Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg preview
Princess Auto Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 1, 2019 ) Winnipeg 17, Saskatchewan 19
The Saskatchewan Roughriders can grab a share of first place in the West Division when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 16th edition of the Banjo Bowl on Saturday. Brett Lauther kicked a 26-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Roughriders to a 19-17 victory over the Blue Bombers on Labour Day and hope to put more pressure on their neighbouring rivals by extending their winning streak to seven games overall.
"It will be a good rematch we all know that," Saskatchewan coach Craig Dickenson told reporters. "They'll be fired up and loaded for bear so to speak." Winnipeg struggled to move the ball consistently without quarterback Matt Nichols (shoulder) and running back Andrew Harris (suspension) in the lineup. The Blue Bombers were limited to 161 passing yards en route to their second-lowest point total of the season and hope keep their grip on the division lead by avoiding back-to-back losses to the Roughriders in September for the second time in as many years. "We didn't do enough on offence," Winnipeg quarterback Chris Streveler told reporters. "There were definitely missed opportunities and it's hard to win when you do that stuff."
TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (7-3): Cody Fajardo threw for 300 yards and a touchdown to lead Saskatchewan to their 14th win in the last 15 Labour Day Classics against Winnipeg. Defensive end Charleston Hughes registered a pair of sacks against the Blue Bombers to move within one of overtaking Stewart Hill (126) for eighth place on the CFL's all-time list. Fajardo has won six consecutive starts to become the first Saskatchewan quarterback to achieve the feat since Darian Durant notched seven straight victories in 2014.
ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (8-3): Streveler finished 16-of-24 through the air with a touchdown to go along with another on the ground as Winnipeg dropped its third consecutive Labour Day Classic. Johnny Augustine had a promising debut as he gained 98 yards on 12 carries with Harris, who leads the CFL in rushing yards (908), serving the first of a two-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy. Winnipeg added running back Larry Rose, who spent time with the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams in the NFL last year, to the active roster and signed long snapper Maxime Latour to the practice squad.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Winnipeg is 5-0 at home this season.
2. Saskatchewan WR Manny Arceneaux has caught at least one pass in 107 straight games.
3. Hughes leads the CFL in sacks (12).
PREDICTION: Blue Bombers 23, Roughriders 20