Young Harker Looks To Lead The Riders To Win In Regular Season Final Against Ticats | The Canadian News

It won’t determine where Saskatchewan ends up in the Western Division, but the Roughriders’ regular season finale means a lot to Isaac Harker.

Harker will start at quarterback on Saturday when Saskatchewan (9-4) visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7-6). The Roughriders have already clinched second place in the West, so starter Cody Fajardo, running back William Powell, catcher Duke Williams and offensive lineman Dan Clark will be among the veterans who won’t play.

The start will be Harker’s first this year and only the second of his CFL career. The 26-year-old completed 24 of 28 passes for 213 yards in Saskatchewan’s 23-13 road win over Edmonton in 2019 that gave the Riders first place in the Division West.

Harker started in ’19 after Fajardo suffered an oblique injury during practice.

“I am a competitor so I want to win,” Harker told reporters during a video conference Thursday. “As for me, we have to win this one and I will always feel that way, no matter the qualification or the implications.

“I would like to win and play a fair game. I’ve worked a lot during the season to the point where I feel very comfortable with the playbook, so I’m going to go out there, be myself and play my game. “

The six-foot-195-pound Harker is completing his second CFL season with Saskatchewan. He has made 10 of 13 passes for 89 yards in 13 games this year and 54 of 74 for 556 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in 31 career games.

“I hope he just takes control of the offense,” Saskatchewan head coach Craig Dickenson said of Harker. “He has had good practice throughout this season… and I just hope he plays the way he does in practice, which is efficient.

“Are you going to make some mistakes? Yes, but I want to see (a) consistent, stable and reliable performance and I think he has it. I want to see a field general, a guy who does a good job directing traffic and getting the ball to the right people. “

Harker has faced Hamilton before. In Saskatchewan’s first game of the 2019 season at Tim Hortons Field, he completed eight of 14 passes for 128 yards and two interceptions in relief from injured starter Zach Collaros and Fajardo, then the backup.

But Harker could see the best of Hamilton on defense. The Ticats (7-6) enter the final week of the regular season tied with Montreal (7-6) for second place in the Eastern Division.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Harker said. “They are a very good team and they have a Rolodex with different coverage.

“But we are quite in tune with what they are doing, so we are very excited about the game plan that we have.”

Montreal concludes its regular season hosting Ottawa (2-11) on Friday night. A Redblacks win would give Hamilton second place, but the Ticats would have to at least match an Alouettes draw or win on Saturday to secure home ground against the Als in the Eastern semifinal on Nov. 28.

“(The riders who don’t play some starters) are not going to affect anything,” said Hamilton head coach Orlondo Steinauer. “They’re a 9-4 football team for a reason … whoever they bring in will be ready to play.”

Veteran quarterback Jeremiah Masoli remains Hamilton’s starter. Steinauer is hopeful that running back Don Jackson (knee) will return Saturday after not playing in last week’s 31-12 road loss to Toronto.

“Don looks good this week and I hope he plays,” Steinauer said. “If he is not ready to play, we will not force the problem and he will play in the first round of the playoffs for sure.”

Jackson has appeared in just three games this season, rushing for 211 yards and a TD on 32 carries (5.6-yard average). He rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in Hamilton’s 39-23 road win over Edmonton on October 29 before rushing for 80 yards on 12 attempts in a 26-18 home win over BC on November 5.

Hamilton’s plan at the moment is to go with his veteran starters on Saturday, but Steinauer said that could change if Ottawa wins Friday night.

“I wouldn’t see our roster change a ton, but I would see that maybe some substitutes will see extended playing time,” he said. “But there’s also a kind of catch-22 there because those backups usually play a lot of special teams, so that means their normal starters would have to play in teams.

“So there would be a good juggling act, but we would definitely, probably, give some reps to some people. Ultimately, everyone will probably have to put the suit on, but hopefully they won’t play as much. “

Steinauer added that in that scenario, he would hope to give veteran quarterback Dane Evans playing time on Saturday as well. Evans has been active for Hamilton’s last four games, but used it primarily in close range situations (seven carries, 15 yards, three TDs).