It is a battle of back-up quarterbacks Saturday at Mosaic Stadium, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders send Jack Coan and the Edmonton Elks call on Taylor Powell under centre. “I haven’t played in a long time, consistently, but I think I can still go do it,” Coan said Friday. “I’m excited.” “I’m thrilled and ready to roll,” Powell told reporters in Edmonton earlier this week. Both the Riders and Elks decided to rest starters Trevor Harris and Cody Fajardo, respectively. Although Fajardo will be dressed as Edmonton’s third stringer as the Elks do not have a fourth quarterback and are required three quarterbacks on the active roster. Coan, 27, and Powell, 28, have varying degrees of CFL experience. The Riders pivot is making his first CFL start, but it is not his professional debut. Coan played eight games – starting seven – in 2023 with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas, throwing for 1,471 yards on 158 completions, six touchdowns and six interceptions. Spending three seasons in Saskatchewan, the Notre Dame alumni has suited up for 40 games as a Rider but has thrown a pass in just three of them. Coan is 14/31 for 153 yards and one touchdown in those appearances. Now older and more experienced, 27-year-old Jack Coan believes he has molded himself into a better quarterback then he was at 24. “Although, back then I was used to playing every single week,” he said after spending three years as a back-up. “I’ve learned how to prepare at extremely high level now and that’s thanks to Trevor [Harris] and Coach [Marc] Mueller. I’ve always had the mindset to just try to get better each and every day.” Powell has already established himself as a decent CFL gunslinger. After spending three years in Hamilton, the former Eastern Michigan Eagle wound up in Edmonton as a free agent this past offseason. Powell made his first CFL start in 2023 as a Tiger-Cat. He has completed 255 passes throughout his four CFL seasons for 2,874 yards, adding 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His last start, however, was Aug. 17, 2024 – more than two years ago. “It’s awesome to be able to get all the reps,” Powell said. “Just to get all the nuances of the gameplan down and to be able to play fast with the fellas.” Both coaches have seen their young quarterbacks grow before their eyes. “I’m looking for [Coan] to command and to go out and execute,” Riders head coach said Friday about his Saturday starter. “He’s been in the system for three years. Since we’ve been here he’s been biding his time, he’s here first or second into the building every day and he stays as late as he has to with Trevor.” “[Powell’s] been working hard,” Elks head coach Mark Kiliam said Tuesday. “We’ve been giving him reps all year to make sure he is familiar with the offence … he’s had command of the offence and I expect the same [Saturday].” It is not the first time the Riders have seen Powell under centre. As a Ti-Cat, Powell played one series against Saskatchewan in 2025. “He’s a great quarterback. There is a reason Edmonton was so keen to jump on him,” Mace complimented. “You can’t really just sit back there and just cover down all day there because he’s got all the tools to pick you apart and I think they believe in what he’s able to bring to their offence.” Rest vs. Rust Quarterback is just one of the positions both teams are resting players in the regular season finale. Both Edmonton and Saskatchewan have locked in their positions in the Grey Cup playoffs, although the game still holds postseason implications for the Roughriders. CFL analyst Wes Cates was torn on whether rest or gameplay would do Saskatchewan better this week. “It bugs me because I want to see this offence get on the right foot and show us a little more than they have the last month or so,” he said on this week’s episode of X’s and O’s. “But if you’re looking at who your opponents are going to be, I think you would much rather play a Toronto team than to play the hottest team in the CFL right now, the B.C. Lions.” Along with Harris, running back A.J. Ouellette, receiver KeeSean Johnson, offensive linemen Jermarcus Hardrick and Daniel Johnson, defensive lineman James Vaughters and defensive back DeMarcus fields are all out of the lineup for Saskatchewan. On the other sideline, 12 players who played last week for Edmonton are out – including Malik Carney, Tyrell Ford, Austin Mack, Justin Rankin and Chelen Garnes. “It’s a unique situation,” Kilam said Wednesday. “You can’t just swap your whole team out but there are guys who have been grinding and dealing with some nagging things, so if we can get off them it is a good thing.” In response, Mace said giving some younger players an opportunity to see playing time early in their careers is a special day. “You want to reward those guys for their hard work,” he said Friday. “The situation dictates who and where you can do it and we were able to make some changes where we felt we were able to do that but there’s other guys who I also think probably deserve an opportunity, and you never know.” Playoff implications As the top seed, Edmonton has already earned the right to host the West Final on Nov. 7. However, the situation is more uncertain for Saskatchewan. The Riders are clinched into the playoffs, but the division final they will play in will be decided Saturday. A win keeps them in the third seed in the West Division and sends them to B.C. to play the Lions. A loss Saturday will see Saskatchewan cross over to the East and play Toronto in that division semi-final. “For my own selfish reasons, I’ve always kind of wanted to see a team cross over and win the championship, but that hasn’t happened yet. So why not this year with the Riders?” asked Cates. Looking ahead to the division finals, Cates liked the East side slightly better. “Edmonton’s offence doesn’t scare me at all but their defence has been my unbelievable all season,” he said. “With the Riders’ woes on offence, I don’t know if maybe there’s a little more bad blood between [Saskatchewan] and Montreal. So I feel like the Riders might be able to get themselves up for that game more.” Despite whatever is ahead in the postseason, and who is playing, both coaches have one goal in mind. “We’re playing to win. That’s what we do,” said Kilam. “We have a game to win,” responded Mace. “The guys understand that, regardless of who’s out there, it doesn’t matter.” Kickoff Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium and on TSN, CTV and Crave.
