Roughriders plan – Chad Kelly has started the season with big passing games, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders are building Friday’s matchup in Regina around finding opportunities in the air—especially after Toronto’s quarterback has thrown five interceptions in his first two con
REGINA — The Roughriders aren’t pretending Chad Kelly is beatable without a fight. They’re planning to make him uncomfortable with the one thing he’s already shown he can’t always control: the ball in the air.
Toronto’s quarterback has opened the season topping the 400-yard passing mark in each of the Argonauts’ first two games. But the production comes with a gambling edge that Saskatchewan has mapped out as a target. Kelly has thrown five interceptions across those two contests. including four in last week’s 44-24 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks.
Roughriders head coach Corey Mace made it clear the defensive plan isn’t limited to the offence when it comes to trying to disrupt Kelly.
“I know his makeup, he’s had some really good games moving the ball down the field, but there’ll be some opportunities anytime the ball is in the air,” Mace said. “It’s not exclusive to the offence, so it’s just about being in the right position and capitalizing on our opportunities defensively.”
For the defending Grey Cup champs, the issue isn’t whether the openings exist—it’s whether they’ve been seized. Saskatchewan led the CFL last season with 39 defensive takeaways and 23 interceptions, yet through its first two games in 2025 the team has only produced one fumble.
Middle linebacker Jameer Thurman insists that gap won’t last.
“I see opportunity for us as a defence to have our coming out party. get a lot of turnovers. and get a lot of stats. ” Thurman said. “The opportunities have been there, but guys just haven’t capitalized, honestly. Those are those are game-changing plays that we need, and what better time to do it when we’re at home.”.
Thurman added that the defence expects the moments to show up again—then it’s on the team to convert them.
“We expect them to happen, and you know, we just got to go out there and make the plays that come to us,” he said.
Mace, who turned over the defensive co-ordinator role to Josh Bell this season, doesn’t sound worried about the lack of takeaways yet. His focus is sharper: turning chances into results.
“No concern. Just this, let’s capitalize. I think we probably should have about five of them right now,” Mace said. “Maybe to a detriment sometimes for myself, the glass is half full, we’re there. We’ve just got to make the plays . . . Those are game-changing plays, right?. So you know, hopefully Chad’s feeling generous. That’d be really nice.”.
Another storyline hangs over Saskatchewan’s preparation. Starting tailback A.J. Ouellette suffered an ankle injury in last week’s 44-24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders. didn’t practise this week. and likely won’t play against the Argonauts. Ouellette was put on the reserve list. which means he could be activated up to the league-mandated deadline of 30 minutes before kickoff.
Mace is leaning toward keeping him sidelined.
“We looked at some things yesterday and I was thinking maybe we can try to get him out there at game time. But where it’s at right now, I just don’t know if it’s really worth the risk. So, as we put it out, that’s how we’ll roll,” Mace said.
Ouellette was a major force in last season’s Grey Cup run, rushing for 1,222 yards on 248 carries in his second season with Saskatchewan.
If he can’t go, rookie Quali Conley will start. Conley was signed by Saskatchewan on May 16 after being released by the Montreal Alouettes.
Conley knows the weight that comes with replacing a Grey Cup-winning tailback, but he says he’s ready for whatever moment comes.
“As coach (Andrew) Harris teaches us, you never know when your number’s going to get called. Just stay ready, whether you’re on scout team, doing (individual work), act like you’re the guy. That’s your mentality,” said Conley, 23.
The matchup itself is set for Friday at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, with kickoff scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. It’s listed as a home game for the Argonauts. even though Toronto’s schedule has pushed this contest to Saskatchewan. The Argonauts have moved three home games due to scheduling conflicts with the 2026 World Cup: the next Winnipeg home game is on July 10. and another home game in Hamilton is on July 18. Toronto won’t play its first home game at BMO Field until Aug. 6.
Friday’s game pits Toronto (1-1) against Saskatchewan (2-0).
Both teams come in with high-powered offences. The Argonauts and Roughriders rank first and second respectively in points per game, with Toronto at 37 and Saskatchewan at 35.5. They also sit 1-2 in offensive yards per game, where Toronto averages 501 and Saskatchewan 471.5.
The difference in how they move the ball early is yards gained on first down. Toronto averages nine yards on first down, while Saskatchewan is eighth in the league at 6.3.
Reception targets have been flashing too. Kevin Mital and Kian Schaffer-Baker have big numbers through the first two games. Mital opened with 109 yards on seven receptions against Montreal. then followed with a career-high 178 yards on eight catches last week against Ottawa. Schaffer-Baker had 11 catches for 165 yards in the season opener against B.C. then added 130 yards on eight receptions against Calgary last week. Schaffer-Baker is averaging 147.5 receiving yards per game, four yards more than Mital.
Behind the numbers, Trevor Harris arrives with a streak that Saskatchewan will be watching closely. Harris has thrown 189 consecutive passes without an interception. and he has thrown for over 300 yards in five of his last six regular season games. including both games this season. He also has 57 career games of 300-plus yards passing. second among active players behind Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. who has 60.
For Saskatchewan, though, all of that will matter only if the Roughriders can turn their defensive belief into tangible takeaways. On Friday night in Regina, the plan is simple: get in position when the ball hangs in the air, and make Chad Kelly pay for the risks in his game.
Chad Kelly Saskatchewan Roughriders Toronto Argonauts Mosaic Stadium CFL Jameer Thurman Corey Mace A.J. Ouellette Quali Conley Trevor Harris interceptions