No Durant, no Getzlaf, no Dressler ... no problem. Without their top stars the Saskatchewan Roughriders disposed of the Edmonton Eskimos 23-22 Friday night at Mosaic Stadium in the 2011 CFL exhibition opener for both teams.
Actually, it wasn't quite that easy and the Eskimos were without out top guns Ricky Ray, Fred Stamps and Arkee Whitlock as well. That's the way the preseason goes. Although the contest did provide some excitement amid horrid conditions.
The game came down to a 55-yard field goal attempt by Edmonton kicker Derek Schiavone with no time left to win the game. However an 80 km/h wind and driving rains caused the veteran to push the kick wide to the right and the Riders escaped with the victory.
"Overall I'm happy," said Rider coach Greg Marshall who won his first-ever game as a head coach in the CFL, albeit preseason. "There's some things we need to get better at. The conditions tonight were pretty brutal but other than the kicking game I thought we handled it pretty well."
There are some early signs that the Riders could very well be an improved bunch under Marshall. Third year veteran Hugh Charles returned a punt 70-yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, the first punt return score by a Rider at Mosaic Stadium since 1999. Last week in this column we told you how much attention the team has paid to special teams in training camp. It must be immensely gratifying to see the work pay off.
Also Marshall was seen roaming the sidelines doing extra coaching of his troops in between plays. While that's not exactly a new concept in coaching, it's a contrast to the style of previous coach Ken Miller. Miller got the desired results, just with a different approach.
"I huddled the defensive guys up early in the second half and reminded them about some things. I did the same with offense and special teams," Marshall explained. "(Defensive coordinator) Richie Halls knows I'll get involved from time to time and he has no problem with it. That's my job as coach."
The Riders announced a crowd of over 29,000 for the contest although about half of that number turned out for the contest. Pouring rain for 24 hours before the match must have scared them off.
The morning after the game, the Riders held their Annual General Meeting with CFL Director of Officiating Tom Higgins serving as guest speaker. Included in the franchise's record $6.6-million profit were all-time high revenues in ticket sales, merchandise and sponsorship.
The Riders open the 2011 season against the Edmonton Eskimos Sunday, July 3 at 5:00 pm at Mosaic Stadium. There are still tickets available for the clash.
(Rod Pedersen is voice of the Riders on 620 CKRM)
