Saskatchewan Roughriders face a ‘big task’ against Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Final on TSN

A long-standing rivalry will continue when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League’s Western Final on Saturday.

The Blue Bombers are in familiar territory, aiming to advance to the Gray Cup for the fifth straight season, while the Roughriders last reached the big dance in 2013.

Watch Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Final LIVE Saturday at 6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PT on TSN1/3, TSN.ca and the TSN App.

It wasn’t until the last week of the regular season that Winnipeg secured first place in the West Division with a narrow victory over the Montreal Alouettes, beating the Roughriders by three points in the standings.

While the Blue Bombers were quiet last weekend with a bye, the Roughriders were took care of the business against the BC Lions in the semi-finals to create a showdown between the West’s two best teams.

The Roughriders know the challenges ahead, having dropped their previous eight games against the Blue Bombers at Princess Auto Stadium.

‘Big task’ Roughriders head coach Corey Mace said. “We have to be prepared to go in there and come out with a win.”

Collaros in the spotlight

The Roughriders, who have one win and two losses against Winnipeg this season, are especially aware of what Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros brings to the table.

“You’ve got to get after the guy and try to force him into bad throws,” Mace said. “Our d-line did a good job of getting him off the spot and making him feel uncomfortable.

“You also have access to the blitz game. The back should make it difficult for him to do his reading. There isn’t a ton he hasn’t seen, he’s played a lot of football.”

Collaros, 36, was second among CFL pivots with 4,336 passing yards and also threw for 17 touchdowns in 18 appearances during the regular season.

The Steubenville, Ohio, native is 3-0 at home for the Blue Bombers, but knows the Roughriders’ defense will be there for him.

“A lot of challenges: they’re very fast, they’re very good up front, they can get to the quarterback by bringing four, they do a great job on their zone drops, they mix up what zones they’re playing in,” Collaros said.

“They have tremendous speed. They are fast, they play very physically and they do very well in football. That’s why they were able to generate so much revenue this year. The way they pursue the football and get to the quarterback makes it difficult for teams and that leads to turnovers.”