SASKATOON — It was a question that gave Trevor Harris a temporary pause.
After practice Friday at Griffiths Stadium, the Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback was asked how much last year’s West final loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers fuels his team heading into the new season.
The Roughriders’ 2024 campaign ended with a 38-22 defeat at Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium last November.
Harris had been handling the scrum with the same steady cadence he shows in the pocket — a rhythm that’s been with him since his CFL debut with the Toronto Argonauts in 2012 — but this one made him stop and think.
“I’m more motivated by the guys in the room than I am about what happened to us in the past,” said Harris. “I want to see (head coach) Corey Mace lift (the Grey Cup) over his head, because that is what he deserves.
“I want to see (offensive coordinator Marc) Mueller drink out of the cup wearing the same colours his grandpa (Roughriders legend Ron Lancaster) did. I want to see Logan Ferland and Jorgen Hus — I want to see those guys be rewarded for how long they’ve been here and been through the dog days of this. I want to see those guys lift the cup.
“It is not necessarily what happened to us last year. It is more about I’ve always been motivated by the love of my brothers, more so than the hatred of the enemy.”
After missing the CFL playoffs in both 2022 and 2023, the Roughriders bounced back in 2024, finishing second in the West Division with a 9-8-1 record. They beat the B.C. Lions 28-19 in the West semifinal at Mosaic Stadium before falling to their prairie rivals from Winnipeg.
The Roughriders kicked off main camp Sunday with much of their 2024 core back in the fold.
Key offensive returnees include Harris, receivers Samuel Emilus, KeeSean Johnson and Kian Schaffer-Baker, running back A.J. Ouellette, and versatile lineman Ferland.
On defence, the Roughriders bring back standout tackle Micah Johnson along with defensive backs Rolan Milligan Jr., C.J. Reavis and Marcus Sayles. All four were named CFL all-stars in 2024, with Milligan Jr. also earning honours as the league’s most outstanding defensive player.
Returning on special teams are longtime long snapper Hus and kicker Brett Lauther.
Mace, entering his second season as head coach, said the team came into training camp with a head start compared to where it was a year ago.
“For the guys returning, we kind of hit the ground running with the playbook,” said Mace.
“It is just really about onboarding the new blood."
He used the team’s communication on familiar calls as a sign of how much progress has been made since last year.
“Now, you can have a call, for example, that we had the same call potentially last year about how they communicated, how they make it look, how crisp it is, we’re light-years ahead of where we were last year at this point. It has been a pleasure.”
The Roughriders also carry coaching continuity into 2025. Mace returns for a second straight year as both head coach and defensive coordinator. Mueller is back for his second season as offensive coordinator, while Kent Maugeri, a member of the staff since 2016, continues in his role as special teams coordinator — a position he’s held since 2022.
One of the more head-turning additions to the coaching staff is first-year running backs coach Andrew Harris.
Harris spent years running over the Roughriders as a star back with the B.C. Lions (2009—2015), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2016—2021) and Toronto Argonauts (2022—23). Once despised by Rider Nation, he’s now been welcomed by the Saskatchewan faithful with open arms.
Trevor Harris likes where the team is at, but says there’s still work to do.
“I think we’re ahead (of last year),” said Harris. “You’ve got to be careful about that, because you start comparing to last year, and that is really not what it is about.
“Your bad days can’t be too bad, and your great days, you want them to be super great. You always have expectations for yourself, but to me it is just about making sure we’re getting better every day.”
The Roughriders will hold their Green and White Day on Saturday afternoon at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, located on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.
The event will feature an on-field football showcase, with the team running through various game-type situations.
Saskatchewan opens its pre-season schedule May 24, with a trip to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers.
“There are still some things that we’ve got to iron out as a team,” said Mace. “For us, (Saturday) is our first run at what it looks like for our pre-game routine and rituals, so we’ll get a good practice at getting ready for our pre-season game.
“It is kind of us polishing up some things that we want to look at before we head into pre-season work. Ultimately, they’re going to have a call, they’re going to have to execute it, they’re going to have to communicate, and these are all things that we preach on the daily.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
Darren Steinke, The Canadian Press
