Riders face off against B.C Lions for first pre-season matchup of 2023

The green and white are looking to put their best foot forward as they kick off their pre-season with a contest against the B.C Lions in Regina.

Going into the inaugural matchup, the Riders will be without their starting quarterback, newly acquired Trevor Harris, who missed much of week two of training camp to be present for the birth of his third child.

Instead, the green and white will be breaking up play with Jake Dolegala, Mason Fine, Shea Patterson, and Noah Pelletier.

Going into the team’s first outing of the 2023 season, the focus will be on clean play. The Riders were one of the most penalized teams in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the 2022 season.

“That’s going to be a big key to our success this year is if we can continue to take accountability for our work and for our teammates, also be disciplined, and take less penalties,” Rider’s head coach Craig Dickenson told CTV News during training camp.

Other focuses include the Roughrider’s revamped receiving corps and offensive line.

For the O-line, the Riders are hoping for a great improvement after overhauling the unit after allowing a record number of sacks in 2022.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST at Mosaic Stadium. The game will be broadcast on CFL Preseason Live.

With files from CTV News’ Brit Dort.