RIDERS BEAT LIONS 37 - 13

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Rob Bagg cuts away from B.C. Lions Davis Sanchez at Mosaic Stadium in Regina August 12, 2010.
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders ground out a workmanlike victory over the struggling B.C. Lions in Thursday's Hall of Fame game.

Running back Wes Cates and quarterback Darian Durant scored two rushing touchdowns each in Saskatchewan's 37-13 CFL victory over the Lions before a sold-out crowd of 30,048 at Mosaic Stadium.

"We has some success along the ground the last time we played them, so we wanted to continue that tonight,'' Durant said. "Wes is always a threat on the ground, too. We put a lot of effort this week into the running game and it paid off for us.''

Saskatchewan improved to 5-2 and rebounded nicely from a 30-26 loss to the Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The Lions fell to 1-6 and have lost six straight since opening the season with a 25-10 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on July 4.

Both teams are now off for the bye week. The Lions return to action Aug. 27 when they play host to the Calgary Stampeders. The Riders are in Edmonton on Aug. 28 to play the Eskimos.
The Riders ran up a 30-13 third-quarter lead on the strength of the rushing touchdowns and a safety. Durant then connected with slotback Chris Getzlaf on a 36-yard touchdown pass, which increased the Riders' lead to 37-13.

"When you're doing your thing along the ground and Durant is doing his thing with the receivers, it makes us a tough team to stop,'' said Cates, who had 13 carries for 61 yards while Durant rushed nine times for 67 yards. "It's a real big win for us, especially coming off that loss last week. You aways want to go into a bye — especially when you have a lot of time to think about what you've done — you want it to be positive.''

The Riders' defence also contributed to those positive feelings. Linebacker Jerrell Freeman had three of the team's five sacks and the defence forced four turnovers. The Lions were limited to a pair of Paul McCallum field goals and a 51-yard touchdown run by Yonus Davis early in the third quarter.

"(Freeman) had his best game as a Rider tonight," said Riders' head coach Ken Miller. "He was special on special teams and was ever-present on defence."

Jarious Jackson, B.C.'s third starting quarterback this season, completed 17 of 29 passes for 194 yards and was intercepted twice.

The Riders were in such control of the game that backup quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie came in with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter for his first game action of the 2010 season. Durant departed after completing 18 of 27 passes for 223 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. Dinwidde was one of three for two yards.

The Roughriders took advantage of a B.C. turnover and numerous penalties en route to 21-6 half-time lead.

Defensive halfback Lance Frazier set up the Riders' first touchdown when he returned a Jackson interception 25 yards to B.C.'s three-yard line. Cates scored on the next play, giving the Riders a 7-6 lead after Luca Congi's convert.

Cates and Durant accounted for Saskatchewan's other first-half majors. Durant scored on a nine-yard run early in the second quarter and Cates scored late in the first half on a one-yard run. McCallum connected on field goals of six and 32 yards.

B.C. kept a number of Riders' first-half drives alive with penalties. The Lions were penalized eight times for 89 yards. The Riders penalized five times for 50 yards.

The half-time show was one of the game's highlights as the Canadian Football Hall of Fame class of 2010 was introduced. This year's inductees are receiver Don Narcisse, quarterback Tracy Ham, punter Bob Cameron and linebacker Elfrid Payton and builder Joe Pistilli.

Narcisse, who spent 18 seasons with the Riders, received the warmest welcome. Narcisse's appearance capped Don Narcisse Day in Regina. The official induction ceremonies are to be held in Saskatoon on Saturday.

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DARIAN DURANT INTERVIEW

By Rob Vanstone Wed, Aug 11 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

How are you feeling?

“I’m feeling good. I feel so much better than I felt last week. I’m just looking forward to going out there and finally being able to play with no weaknesses. I’m happy about that.’’

When did it sort of pass? “After they finally found out what was wrong, they gave me the proper medication to fight it. Once we found out in Montreal, I started taking antibiotics to get rid of it, and I’ve been on them every day since then. Every day has gotten better.

’’Are you feeling more energized not only than you were last week, but than the previous couple of weeks? “Definitely. I feel great. I can finally start eating right and things like that. When you do that, that gives you the energy to come out here and to be able to play your game. I’m just looking forward to that. It should be fun.

’’The next time you’re ill, will you tell the coaching staff right away? “Oh yeah. I will. I like to think I’m a tough guy. When I have injuries or sicknesses or anything like that, I don’t tell anyone. As you can see, this thing lingered for a while, and not telling anyone became a bad thing. Anytime I feel something, I definitely will go to Ivan and his staff so they can check me up and see what’s wrong.

’’What’s your mindset like as an athlete, because the last three weeks you’ve played at not even close to 100 per cent. Now you’re close to 100 per cent. What does that do to your mindset considering the way you’ve played the last three weeks.

“You can just go out there and leave it all out there. I’m not saying I took any plays off, which I didn’t, but now I can go all out and not have to worry about being fatigued or not having the strength to run a quarterback draw or something as simple as that. I haven’t run any quarterback draws, and that’s something that I’m strong at. Now that I’m feeling well, I can run a little more and get my five to eight carries a game and help us win games.’’It must have been in the back of your head.

“Of course. You really don’t have the same stamina you have when you’re OK. If you make a big play or a long run, you’re pretty winded afterwards. Not having that in the back of my head or hanging over me makes me feel a lot better about going out there and making plays.’’So the shackles are off the offence a little bit now?

“Look out. We feel good about this one. We’re just ready to get out there and play.’’On the potential of the offence: “We’re looking forward to coming out here and putting everything together and exploding and being the type of offence that we can be. We have the best receivers in the league and we want to show that.’’You threw for 445 yards and you felt like garbage. What can you do when you’re healthy?

“After watching the film, I could have thrown for 600 yards, honestly. It’s a step in the right direction. We’re going into Game 7. We have a long way to go. As long as we keep climbing the ladder, then when it comes later on in the season and it’s time to reach that peak, we’ll be there. The thing is to just keep getting better and better every week. If I’m throwing for 400 now, later on in the season I should be throwing for 500.’’What has it been like to go through this last month?

“It has been tough. Whenever something is stopping you from doing your job to the best of your ability, it’s always tough. I definitely don’t want to use it as an excuse. That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t even tell the doctors that I was sick. I don’t like having excuses as to why something goes wrong. I know, and my teammates know, what type of guy I am and what type of player I am when I’m at 100 per cent. Now it’s time to go out and do it. But these last couple of weeks have been tough on me, but I’m finally starting to get healthier. It should pay dividends on the field.

’’What’s it like trying to get better with everyone in the country, or at least the province, wondering how you’re doing?

“It’s not easy when you have a lot of people depending on you and you’re not 100 per cent yourself, but at the same time, it’s just how life goes. There are going to be some times when things are thrown in your way and you have to overcome certain obstacles. This is just a small bump in the road for me, and for us. We have the right pieces to do some special things. When get these little bumps and little obstacles out of the way, it should be smooth sailing.’’You had one interception after your first three weeks and you have a lot more since then. Are you taking more risks?

“I think I’m just getting caught up in trying to make too many plays instead of doing the right and the smart thing. Earlier on in the season, I tried to make those same plays and was making them, and now they’re turning into interceptions. It’s a fine line between trying to do too much and doing the smart thing, but I’m never going to stop playing my game. I’m going to try to make a play every time I can. It’s just about not forcing too much and being smart about the times you choose to do something special.

’’Can greatness rub off on players? You’ve got Hall of Fame week with Don Narcisse and Tracy Ham. Is that special to play in? “It is. I had a chance to spend a couple of days with Don out in Calgary earlier this year. To be able to talk to one of the all-time great Riders, I can definitely relate to everything he has been through here in Saskatchewan. He gives me pointers about how to deal with the fans, where to go eat, and little things like that. He’s a great guy to listen to. Hopefully he comes in and it rubs off on me and I have a Hall of Fame type of performance tomorrow.’’

SPECIAL TEAMS WILL BE IMPORTANT THIS WEEK

By MURRAY McCORMICK, Leader-Post

REGINA — The ups and downs of the special teams with the Saskatchewan Roughriders haven't been limited to returner Dominique Dorsey.

Veteran Neal Hughes has shared in an inconsistent season for the Riders on special teams. On

July 10, Hughes helped turn around a CFL game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with a blocked punt in the third quarter. The Riders would go on to record a field goal en route to a 37-24 victory at Mosaic Stadium.

Against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, a holding call assessed to Hughes wiped out a 22-yard fourth-quarter punt return by Dorsey. The Riders were pushed back to their five-yard line and ended up giving up a safety en route to losing 30-26 to the host Alouettes.

"I didn't think (the holding) was a very good call,'' Hughes said Wednesday after the Riders completed their walk-through at Mosaic Stadium for today's game against the B.C. Lions. "Coming from the ref's point of view, he's going to make that call. That's part of football and it can happen in any part of the game. You make a play and sometimes the ball bounces your way. There are other times when it doesn't.''

The ball hasn't bounced the Riders' way too often on special teams this season. Dorsey hasn't come close to breaking free on a long return. The Riders' coaching staff has reiterated that's largely due to the blocking. Special teams co-ordinator Jim Daley has said the Riders have to block better for Dorsey to hit the creases.

The struggles of the special teams reached another level when Montreal's Tim Maypray returned Luca Congi's 43-yard missed field goal 118 yards for a game-changing touchdown in the second quarter. It was the second missed field-goal attempt that Maypray has returned for a touchdown this season against the Riders. On July 1, Maypray returned a Congi missed field goal 125 yards for a touchdown. The Riders overcame that play to win 54-51 in double overtime.

"It's an unwanted oddity that we don't want to see happen a third time,'' Daley said. "Those are game-changing momentum things.''

There are simple solutions to cutting out missed field-goal returns.

"Our first priority is to make the field goal,'' Daley said. "Our second is to cover it well. Montreal did a great job of returning it on us. That's something we have worked on really hard this week.''

Ken Miller, the Riders' head coach, said they have addressed aspects of their coverage that Montreal exploited.

"You have to make sure that you have discipline in your coverage lanes and people have the correct leverage on the football, and we didn't do that,'' Miller said. "We had the opportunity to make the tackle and did not make the tackle, so tackling is a key component of that as well.''
Hughes plays on all four components of the special teams. He's not happy with the long returns on missed field goals but feels the team is close to breakthroughs on punt and kickoff returns.
"We've had some great efforts and we have the utmost confidence in Dominique,'' Hughes said. "We're the ones watching all of the film and there are times when Dominique is one or two blocks away from scoring a touchdown. You have to keep it in perspective. We're out there giving it our all but they are also making plays too. It's early in the season and good things are going to happen on our teams this week.''

The Riders also know that when that takes place, some of the scrutiny will be off the special teams.

"Even a return to our 50 to put our team in good field position is a good return,'' Hughes said.

"You see teams all over the league getting returns for touchdowns. They don't necessarily have

a winning record. That's not the be-all and end-all of a football game. It's the final score that matters.''

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KORNEGAY IS A POSITIVE FORCE - ON AND OFF THE FIELD

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Tad Kornegay at practice on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010.
Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post
REGINA — Tad Kornegay's smile is as genuine as the emotion he exhibits while discussing a turbulent off-season.
The versatile Kornegay, a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders' defence, was rocked by four deaths in March and April. The first involved a 24-year-old man, whom Kornegay referred to as a little brother. He was killed in a car accident.
Then a close family friend committed suicide. That was followed by an aunt passing away after complications from surgery. Kornegay then lost a great-aunt to natural causes. Those feelings reached a peak when he attended three of their funerals during one emotional week in April at his home in Trenton, N.J.
"It was tough,'' Kornegay said in advance of Thursday's CFL game (7 p.m., TSN, CKRM) against the B.C. Lions at Mosaic Stadium. "You can't control deaths in the family. My family is big and very religious and they are very big on celebrating someone's life rather than mourning it.''
They rallied around Kornegay, who was a West Division all-star in 2009 as a linebacker . He expected to make his second consecutive start at his natural position of cornerback Thursday against the Lions.
"I'm the one with the positive energy in my family,'' said Kornegay, who is a personal trainer at the Tests Sports Club during the off-season. "I'm also the saviour of keeping everyone together. Everybody loves it because I'm playing professional football. They all watched me play football, even the ones who passed away. The best thing for me was to keep everyone out there in high spirits.''
That's not a tough task for Kornegay.
"Everyone looks at me to make them laugh,'' Kornegay said. "It's not like I'm trying to do it. It's just me being me. I'm a high-spirited guy and I try to keep everyone smiling.''
That good spirit includes the Roughriders, who are Kornegay's extended family during the football season. The players appreciate his multitude of football talents and his inherent good nature.
"Tad doesn't share what happened with us because he's always in a great mood,'' said Riders defensive halfback Lance Frazier. "He's always happy and it takes a lot to get under his skin. He's a delight in the locker room and he's a guy that you can't lose in there. When he's a free agent, he's one of the guys that you get nervous about. He's the type of guy that you always remember and makes the game so special.''
Kornegay had dreamed of being a professional football player. That dream may not have been realistic because in Grade 9 he was 5-foot-0 and 118 pounds. He underwent a growth spurt in his junior year of high school and was large enough to earn a scholarship to play with the Fordham University Rams.
It was also there that Kornegay's family and followers earned their share of recognition.
"I always called them my cheerleaders because they would get everyone pumped up,'' Kornegay said with a laugh. "I would have a great game and they would be all be getting interviewed after it.''
A number of Kornegay's cheerleaders were in Montreal on Friday for the Riders' 30-24 loss to the Alouettes.
"You can tell who they are because they all look alike,'' Kornegay added with another laugh.
Kornegay grew up Trenton within the embrace of his large family. Both of his parents — mother Linda and father Thaddeus — retired recently after careers with General Motors.
"Trenton is pretty tough but it's a good city,'' Tad Kornegay said. "I've seen a lot of crazy things growing up but I had a lot of family support, which kept me out of trouble. My family worked, they kept me in school and I had a lot of positive energy.''
Kornegay made his way to the CFL as a cornerback with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He spent two seasons with the Tiger-Cats before being traded to the Roughriders in 2007.
Kornegay was a defensive back for two seasons with the Riders before being switched to a weak-side linebacker in 2009. He started 18 regular-season and two playoff games while being named a West Division all-star.
He began the 2010 season as a linebacker but was moved to cornerback after injuries to starter Donovan Alexander (hamstring) and backup Leron Mitchell (knee). Kornegay had two defensive tackles against the Alouettes, who rarely tested him.
"He never misses a beat and he's always prepared,'' Frazier said. "He's really upbeat but when he's on the field, he's very serious about football.''
The 28-year-old Kornegay is also tough. He showed that after an interception by defensive end Luc Mullinder against the Tiger-Cats on July 31. Shortly after Mullinder started to run, Kornegay blocked offensive tackle Belton Johnson. It was quite the mismatch considering Kornegay is 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds and Johnson, a former Rider, is 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds.
"He regularly takes on offensive linemen when he's in the box,'' said defensive back coach Nelson Martin. "He's a DB that is really tough. He hasn't had any problems making the conversion to the corner because that's where he's the most comfortable.''
Kornegay has continued to excel this season despite the off-season distractions. He has 10 defensive tackles, four pass knockdowns, one tackle on special teams and a fumble recovery. He uses what took place during his off-season as motivation during the regular season.
"I think about it all of the time because it makes me stronger,'' Kornegay said. "I always take negative energy and turn into a positive. That's what has kept me going in football as well as life.''
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RIDERS WOULD LIKE AN EARLY START AGAINST LIONS

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post files

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders have trouble getting an early start, but their head coach is a notable exception.

"Very often, I have a 3 a.m. meeting with myself,'' Ken Miller said on Tuesday, "and this morning I took notes.''

The meeting was, by all accounts, amicable. A consensus was achieved. Miller decided that his next address to the players would pertain to focusing on matters that were within the team's control. And sure enough, he waxed eloquent on that topic.

The matter did not end there. After the Canadian Football League team practised Tuesday on Taylor Field, Miller had the following exchange with Jamie Nye, of News Talk Radio fame.
Nye: "Do you look at the B.C. Lions as a wounded animal coming in here with five straight losses?''

Miller: "I'm glad you asked that question.''

He paused. He smiled. We laughed.

"I talked with the team this morning before we went to meetings and told them that our philosophy is that we take care of the things that are important for us to take control of. That's how we play,'' continued Miller, whose team plays host to the Lions on Thursday (7 p.m., TSN, CKRM). "We can't control officials. We can't control opponents. We can't control weather. We're going to control the things that we can control.

"Really, I expect that every team that comes in here is going to play their very best, and I think it's insulting to think that a team would not come in and play their very best here. On the other hand, I think it's insulting to us to think that we would adapt our level to somebody who we perceive to be playing at a lower level, because we want to play our best all the time. Just as a finishing touch on that — it's not so much who we play, it's how we play.''

The Roughriders used to have a penchant for performing at the level of their competition. Losses to lower-ranked opponents were routine, to the point where the letdowns were predictable. Some of those defeats were counteracted by surprising victories over upper-echelon teams, but that only served to make the meltdowns more exasperating.

Then came 2007. Kent Austin took over from Danny Barrett as Saskatchewan's head coach. Suddenly, the Roughriders began winning the vast majority of their games against the CFL's soup cans. That trend has continued in 2 1/3 seasons since Miller succeded Austin.

Not surprisingly, the Riders have a 38-21-1 record since 2007. They have appeared in two of the past three Grey Cups, winning three years ago. Unless the opposition happens to be the Montreal Alouettes or Calgary Stampeders, it is an upset when Saskatchewan loses.

"When everybody has a game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, they're going to prepare their best,'' said Miller, who last season guided Saskatchewan to its first first-place finish since 1976.

"They're going to do their very best that they can in that game, and we want to anticipate that and compliment people for playing their best against us. We want to be prepared for that kind of competition. If you aspire to excellence, you want to beat people when they're at their best.''

The 1-5-0 Edmonton Eskimos, for example, played one of their better games of a generally dismal season on July 17, when they lost 24-20 in Regina after leading 14-10 at the 30-minute mark. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats also threw a scare into Saskatchewan, leading 14-13 at halftime, before the home side won 37-24 on July 31. Even though the Roughriders won 37-18 in Vancouver on July 10, the outcome was in doubt at halftime, when Saskatchewan led 13-10.
One of the Roughriders' priorities this week has been to correct a faulty ignition. Saskatchewan has scored only two first-quarter touchdowns this season, while surrendering six. The Green and White has trailed at halftime in three of the four games it has won.

In other words, the disparity between the league's best and worst teams is not as pronounced as the standings suggest.

"Talent level across the league is fairly even, I think, so it's not so much talent (that decides games),'' Miller said. "It's a matter of cohesiveness and preparation.''

If the preparation begins at 3 a.m., all the better. You snooze, you lose.

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2010 RIDERS

DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO MAKE IT LARGER

REBIRTH OF THE CFL

By: Miles Long(An American's View of the CFL)

In 1995, the Canadian Football League (CFL) was on life support.

League attendance was on the decline, television ratings were falling, and the expansion into the United States had been an utter failure. It was so bad that the CFL needed a miracle or it was destined to fold by the start of the next season.

After years of mismanagement by individual teams and failure by the League's head office in Toronto to develop a cohesive marketing and business strategy, many simply believed the CFL was 'toast.' . In fact, the CFL was so poorly managed they had even awarded the Grey Cup (the League Championship Game) to Regina, Saskatchewan – In November!

If you have never been to Regina in November, think Siberia with a better standard of living. Regina is home to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is the smallest city in the CFL. Awarding Saskatchewan the Grey Cup would be the equivalent to the NFL awarding Green Bay the Super Bowl.

The concern among most fans and media types was that the city did not have enough hotel rooms to accommodate the thousands of out-of-town guests expected to attend what was possibly the final championship game in Canadian professional football history. People crossed their fingers and hoped for the best, though many simply expected the worst. As it turned out, a miracle happened, and the CFL did not fold.

The miracle was the city of Regina, this small city with a big heart. Regina, a city viewed by many as too small to host the Grey Cup proved to have more warmth and soul than Sorel winter boots. The community rallied around the event. The City of Regina welcomed its guests with the biggest party they have ever thrown.

They showed Canadians what this event could be if you just put a little effort and love into the event and welcomed the visitors as if they were family. This small city had put on a show that set the blue print for cities to copy and improve upon for years to come. They showed Canadians that you could have fun at a CFL function and that it was okay to embrace the game.

The 1995 Grey Cup showed other teams and cities how the event could become a spectacle and what could be accomplish if you tried – really tried! That week in Saskatchewan created a buzz throughout the country on how the game was being embraced in Regina.

Canadians took note. Because of Regina's response, the CFL's slide was over and the game again started to record a new interest and regrowth.

Fifteen years on, the CFL continues to move forward in an upward direction. Six weeks ago, the CFL kicked off it's regular season with an average attendance of 30,000 fans per game. The Saskatchewan/Montreal game drew 1.8 million viewers during it's peak time in an exciting, double overtime thriller which was also televised on the NFL Network. The T.V. ratings were what one would expect for a NHL playoff game – not for a CFL regular season game – especially a season opener.

Just a few weeks prior to the opening the season the league owners and the CFL Players Association agreed to a contract that will be in place for the next four years. Both sides understand where the CFL is headed and agreed a few concessions by both sides would only benefit each group in the future. Among the concessions, the two agreed to drug testing of the players beginning in 2011.

Players also agreed to smaller increases in the salary cap ceiling, maxing out team payrolls at $4.5 million per team by 2014. But the fine print in the contract leaves room for the owners to increase the salary cap if revenue increases prior to the agreement's expiration.

Since the CFL owners have increased the salary cap in previuous years, often due to a sudden increases in revenue, it is possible the owners may coontinue do the same thing this time around.

In two years (2012) the current television contract with TSN will expire. The current contract was a five year deal for $80 million. Although small by any other football standards it was a major improvement to the once failing CFL. Since the contract was signed, television viewership has continued to climb. Last year's televised Grey Cup game was watched by over 14 million people; a number which was not attainable just a couple years prior and is equal to what the NFL gets in Canada during the Super Bowl.

Television networks are now anxious to get a piece of the CFL television market and will likely pay record amounts for the opportunity. Some expect the next television deal will be double the current contract price. The CFL is also seeing rejuvenation in stadium renovation and the building of new stadiums.

Currently the B.C. Lions occupy a temporary twenty-seven thousand seat Empire Field while their permanent home undergoes a half billion dollar retrofit. Couple that with a retrofit to Molson Stadium in Montreal and new stadiums under construction or in the planning stages in Winnipeg, Regina, Ottawa and Hamilton. These stadiums will bring in added revenue and will help to strengthen all of the franchises. One can see why many are expecting big things in terms of CFL growth over the next decade.

This last off season a discussion of positive news dominated the CFL forums. No longer are people placated on bad news. The Canadian Football League will never rival the American NFL as a money making machine. Instead, the CFL is carving out its own place in sports all-the-while realizing that it doesn't have to pay millions to attract recruits.

Today, the CFL is as much a symbol of Canada as is Tim Hortons donuts, the game of hockey, or Anne Murray. It is the little engine that could.