Dolegala, receivers and defense get high praise from Wes Cates following big win against B.C.

The Riders are marching into the second half of the 2023 season with a renewed purpose after an impressive showing against B.C. from QB Jake Dolegala, the team's receiving corps and defense.

Darrell Romuld

The Saskatchewan Roughriders with a wild one, 34-29 over the B.C. Lions at Mosaic Stadium last night. The man beside me was there for it all. Wes Cates – we have to break this one down, it was a wild one.

Wes Cates

“Yeah Darrell this was a great game. It was a fun one to watch as a CFL fan but it was an amazing game as a Rider fan. They’ve been really struggling these last few weeks, you come out early in the season and you win some close ones – not looking the greatest and all the sudden you come out this week and your hitting. Intensity is at a level we haven’t seen before.”

And you get some help because you have KSB (Kian Schaffer-Baker) back in the line up.

“Yeah, Schaffer-Baker – tons of energy, gets the first touchdown early and the Riders are rolling from there. Everything felt good, everything felt right for the Riders and it just steamrolled into this bye week giving them a definite high and putting some life into these fans and the team in general going into this bye and going into the second stretch of the season.”

Do we start to talk about a quarterback controversy? Jake Dolegala looked pretty good yesterday.

“I think of course there will be quarterback controversy, I mean people have talking about Jake for a couple of years now. I mean he’s been a guy that some fans have been really wanting to see for a while. Tall kid, 6’7’’, he can run, he looks good, he’s got a big arm. I think he did a great job coming out and playing with some intensity and just being exciting and trying to go out there and make plays. I thought he didn’t play a completely clean game but he was a spark for the team and the guys rallied around him so I think it was definitely a situation where he didn’t put some throws on the money but Emelius came up with two of the best catches of the season in the CFL. Like we said Schaffer-Baker was out there running around and being his normal self looking like he’s healthy and just the guys in general, Picton had a great catch. And yeah Emlius with the snag – I mean it looked like maybe Dolegala had over thrown it but then he comes out of nowhere just takes it right off – I’m sure the DB thought he had it for sure. Then here comes Emelius and rolls into the end zone and then a nice little celebration – he gets back at the B.C. receiver – ‘Now we’ll put you guys to bed.’”

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts from across Saskatchewan sent to your device

When’s the last time you saw a quarterback throw for almost 500 yards?

“Vernon Adams has been one of my favourite quarterbacks in the league over the last decade. He’s always up and down – seeing him out there just battling back – slinging it all over yard. And the Riders just fought it off – 450 yards but the Riders got an interception, took it away from the return team a couple of times and that was the difference.”

Defense, my goodness, they got to him (Vernon Adams Jr.) five times.

“I really feel like Anthony Lanier was playing with a different level of intensity. I keep talking about intensity – obviously Dean is leading the charge. Pete Robertson got a sack and the guys were flying around playing some good football.”

You got the bye week coming up. Is this a good time to have the bye week? Or would you rather carry the momentum as a player?

“I think the bye week was needed. When you see it on the schedule you’re kind of preparing for it so I think this is a good time to have it. The whole Rider Nation was kind of clamouring for a change and I think at least with this good performance, the coaching staff came out and called a pretty decent game. I thought first half – Kelly Jeffrey did a good job. Second half got a little complacent. But I feel like the coaching staff can sleep easy this week. The players can rest up and get healthy and they can really look at the second half of the season and try to put some kind of winning streak together and see where the chips fall, going into the Grey Cup stretch.”

Put your coach’s hat on for me for a second. You come out of the bye week, you’ve got Mason Fine – whose healthy, let’s hope at that point – but we also have Jake Dolegala to start. Where do you go with that?

“I think right now sticking with Jake – as long as this team plays like they did last night – you need to stick with Jake as long as he’s playing well and not turning the ball over. He did put the ball on the ground but Ferland saved the day, hopped on it. I think if this team can rally around Jake, you stick with him, you kind of play it week to week seeing how the health of obviously Mason Fine and Trevor Harris go.”

No bye week for broadcasters though – so we’ll see you here next week for another edition of X’s and O’s.

Wes Cates played as a running back for the Riders from 2007 until 2011. In that time he recorded 46 touchdowns, over 4,700 yards rushing and 2,095 yards receiving. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Cates now calls Saskatchewan home.

With files from CTV New’s Darrell Romuld.

Watch X's and O's on CTV Morning Live, CTV News at Noon, 6 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. every week of the CFL season.