It’s the biggest game of the CFL regular season, the Labour Day Classic clash between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Riders starting quarterback Cody Fajardo knows all too well the intensity and atmosphere of the game, owning a 1-1 record in his two Labour Day starts.
It will be triply special for Fajardo who will get to run out onto the turf at Mosaic Stadium with his pregnant wife Laura, who’s due on Sept. 12, in the stands for the first time this season.
“This is the first time she’s been in town for pretty much the rest of the season and baby could come any day, so kind of on pins and needles, a lot of excitement in the Fajardo household” he smirked.
“Obviously Labour Day, running out of that tunnel, there’s nothing like it and (to) be a part of it for the last two years it’s one of those things, it’s truly special in the CFL.
“I’m looking forward to running out of the tunnel, seeing the sea of green and we’ve got a good opportunity ahead of us, a really good Winnipeg team and we’ve got to play our best football in order to have a chance.”
The timing couldn’t be better for the Riders’ starting signal caller who is coming off of his best game of the season, a game in which he threw a season-high 321 yards to go with a pair of touchdowns.
Saskatchewan does hold the all-time edge in the late summer classic with a 37-16 record, and haven’t lost in back-to-back years since 2004.
The man looking to break that mould is Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, who has never lost a Labour Day Classic game in Regina with either Saskatchewan or Winnipeg.
“It’s a shock. The world mentality for us, everybody is kind of counting us out,” Fajardo said. “But, last week was big for our motivation, our confidence and just getting back to where we’re at.”