized to opening a season as the Roughriders' starting quarterback.
As the new quarterback in town, Bergquist arrives with an unblemished record. No interceptions. No incompletions. No complaints.
Durant has been there. Fans and media vultures didn't have any reason to dissect Durant when he was an understudy to Kerry Joseph and Marcus Crandell.
For the longest time, Durant was perfect. He completed the only pass he threw as a first-year Roughrider in 2006. The statistical ledger was blank during the Grey Cup season of 2007.
It wasn't until last year that Durant began to compile some meaningful numbers. In back-to-back starts, he threw for five touchdowns and nearly 700 yards. He was touted as the Riders' quarterback of the present and the future.
But now reality has hit. Developing quarterbacks are going to commit errors, such as the three interceptions Durant threw in Friday's 28-24 victory over the B.C. Lions. As a counterbalance, the 26-year-old Durant ran for a 10-yard touchdown, threw for 313 yards, and had five completions of at least 39 yards.
Durant awarded himself a grade of C when asked Monday by the media to appraise his season-opening performance.
"After looking at the film, I did some good things,'' Durant said. "There some things I can get better at, of course. I didn't play that bad. I'll just learn from the mistakes and not make them again.''
CKRM's Rod Pedersen proceeded to pose the best question of the day. Alluding to the fact that the Roughriders are undefeated in games Durant has started, Pedersen said: "Do you ever feel like standing on top of the stadium and saying, 'I'm 5-and-0!'? ''
Durant paused and chuckled.
"You're putting me on the spot,'' he said with a smile. "It does feel good. I feel like the team rallies around me. I can't do this by myself.''
He needed some help from the head coach. Ken Miller stuck with Durant on Friday, even after two rapid-fire interceptions in the third quarter.
"It was huge for me,'' Durant said. "You realize the character in a guy when he's facing adversity. You see how he bounces back. Even after the three picks, I still made a couple of plays and still made some things happen. That's a tribute to the coach having confidence in me. I feel like I'm strong-minded enough to forget about the last play and keep going.''
Bergquist is more concerned with remembering plays — all of them — as he attempts to master the intricacies of the Roughriders' complex offence. There is also the football itself to consider.
"Actually, the balls are a lot different,'' said Bergquist, who attended a mini-camp with the San Diego Chargers earlier this year. "I've been training with the NFL balls for the last couple of months. They're a little skinnier and a little easier to throw. I'm going to throw this ball for a couple of weeks and I'm sure it will be fine.''
It did not appear that Bergquist was encountering any difficulties adjusting to the Canadian football. Most of the passes he threw Monday were crisp spirals.
"I was impressed,'' Miller said.
Bergquist had a brief introduction to the CFL on Friday. He arrived around halftime and watched the remainder of the B.C. game from the sideline.
The game attracted 30,062 spectators, a near sellout. Bergquist is accustomed to playing in front of 25,000 spectators, so he noticed some parallels.
"We have some of the craziest fans in college football, given that Missoula only has 60,000 people,'' the affable Bergquist said. "I was under the microscope over there so I'm pretty used to it.''
It sounds that way. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, and blessed athleticism and a strong arm, Bergquist appears to be right out of Central Casting.
The Rider Nation breathlessly awaits his second practice
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