Saskatchewan Roughriders ‘losing sleep’ ahead of West Semi-Final clash with B.C. Lions

Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions

The unusually early kickoff time for Saturday’s West Semi-Final won’t be a problem for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, as some of their top players might still be awake from the night before.

“I’m losing sleep over the B.C. defence right now,” offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick told the Regina media on Thursday, making a hard pivot after a question regarding his recent West Division All-CFL selection.

“It won’t be a good write-up (post-game) if I keep thinking about (past accomplishments). Trying to get this win as a team, trying to do my best. Just want to do my 1/12, man. Losing sleep; I’m just trying to do it for somebody else, do it for the guy next to you, do it for you guys.”

A sleep-deprived right tackle might be less than ideal, but the B.C. defence is a unit worthy of cold sweats at 2:00 a.m. After opening the season with a series of high-profile defeats, including one against the Riders, the unit, led by coordinator Mike Benevides, battened down the hatches. They concluded the 2026 regular season ranked second in overall defence, finishing no lower than fifth in any single statistical category and topping the charts against the run.

“They have great players, great scheme. They play the right way. You can see them loving on each other. They have fun. It’s a fun battle,” Hardrick said. “Excited for the guys beside me, know they’re gonna have my back, but major respect to those guys. Mathieu Betts, Darnell Sankey, they even got more guys over there. Those are good guys in this league. Great guys in this league. It’s going to be a battle.”

However, even those not tasked with blocking a two-time Most Outstanding Defensive Player winner are getting a little less shut-eye these days. Sleep is normally hard to come by in Corey Mace’s household, given the ages of his children, but nap time isn’t an option once the games become sudden death.

“I don’t perceive myself as one of those brainchilds, so the hours have got to be a little longer for a rockhead like myself,” the reigning CFL Coach of the Year said of his playoff preparation. “The days are a little bit longer. The mornings are still early, but what makes it worth it? I think we all understand that.”

You might even catch franchise quarterback Trevor Harris yawning if you look closely during warmups. When asked about his slumber in the lead-up to elimination games, the CFL passing yardage leader admitted that catching some Z’s isn’t a simple task when you have a chance to repeat as Grey Cup champions.

“To be honest, it’s not great. During the season, in general, it’s kind of like a coin flip as to how you sleep because your mind is racing, especially after a game, because you’ve always got a handful of plays you’re thinking about,” he said, explaining that fitful rest now stems from what is about to occur.

“The anticipation of the game is you have dreams about it, and you wake up, and then it’s like your heart rate’s going. You’re like, ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to play.’ I’m 40 years old. I feel like a kid, like waiting on Christmas Day at this point.”

Hardrick knows exactly what that feels like. His sleepless nights aren’t the result of Mathieu Betts-fueled nightmares, but rather the palpable excitement that comes from an opportunity to upset a fellow contender in their own building and get another step closer to their ultimate goal.

“I’m losing sleep because I want to be better, and I know I’m going against great guys,” he said. “I’m not really losing sleep. It’s just I’m dreaming about the game, waking up early, thinking about the game. But that’s every week. Just excited.”

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-8) will visit the B.C. Lions (10-8) for the West Semi-Final at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, October 31, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. The teams met three times during the regular season, with Saskatchewan winning the matchup in Regina, and B.C. winning both games in Vancouver.

The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina and 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver.