Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace is trying to get his team out of a rut at a pivotal point of the season. (Saskatchewan Roughriders)

By CJME/Britton Gray

Frustration on the field

‘Frustrated’ Riders look to end six-game winless skid

Sep 6, 2024 | 10:19 AM

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been close in their recent losses – but close doesn’t mean much in professional sports.

Saskatchewan is mired in a six-game winless streak (0-5-1) as the CFL club has dropped from first to third in the west division standings.

But the team isn’t getting blown out in these losses, losing by an average of four points per game.

Running back Frankie Hickson admits it is frustrating to be so close to getting back in the win column.

“I think you could say frustrated but what team isn’t,” Hickson said.

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“Even the best of the best are having moments where they aren’t living up to the potential of their team. So any time that you don’t meet the mark, you have something to come back and learn from.”

Frankie Hickson and the Riders’ offence will try to head into Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium to try and knock off the first-place Bombers on Sunday in the Labour Day Classic rematch. Kickoff for the game is set for 1 p.m.

The game is the rematch between the two clubs after the Bombers earned a 35-33 win against the Riders in the Labour Day Classic.

Hickson doesn’t believe it’s just a matter of luck when it comes to the team’s recent losses.

“It doesn’t come down to luck,” he said. “It comes down to what team is prepared and what team has done everything in their power to win each and every inch on this football field. If you win, you deserve to win. If you lost, you need to come back with a better game plan.”

After the recent loss, head coach Corey Mace admitted that things they have been preaching to improve are still coming up in games.

“I think the message is pretty clear,” Mace said. “Some of the mishaps that we have are things we are talking about. Those are things we can’t have. It’s just mental toughness and focus from us. I think physically we match up as well as anybody versus any team. What’s going to separate good teams and great teams is mental toughness.”

As the Riders enter the final third of their regular-season, and try to avoid a third straight season of missing the playoffs, Mace hopes the team can learn from this skid.

“I think the guys are understanding games are going to be dog fights,” he said.

“We’re willing to do that. The morale is not negative but a sense of a little bit of (frustration) because you are getting better in certain areas and then you take a step back in another one. A lot of lessons. I feel like we’re in a tough class right now. We’re learning a lot of lessons but you have to learn and move forward.”

Notes: Centre Peter Godber (ankle), guard Zack Fry (elbow), linebacker Melique Straker (hip) and wide receiver Dohnte Meyers (shoulder) have all been ruled out for the game. Safety Jaxon Ford (wrist) and linebacker Nick Wiebe (knee) are available for the game … Defensive lineman Miles Brown was fined for a high hit on Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros. The league did not disclose the amount.