Rob Vanstone: Roughriders' new Canadian Air Force takes flight
10/22/2024 03:11 PM
The Saskatchewan Roughriders' Canadian receivers could use a nickname that is suitably catchy.
First, there were the Slot Machines — inside receivers Ray Elgaard and Jeff Fairholm, who combined to lacerate rival secondaries from 1988 to 1993.
Then there was the Canadian Air Force, which reached peak altitude in 2009 and 2010 when Andy Fantuz, Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Jason Clermont were key components of a powerful Saskatchewan aerial attack.
(As well, Weston Dressler — from Bismarck, N.D. — was essentially an honorary Canadian.)
Fast forward to 2024.
Saskatchewan has received meaningful contributions from national receivers Samuel Emilus, Kian Schaffer-Baker, Mitch Picton, Ajou Ajou and Dhel Duncan-Busby while securing a CFL home playoff game (tickets are available HERE) and entering the final weekend of regular-season play with a shot at finishing first in the West Division.
Entering Saturday's regular-season finale against the Calgary Stampeders (5 p.m.), a Canadian-born receiver has caught 47.9 per cent of the Roughriders' passes.
That is the third-best percentage in franchise history, behind 53.7 (2010) and 2009 (52.1).
As well, the current percentage is comfortably ahead of the best Elgaard-Fairholm years — 1993 (42.0%), 1992 (41.5%), 1988 (41.3%), 1990 (38.4%) and 1991 (37.2%).
Emilus, Schaffer-Baker, Picton, Ajou and Duncan-Busby have combined for 185 of the 186 receptions by a Canadian-born Roughrider this season. (Fullback Albert Awachie has the other catch.)
Where does the raw total of 185 rank historically?
216 — 2010
193 — 1992
190 — 2009
185 — 1993
185 — 2024
There is a very good chance, then, that the as-yet-unnamed 2024 Canadian contingent will ascend to second place on Saturday. Nine receptions will suffice.
The yardage totals also bear watching.
As it stands, a Canadian pass-catcher has accounted for 50.1 per cent of the Roughriders' receiving yards.
The percentage has been weighted in favour of Canadians on only four previous occasions in Roughriders history:
58.7% — 2010
54.3% — 2009
53.9% — 1980*
51.1% — 1988
(*See riveting end notes for more about 1980.)
Running backs and fullbacks have been excluded to get as close as possible to an apples-to-apples comparison.
If you rewind to the Elgaard-Fairholm years, the Roughriders conventionally incorporated an American-born running back (see: Tim McCray, Lucius Floyd, Mike Saunders) and a national fullback (Milson Jones) into the passing attack.
Those were the days, remember, when a fullback was a virtual every-down player.
Considering that the versatile Jones often had a considerable impact on the passing game, we proudly present the single-season raw totals for catches and yardage by the Canadians, as a collective.
RECEIVING YARDS
3,587 — 1992
3,348 — 2010
3,301 — 1993
3,141 — 1990
2,967 — 1988
2,955 — 1991
2,606 — 2009
2,552 — 1989
2,439 — 2024
CATCHES
241 — 1992
223 — 1990
216 — 2010
215 — 1993
202 — 1991
203 — 2009
191 — 1988
186 — 2024
Although the 2024 receiving corps is not close to reaching the podium in either of the two preceding categories, there are two key factors — relating to the evolution of Canadian professional football — to consider:
• The absence of an every-down fullback, such as Jones, influences the numbers. Jones caught 169 passes for 1,734 yards over five seasons (1988 to 1992) in Saskatchewan. He twice had 40 or more catches.
• The pass-happy nature of the CFL in the early 1990s impacts the calculations to a degree. In 1992, for example, Saskatchewan averaged 25.8 completions per game. This year's average: 22.7.
And now, as advertised, the riveting end notes!
• This season's current totals are especially eye-popping when you consider that the Roughriders' Canadians, regardless of position, combined for receptions totals of 83 (2017), 53 (2018) and 60 (2019) not so long ago.
• This year's totals would almost certainly be higher if not for the fact that Schaffer-Baker missed four games with a shoulder injury. An American (KeeSean Johnson) started at Schaffer-Baker's accustomed slot spot position in three of those games.
• Ajou and Duncan-Busby, both rookies, have combined for 35 receptions and 491 yards in 18 games. Ajou was a seventh-round steal in the 2024 CFL Draft. Duncan-Busby was a third-round choice well-spent.
• The Roughriders' 1980 receiving corps, which was assigned an asterisk, was led by nationals Steve Mazurak (46 catches, 537 yards) and Dwight Edwards (44 for 747). A broken foot forced Edwards to miss four of the Roughriders' 16 games in 1980. If not for that injury, he could have become the first national to register 1,000 receiving yards for Saskatchewan. Elgaard accomplished that feat in 1985.
