Rider Broadcast Network Colour Analyst, Luc Mullinder, shares his keys to the game before every Saskatchewan Roughriders game. Luc’s keys to the game are for the KFC Game Day special: $4.95 for a Big Crunch and $7.
Here are Luc’s keys for Saturday’s game against Hamilton.
Two of the best offences in the league. The first key we talked about it. You've got to get this Hamilton offence to start crawling up the field. You can't let them run. You can't let them explode up the field and one of the things that entails is locking down the three amigos. OK, you've got Kiondre Smith, Tim White, and Kenny Lawler. Those guys are near the top of the league in the CFL and there's a reason for it. They're very hard to cover. Right.
More importantly, when you look at those three receivers, you've only got so many defensive backs. So let's figure out a way to bracket Kenny Lawler when we can. Let's figure out a way to bracket Kenny Tim White when we can.
We've always got to make sure we're contesting Kiondre Smith. But let's turn Bo Levi Mitchell in to check down Charlie. I'd love to see Bo Levi Mitchell throw the ball to Brendan O'Leary Orange and Shamar Bridges 30 times today.
Want to know why? Because that means they're crawling up the field. So lock down the three amigos.
The second key, and I just alluded to this a little bit, is you got to stay on schedule with A.J. Ouellette. When AJ Ouellette gets five yards per run, Trevor Harris becomes absolutely surgical. And that's what I was talking about when I mentioned that Trevor Harris is married to the scheme here with AJ Ouellette and Marc Mueller.
I think that when you look at AJ Ouellette and then you look at the scheme that's made them successful, we've seen run pass option plays. We've seen a ton of play action passes. Right.
The reason why that is, is because AJ Ouellette is such a threat when he does have the football. So we need to stay on schedule with AJ Ouellette. And in that regard, that is how you unlock the precision and the absolute surgical violence that has been Trevor Harris over the last few games.
And the third key here is you have to control the fourth quarter. Hamilton has absolutely been deadly in the last few fourth quarters. Right.
That goes back again to leaning on AJ. Right, protecting field position and controlling the tempo in the fourth quarter.
Let's really grind this team down, because that's where I see the difference between the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. I feel like in the fourth quarter in this game, despite Hamilton's dominance in the fourth quarters as of late, I think that you can really own the tempo of the fourth quarter.
So, lockdown the three amigos. Let's stay on schedule with A.J. Ouellette specifically and within the scheme and also control that fourth quarter. Remember, Hamilton is deadly. Let's make sure we're leaning on A.J. We're protecting our field position. We're protecting the tempo on the clock. That's how we're going to get a win today.
