After playing the last two games without the back who makes their running game go, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will welcome A.J. Ouellette back on the field when they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday night in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Ouellette amassed 153 yards on 33 carries over the first two games for Saskatchewan (3-1) before going down with an ankle injury at Calgary. He was almost activated for last week’s 27-22 win at Ottawa, but coach Corey Mace opted to hold him out for one more week.
“I thought we could get the job done with the guys we have,” Mace said. “I thought the extra time off was good for him. A.J. is our work horse.”
Ouellette rushed for a career-high 1,222 yards with eight touchdowns last year as the Roughriders won the Grey Cup. His bruising style has served as a perfect compliment to the passing of veteran Trevor Harris.
Harris threw for 243 yards last week, passing Tom Clements for 12th in CFL history with 39,115 yards over 14 seasons.
While Harris reaches a milestone, Hamilton starter Bo Levi Mitchell will only be able to watch from the sideline. Mitchell sustained a broken ankle last Sunday during a 14-13 home loss to Winnipeg when he was sacked in the third quarter by Jake Ceresna.
Tre Ford and Jake Dolegala both played after Mitchell’s departure, though neither was effective. Tiger-Cats coach Scott Milanovich has opted for Dolegala as the starter this week, hoping his ability to push the ball downfield will help his team score points.
“We’re going to have to pick up the pieces,” said Milanovich. “It’s hard not to feel for your brother and your teammate out there. This is football and those things happen. … This is an opportunity for one of these guys to prove they can be a starting quarterback in this league.”
Jarret Doege is also an option at quarterback after Hamilton signed the veteran Monday. Doege has thrown for 1,498 yards in brief stints with Edmonton and Toronto.
–Field Level Media
