Let Ouellette do it: A.J. powers Roughriders' offence in playoff win

11/03/2024 10:10 AM

The Saskatchewan Roughriders called A.J. Ouellette's number 14 times on Saturday.

Corey Mace called it once on Feb. 4 — the opening day of the CFL's 2024 free-agency negotiation window — and it was a productive conversation.

"The first time I picked up the phone and said, 'Do you want to come play for us?', I was thinking about games like this — in the cold," the Roughriders' head coach said at Mosaic Stadium after Saturday's 28-19 CFL playoff victory over the B.C. Lions.

Ouellette had 14 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns as Saskatchewan won the Western Semi-Final.

The Roughriders had clinched the home playoff game by defeating B.C. 39-8 at Mosaic Stadium on Oct. 12.

Ouellette returned to the lineup for that game after missing six games with a hip injury.

"I asked A.J. a couple of weeks ago, before the previous B.C. game: 'How are you feeling?' " quarterback Trevor Harris recalled. "He said, 'I'm feeling good. They didn't pay me to come here and run in June and July. They did it so I could run in October and November.' He was like, 'Let's frickin' go!'

"It kind of sent chills up my spine. I never told him that, but I walked up the stairs and thought, 'This guy's frickin' ready.'

"You all saw it tonight."

Ouellette ran for TDs of 30 yards and one yard. The drive that culminated in the one-yard score included his 11-yard reception on second-and-9.

Ouellette caught a Harris pass one yard beyond the line of scrimmage and ultimately moved the chains on a determined run that contributed to the Roughriders' success on second-down conversions (16-for-24).

The 29-year-old running back joined the Roughriders after being named an East Division All-Star in each of the past two seasons, spent with the Toronto Argonauts.

"Trevor's a big reason I signed here," Ouellette noted. "Free agency was in progress and he called. I knew that he was the quarterback I wanted to lead us into the playoffs and into the Cup."

After rushing for 1,009 yards in 15 games last year, Ouellette was limited to 550 yards and eight regular-season appearances in 2024.

He did, however, play in both regular-season meetings with B.C. before meeting the Lions once more in the post-season.

Over those three games against the Lions, Ouellette rushed 42 times for 226 yards and four of the five majors he has scored to this point in the season.

"It feels good to finally be healthy at the right time, going into playoffs," the 5-foot-9, 210-pounder said. "I knew going into the six games when I sat that I just needed to prepare every week like I was going to play and now it's paying off."