Riders' Shaq Cooper to start at running back ahead of Ti-Cats matchup
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will start Shaq Cooper at running back on Friday’s matchup against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“[Cooper has] had a good week at practice and then Mario (Alford) will back him up if we need to,” said Craig Dickenson, head coach. “We just want [Cooper] to take care of the football, do a good job in pass protections, and then run like he’s capable of. He’s still in pretty good shape, and looks like he’s ready to go.”
Cooper is back for his third sting with the Riders this season since being released after training camp then brought back during the team’s COVID-19 outbreak, and then released once again in August.
“Crazy man. Crazy journey. You know they say, things happen for a reason,” Cooper said. “I was blessed to get another opportunity to come and play ball.”
The team has been hit with injuries at running back when star Jamal Morrow went down, followed by Frankie Hickson, which left the Riders with starting third-string back-up, Kienan LaFrance in last week’s matchup against the Bombers.
However, LaFrance was injured in the first half and did not finish the game.
“It couldn’t have got any worse at the second half, where we didn’t have a running back,” said quarterback, Cody Fajardo. “But they’ve brought some guys in and looks like they’ve got some juice. Having Shaq Cooper back- he’s a guy who understands this offence and it’s not like he’s going to struggle with the playbook.”
However, Dickenson noted Cooper will not have to carry the entire load at running back as they will look to Mario Alford and players like Kian Schaffer-Baker to hopefully get some carries in Friday’s matchup.
“I can bring a little speed to the table and a lot of different schemes to make the defence think a little more,” said Alford.
“It’s something I take on every single day. Something the coaches trust me with, so it makes me want to work that much harder,” said Schaffer-Baker.
The team will travel to Hamilton on Thursday ahead of Friday’s game. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. on TSN.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.