The Saskatchewan Roughriders are quickly running out of boogeymen to slay. Two games into the 2026 CFL season, they have already defeated the perceived Grey Cup favourites and the only rival they couldn't beat last year: the Calgary Stampeders. The Roughriders edged the Stampeders 40-37 in overtime on Saturday inside windy, mostly empty McMahon Stadium.
Another Comeback Victory
Similar to their season opener against the B.C. Lions, the Roughriders controlled the game until surrendering a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. They rallied each time, though this victory required two overtime sessions. "That's a bad habit to get into," said quarterback Trevor Harris, who passed for 349 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. "To get it when we need it."
The Roughriders should not have needed short-yardage QB Tommy Stevens' second TD in the second overtime to beat an 0-2 team that had won both meetings in 2025. Harris lost a second-quarter fumble deep in Saskatchewan's end, leading to a Stampeders touchdown that cut the lead to 10-7.
Key Plays and Missed Opportunities
Back-to-back touchdown catches by slotback Kian Schaffer-Baker put the Roughriders ahead 23-7 late in the first half. But with seconds remaining, head coach Corey Mace sent rookie kicker Alex Hale for a 47-yard field goal into a brisk wind. Hale, who had already missed an into-the-wind convert, missed again. The miss was returned 120 yards by Tyreik McAllister for a touchdown, cutting the halftime lead to 23-14 despite Saskatchewan out-gaining Calgary 316-52 in offensive yardage during the first two quarters.
"We felt pretty good that we could try to steal some points," Mace said of the pre-halftime strategy. He later explained why he opted for a two-point convert and gambled on third-and-eight instead of another field goal: "We didn't want to risk that again. Let's put the confidence in the offence."
Motivation from Last Season
The Roughriders were motivated by perceived slights from 2025. "These guys had our number last year. The way they won those games was disappointing," said a team source. The Stampeders had defeated Saskatchewan twice in 2025 and reportedly bragged about it.
Mace expressed confidence in Hale, who was kept to fill a Global roster spot despite not being the best kicker in training camp. Last year's Grey Cup champion Roughriders released veteran Brett Lauther after a career-low 72% field goal percentage; Lauther has since gone 7-for-7 with Ottawa, while Hale is 5-for-7.
