Saskatchewan Roughriders cook Jake Dolegala, eat Tiger-Cats for dinner (& other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Arthur Ward/CFL.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders wore down the Hamilton Tiger-Cats — without Bo Levi Mitchell — in the heat at Mosaic Stadium to record a 38-7 win on Sunday night.

Corey Mace improved to 5-0 against the Ticats in his CFL head coaching career, as his team moved to 4-1 in 2026, tied with the Edmonton Elks for first place in the West Division.

Not hot enough for Thor

After two weeks off with an ankle injury, A.J. Ouellette was ready to cook Hamilton’s league-leading defence in the heat at Mosaic Stadium. The three-down league’s primary broadcaster showed a thermometer on the field which was over 50 degrees at kick-off. He told TSN at halftime: “We gotta crank the heat up, it ain’t hot enough out here.”

Offensive coordinator Marc Mueller committed to the run game in the first half with his lead running back returning to the starting line-up. Ouellette ran the football 13 times for 69 yards, 5.3 per carry, with his longest rush setting up the Riders’ first touchdown.

No. 45 followed right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick on what some offensive play-callers would call a lead tackle trap. Left tackle Payton Collins kicked out Isaiah Bagnah, centre Logan Ferland worked up to the second level and cut off Wynton McManis, while Hardrick turned Ryan Baker in the hole. Those blocks allowed Ouellette to run downhill for 18 yards.

That run set up Saskatchewan’s first touchdown. Canadian receiver Samuel Emilus was open after running a curl route from the wide out spot to the trips side on the left. Johnny Johnson III ran a go route from the outside slot, and Dhel Duncan-Busby executed a flat route from the inside slot. Off play action to Ouellette, Trevor Harris threw a strike to Emilus for a 10-yard touchdown.

The 30-year-old finished with 18 carries for 83 yards. Meanwhile, Mueller was equally balanced with his offensive play calls: 26 passes and 26 runs.

Ford tough

For the second week in a row, Canadian defensive back Jaxon Ford stuffed a third-and-one quarterback sneak attempt and forced a critical turnover on downs.

During the Tiger-Cats first possession in the third quarter, Scott Milanovich decided to leave starting QB Jake Dolegala in the game for a third-down gamble. Ford found his way through the chaos to stuff the six-foot-seven, 242-pounder and force Hamilton off the field. For those wondering, the Regina, Sask. native checks in at six feet and 210 pounds.

In Week 5, Ford stopped CFL rookie Bryson Barnes short on third-and-one with less than three minutes left. That play essentially won the Roughriders the game over the Redblacks. His effort to hold Dolegala short didn’t come near as late in the game, but it had a major impact.

Harris engineered an eight-play, 75-yard drive, which was capped by a corner ball to Kian Schaffer-Baker for an 18-yard touchdown. That made the score 18-7 and gave the home side all the momentum.

Ford will have another enjoyable post-game call with his grandfather, Alan.

Turnovers toast Ticats

Entering Week 6, Saskatchewan ranked last in the CFL with three turnovers, but the Green and White more than doubled the team’s total against the Ticats with four, which led directly to 27 points.

In the second quarter, DaMarcus Fields laid the boom on Larry Rountree III to force a fumble; Tevaughn Campbell tried to pick it up and run, but could not scoop the football cleanly. He could have fallen on the football. Canadian receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. recovered for Hamilton.

With less than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Kenny Lawler caught a crossing route from right to left. Antoine Brooks Jr. hustled to knock the ball out; Marcus Sayles was able to scoop the football and returned it 40 yards to the Tiger-Cats one-yard line, as he stepped out of bounds. Tommy Stevens finished the job with his fourth rushing TD in 2026.

As Dolegala was putting together his best drive in the game, Josh Woods intercepted a ball intended for Lawler, turned on his speed down the left sideline, and picked up a block from Brooks Jr. for a 107-yard pick-six. That gives the first-year Roughriders linebacker his second INT in Green and White; he’s the only Saskatchewan player with an interception so far in 2026.

Joshua Bell’s defence played well against a sub-par starter in Dolegala. His win-loss record drops to 2-10 with 10 starts in his CFL career coming with the Riders, nine of them in 2023 after Harris suffered a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee.

Down goes another returner

Rookie CFLer Mathew Sexton became a household name in Riderville with his 101-yard punt return touchdown in the team’s Week 5 win over Ottawa.

The 28-year-old backed up his highlight-reel major with three punt returns for 77 yards in the first half, including 32- and 27-yard efforts. But his stardom came to a screeching halt when the football was kicked off to start the third quarter.

Tyson Middlemost tackled Sexton along the sideline as his right leg was caught underneath when the two players went to the Mosaic Stadium turf. His right ankle appeared to be facing the other way as he hit the ground. Saskatchewan’s sideline called for the cart as No. 86 was loaded on with an air cast around his right leg.

Sexton had taken over primary return duties from free agent signee James Letcher Jr., who suffered an elbow injury in Week 4. In the game he went down, Samuel Emilus was inserted at returner and sustained an ankle injury, which forced him to exit in the second quarter. Canadian rookie Daniel Wiebe returned two punts in a 40-34 loss to Toronto.

After Sexton left the game against Hamilton, many in Rider Nation were likely wondering who Corey Mace and his coaching staff would put back to return punts. Answer: Wiebe. He returned one for 15 yards. That made it clear, following Emilus’ injury scare, the head coach agreed with the fan base, and Emilus should no longer return punts.

Off and running

Not once but twice, Rider fans saw James Vaughters do his sack celebration versus the Ticats.

There were some pundits who wondered how he would perform after coming to Saskatchewan in free agency. He looks like a 33-year-old with lots of energy, and not one running down the tank towards empty.

Vaughters took down Dolegala two times; one was a coverage sack, but the second was a pass rush win, beating former Riders left tackle Trevor Reid around the edge. That’s four QB takedowns in five games for the six-foot-two, 259-pound pass rusher in 2026. Last year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he recorded six sacks in 17 regular-season games.

Mace believed his film and underlying numbers showed more than his half-dozen sacks did in 2025, and he’s been proven right.

Mr. 200

According to the Roughriders, Harris suited up in his 200th career CFL game against Hamilton. However, his official CFL statistics page showed him at 193 pre-game, and if you tally the game totals from every season on said page, it equals 201. Make it make sense.

Nevertheless, there are four active players with more games played: Rene Paredes (247), Sean Whyte (243), Stanley Bryant (239), and the aforementioned Mitchell (211).

The 40-year-old had his worst game in 2026 to date; he completed 18-of-25 passes for 211 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The footballs caught by Wynton McManis and Stavros Katsantonis should not be concerning, as both are all-star calibre players who made elite plays.

With his numbers, and most importantly wins, Harris deserves to be in the MOP conversation.

Not all hailing Hale

Global kicker Alex Hale missed a 35-yard field goal wide right, plus a 32-yard extra point, and Rider Nation has become worried about his misses.

Lorne called into the Rider Broadcast Network post-game show on 620 CKRM; he wanted to tie a can to Hale and run him out of the province. That might be harsh for a rookie who is finding his way in his first year in the CFL, although, if he costs Saskatchewan a game with a missed kick, those calls will quickly multiply in number — just ask Brett Lauther, who has hit all 14 field goal kicks he’s tried with Ottawa.

It’s worth noting the 28-year-old Australian has made 10-of-13 field goals, 76.9 percent, and 16-of-18 extra point tries, 88.8 percent.

Hale’s Global status allows Saskatchewan to dress another designated American, which gives the team an advantage when it comes to game day roster construction. But if his performance falters further, there could be a decision to make.

Football insider, reporter and analyst.