Roughriders remain hungry heading into Saturday game against Hamilton

Riders hungry for Hamilton WATCH: Marc Smith checks in with the Riders ahead of their Week 2 matchup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats had two completely different starts to the 2021 CFL season ahead of their Week 2 matchup on Saturday.

The Riders rolled in a home win over the B.C. Lions, while Hamilton looked out of sync in a 19-6 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a rematch of the last Grey Cup.

Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo expects Hamilton to come out hungry.

"Any given day, any team can show up and play well and that’s what makes it so difficult to win games in this league," Fajardo said. "We know we’ve got to execute, got to stay on the field and help our defence."

Last Friday saw the Riders open with strong showings on both sides of the ball, posting 31 points in the first half, but they also slowed down in the second half on their way to a 33-29 win.

Despite the drop off in the second half, Fajardo said Saskatchewan wants to carry over what they did in Week 1.

"We’re going to be a lot better just because you get those first game jitters out and you get to understand what kind of team you have going forward in Week 2," Fajardo said. "We started off so great, so whatever we felt going out in that first week, let’s try and replicate it because obviously it worked for us."

The Riders’ defence will be tasked with stopping the combo of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and slotback Brandon Banks.

Safety Mike Edem said Masoli doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat after suffering a season-ending injury in 2019.

"Masoli is Masoli," Edem said. "He’s a playmaker, he can get the ball downfield and he can kill you with his legs. The guy just came off a big injury and you can see he’s running the ball, he’s not scared to pull it down and run, so he’s a cerebral athlete and you’ve got to play him just like that."

Alongside Banks at slotback will be two rookies in Papi White and Tim White.

Edem said he’s been scouring the internet for whatever he can find about the newcomers.

"Every player puts a highlight on Youtube, they want to be seen, they want to get that highlight out to the fans, so you’d be surprised what you can find on Youtube," Edem said.

"You just study them and take that and you input them into the scheme and see how they’re going to utilize them."

Edem said the Riders’ defensive back will have to be sharp against a talented receiver group for Hamilton.

"A lot of their receivers are interchangeable, they’re all quick, fast, agile receiver," he said. "They can use any of them on the speed sweeps and all the trick plays and stuff like that gadget plays."

Saskatchewan’s offensive line continues to battle injuries. Offensive tackle Brett Boyko will miss Saturday’s game due to a non-COVID related illness.

"We’d like to have the same five every week, but this is just one of those years," Head Coach Craig Dickenson said. "We feel good about the six guys that are going to dress this game."

Andrew Lauderdale, who’s in his first CFL season, will step in at left tackle for Boyko. The six-foot-six lineman spent time with the New Orleans Saints, San Fransisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills in the NFL.

"He comes with some credentials, so we feel like he’s going to do a good job," Dickenson said.

Lauderdale will be tasked with protecting Fajardo’s blind side.

"I'm just excited for Lauderdale, he's done a great job mentally preparing, obviously, he's behind the eight ball a little bit because he didn't take reps until day three," Fajardo said. "He’s done a great job of preparing and I know he's gonna be ready to go."

The Riders and Ti-Cats kick-off at 8 p.m. on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.