Argonauts.ca staff
TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts head to Saskatchewan this weekend looking to continue their winning ways against the West Division in 2015.
The Argos defeated the Edmonton Eskimos last weekend in Fort McMurray largely on the strength of QB Trevor Harris’ arm, as the fourth-year pivot threw for nearly 350 yards and three touchdowns in just his second career start. But Harris says his success in week one can’t change the way he approaches this week’s matchup with the Riders.
“It’s not a whole lot different,” said Harris, who will make his third career CFL start this Sunday in Saskatchewan. “Last year I had the opportunity to prepare for Ottawa, it’s all about repetition, making sure you’re ready for all the looks you’ll get, and just controlling what you can control.”
Harris also expressed his excitement at the prospect of taking on the Riders in Mosaic stadium; one of the most notorious venues in the CFL.
“It’s awesome” said Harris of the atmosphere in Regina. “The fans are unbelievable, they do a great job, they pack the house and you can tell it’s very important for them. We’re excited to head into a hostile environment and test our mettle as a team.”
The game on Sunday will mark the return of Argos’ defensive end Ricky Foley to Regina, where he spent the past two seasons as a Roughrider. Foley signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent in 2013 and won his second Grey Cup in as many years, after first lifting the trophy as an Argonaut in 2012.
“I have zero complaints about my time [in Saskatchewan],” said Foley. “It’s one of those things where I’m going to embrace [my return] and enjoy it.”
Despite Foley’s warm feelings for his former team, he admits there’s added motivation when squaring off against Saskatchewan, who traded him back to his hometown team this offseason.
“You know me,” said Foley, “whatever I can take and draw from for motivation I’m going to take. I’m going to be fired up, and being back there in Saskatchewan at Mosaic I’m going to be extra fired up. But you’ve got to channel that. I’m going to play hard, I’m going to be emotional, that’s just who I am.”
The Riders received a devastating blow early in their week 1 matchup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, as QB Darian Durant suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon which will sideline him for the rest of the 2015 season. It’s a situation the Argonauts are themselves familiar with, with Harris playing in lieu of future Hall of Famer Ricky Ray while he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.
Still, the Riders have a more-than-capable back-up in Kevin Glenn, and it would be a mistake for the Argos’ to take him lightly, especially when considering the play of Harris in week 1.
“We faced Kevin last year with B.C. so we know some of his tendencies,” said Argos LB Greg Jones. “He’s with a different team and with different players around him so we have to account for that. But at the end of the day we don’t change our preparation much.”
The Argos and Riders face off Sunday at Mosaic Stadium at 3 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action on TSN or on TSN Radio 1050.