Roughriders' defence defuses late Redblacks' drive to hang on to 27-22 victory

Saskatchewan Roughriders' KeeSean Johnson (3) scores a touchdown past Ottawa Redblacks' A.J. Allen (bottom right) during second half CFL football action in Ottawa on Friday, July 3, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA — This was hardly the start Ryan Dinwiddie envisioned when he took over as head coach and general manager of the Ottawa Redblacks.

The two-time Grey Cup champion coach is facing an 0-4 record after a tough 27-22 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday.

“No doubt we’re in quicksand,” admitted Dinwiddie. “It’s a long race, but we’re far behind … We’re in a tough spot right now but you know we gotta get a win, find a way to win, do the little things it takes to win and get some momentum going.”

Dinwiddie liked his team’s start after it jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead, but a few penalties and missed opportunities proved to be the difference.

“I mean, you can’t practice not taking penalties right?” said Dinwiddie. “It’s just beyond me some of the stuff we've done.”

Ottawa took six penalties for 37 yards, but it was the type and the time of the penalties that were frustrating to Dinwiddie. There was one taken on an offensive punt return, and a time-count violation on third and two while trying to draw the defence offside that forced them to settle for a field goal.

“I told those guys they’ve got to look in the mirror a little bit,” he said. “I can’t go out there and play for you and not take penalties. We preach it all the time.”

Ottawa managed to contain Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris to just 243 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Redblacks' QB Jake Maier finished 23-for-30 for 259 yards and one touchdown.

Despite being held to his lowest passing-yardage total of the season, Harris moved past Tom Clements into 12th on the CFL's all-time passing list with 39,115 yards.

“I didn’t have my best game,” admitted Harris. “I wasn’t on my ‘A’ game in terms of how I’ve been playing this year, but you know when your team needs you to step up and make a play we’re able to kind of come up with a touchdown drive.”

Harris showed why he’s considered one of the league’s best early in the second quarter when he put together a 10-play drive that resulted in a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dhel Duncan-Busby to leave the Roughriders trailing 10-7.

The teams went on to exchange field goals and headed into the half tied 13-13.

A turning point in the game was a 101-yard Mathew Sexton punt return early in the third quarter that gave Saskatchewan its first lead of the game.

Ottawa started the half well but saw a drive halted when rookie receiver Cade McDonald was grounded on his way to a first down. Ottawa was forced to punt and Sexton capitalized.

“I don’t know what it is about this place, it’s hard to play, weird stuff happens,” said Roughriders head coach Corey Mace. “We responded when we needed to. As always tons to look at to get better, but we needed to get back to 1-0 this week and we did that.”

Things don’t get any easier for the Redblacks with a short turnaround before they face the Elks on Thursday in Edmonton.

There’s no denying players are starting to feel frustration with how the season has unfolded. For veterans like fullback Anthony Gosselin this is all too familiar, but he believes the Redblacks are better than their record indicates.

He believes Dinwiddie has assembled a solid roster and players needed time to learn a new system and to jell as a group and went as far as calling a Redblacks win in Edmonton.

“I call a win every week,” said Gosselin. “But this week we have to believe it. We’ve already played Edmonton, we know them a little better so I think we’re going there on a business trip, we’re going to win.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2026.

UP NEXT

Roughriders: Host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday, July 12.

Redblacks: Visit the Edmonton Elks on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2026.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press