What the Riders win means for the upcoming season

It's time to give credit where credit is due.

The real star Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium in Regina was the 13th man.

A total of 33,050 fans who came out to support the Saskatchewan Roughriders at their new home made the Tiger-Cats look like they've never played in front of a crowd before.

If that was any indication of what opposing teams can expect this season, the Roughriders just may have a chance.

To walk off the field tonight knowing that you deserved to win the football game, it's a good feeling.- Roughriders head coach Chris Jones

The new stadium witnessed its first Riders victory Saturday night and it roared its approval, so much so it even blew a fuse when a bank of lights went out in the third quarter causing a five-minute delay.

When the lights came back, the Riders went on to seal a 37-20 victory over Hamilton.

It's a victory which finally got the Riders over the hump for that elusive win which managed to escape them in the final moments in both of their first two games.

"It's hard to win a pro football game." admitted head coach Chris Jones following the win

"When a group's struggling to finish like we have over the last two weeks, we found ways to give games away, and to walk off the field tonight knowing that you deserved to win the football game, it's a good feeling."

Yes, they won a football game, but before you book your Grey Cup tickets, remember, it was only Hamilton.

The Tiger-Cats looked awful in their one and only game this season in week one against the Argos and they may have looked even worse against the Riders.

And when their players start roughing up officials, it's a sign not all is well in steel town.

Tiger-Cats defensive back Will Hill grabbed an official by his shirt collar, which is the quickest way to get kicked out of a game, and perhaps a suspension for a few more.

It may have been the frustration for their offence which could not deal with the crowd noise, for which Jones was mighty grateful.

"I felt the crowd probably even more than last week. They were into the game. It's kudos to the people who come and show up every week, we've left a little something for the imagination over the last year or so and for our people to keep showing up it's a feather in our cap to have them in the seats." said Jones.

And those who were there had to have been impressed with their veteran quarterback.

If you forget about the 110-yard interception return for a touchdown, Kevin Glenn had a decent night throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more.

He hasn't used his legs that much in the red-zone since 2004.

"Isn't that crazy?" said Glenn who dubbed himself 'sweet feet' after the game.

While Glenn was using his sweet feet for a grand total of 12 rushing yards Saturday, he did manage 380 yards through the air, leaving him just 116 yards shy of the 50,000 mark.

Only six quarterbacks are members of that exclusive club.

He brushed that off, "It will come," he said, preferring to keep it about, "A big team win."

"The type of win that we had today after the loss last week is big. It shows a lot about the team and the guys in that locker room, the type of character guys that we have, they still believe and we're still a team."

Of which there may have been some doubts following a week when Jonathan Newsome was released after allegedly sharing negative thoughts about the team's direction under Chris Jones.

A loss against Hamilton heading into a bye-week may have sent the team into a free fall.

"A victory before you go into a bye makes everything a lot better," said left tackle Derek Dennis who left the game for several plays after suffering an elbow injury.

"For the younger guys who are new to the league, for them to get a taste of victory so they build their confidence it builds the team's morale."

Naaman Roosevelt, the recipient of the Riders's game ball for 167 yards worth of receptions, is excited about the direction they're heading.

"When we put it together we're a scary team, it's only one win so we got to keep building," said Roosevelt.

Enjoy your week off, Roughriders. The season gets real soon enough when you go to Calgary in two weeks.

That will be an indication of what the 2017 Riders are really made of.