The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have started the CFL season 2-0 for the third straight year after outscoring the Toronto Argonauts at Rogers Centre Saturday afternoon 46-36. The Green and White got off to a slow start and trailed the game 13-7 after one quarter, but the second quarter was one in which the team outscored the Argos 30-0. It was something that had head coach Ken Miller smiling from ear-to-ear. "We forced them into some errors." Miller said about the second quarter explosion. "The big thing was after we forced them, we were able to take advantage of them. That's an aggressive and maybe I should say even a vicious sign of being a really good football team." Miller was also ecstatic with the way his team came back after falling down early 10-0 in the first quarter. "We have tremendous character in this locker-room." Miller told 620 CKRM's Carm Carteri. "We're going to battle right from the start of the game. That second quarter showed how our offence, defence and special teams can work when everything is going right." After forcing the B.C. Lions into six turnovers in their week one victory, the defence forced the Argonauts into five turnovers in this game. Defensive end Stevie Baggs continued his fine early season play as he registered a sack that resulted in a safety along with intercepting a Kerry Joseph pass. Baggs says it took them a couple of series to get rolling. "We were a little sluggish at first, but halfway through the first quarter we started to get our legs underneath us." Baggs said. "It may have been because of the flight and the time change, but after a while you have to realize you have to do your thing and that's what we did. We have to be resilient and we have to continue to fight when adversity stares us in the face. We did that today." When it comes to turnovers, Baggs says they are just doing what they want. "We want the ball back. Our main objective is to get the ball back into the hands of the offence and let them do what they do best." Baggs said. "The team with the ball wins so we're just going to continue trying to give our offence the ball." Darian Durant didn't seem to be bothered by the bad thumb on his throwing hand that he hurt during practice this week. Durant threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns Ð one of those touchdowns going to Hugh Charles who also ran one in. Charles, like the rest of the team, believes the win was a huge one and he was very complimentary over the play of his fellow offensive mates. "I enjoyed it." Charles said. "I'm starting to get into a groove now and I think the offence is starting to get into a groove. When we got into the red zone, we finished it off today. We showed some patience and we are very happy." After two weeks of play, the Riders now find themselves sitting atop the West with a record of 2-0. It sets up next Saturday's game against the Alouettes in what will be a battle between the team's lone unbeatens after just two weeks in what is sure to be a sold-out Mosaic Stadium.
