Football school: Saskatchewan Roughriders give players written tests to boost development

Photo: Matt Johnson/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

Saskatchewan Roughriders’ head coach Corey Mace knows injuries are inevitable in professional football, which is why his coaching staff tries to ensure players are prepared for when their number is called.

“I see these guys work non-stop, our coaches do a good job. For example, they’ll give out tests every week to the position group and you better have the answers, whether you’re playing or not. It keeps everybody accountable, it keeps everybody attentive in all the meeting rooms,” Mace said leading into his team’s Week 10 win.

“We test guys in team meeting rooms. We know that injuries are going to happen, so to not have people prepared would be a misstep. I’m not shocked that these guys are able to execute at the standard that we’re looking for.”

Canadian receivers Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker were placed on the six-game injured list last Thursday as D’Sean Mimbs and Dylan Djete were called upon to start against Ottawa. Mimbs recorded six receptions for 84 yards, while Djete registered four catches for 53 yards and his first career CFL touchdown.

“Position groups and coaches give out written tests. I’ll ask them questions in team meetings — full team atmosphere, so little bit of pressure there, and keep everybody accountable to what we’re doing. Not looking to really embarrass anybody, but it helps us maintain our standard,” Mace explained.

“We would be doing the team a disservice as coaches and as players not to have everybody prepared. Knowing it is half the battle, but going to execute it, that’s also a physical component, which we gotta give credit to our scouting department bringing in really good players.”

Saskatchewan currently has 13 players on the six-game injured list, including star defensive backs Rolan Milligan Jr. and Tevaughn Campbell. There are also two Canadian offensive linemen, Zack Fry and Daniel Johnson, on the one-game injured list.

Jonathan Edouard has stepped up at boundary halfback and Nelson Lokombo took Campbell’s place at cornerback. Erik Andersen, the team’s second-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft, started his first CFL game at left guard versus the Redblacks.

“You never want a list to keep growing like that. None of those guys want to get hurt. Is there a bunch of season-ending injuries? No, which is good in my opinion,” Mace said.

“But in the meantime, whether we’re bringing different guys in or relying heavily on the guys that we got, ball games will be played and we want to win those. People gotta be ready for that.”

Meanwhile, veteran defensive lineman Caleb Sanders and Devin Adams have helped Tommy Stevens execute in short yardage situations by flipping to the other side of the football. Stevens leads the league with 11 touchdowns scored. That success has not come by accident as players who take snaps on offence spend time with coaches to work on being prepared.

“It allows us to get bigger in certain packages. It’s studious for them,” Mace said. “I can assure you sitting and listening to an offensive play, you could get lost in a hurry, as opposed to defence.”

Football school has paid dividends for the Riders as the Green and White used impressive depth to win the 112th Grey Cup and are first place in the West Division through eight regular-season games in 2026.

Saskatchewan (6-2) visits the Tiger-Cats (3-6) at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, August 15 with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. The Roughriders beat Ottawa last week, while the Ticats suffered a narrow loss to the B.C. Lions.

The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for 24 degrees and sun. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 620 CKRM in Regina or the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.

Football insider, reporter and analyst.