# Roughriders Punch Playoff Ticket on Trevor Harris-to-KeeSean Johnson Game-Winner

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> The Saskatchewan Roughriders clinched a playoff spot with a win sealed by a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Trevor Harris to KeeSean Johnson, capping a ga...

By Trey Downs · Published 2026-10-19 23:16 UTC · Updated 2026-10-19 23:16 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

The Saskatchewan Roughriders clinched a playoff spot with a win sealed by a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Trevor Harris to KeeSean Johnson, capping a game that head coach Corey Mace said didn't meet the team's standard for 59 minutes but came together when it mattered most.

The winning sequence began with a defensive stop on second and six, followed by a missed field goal that Matthew Sexton returned to set up good field position. Saskatchewan then converted a third and 10, got a 22-yard scramble from Harris, and finished the drive with the touchdown to Johnson.

## The Game-Winning Throw

Harris described the connection with Johnson as one of his signature throws, comparing the feeling to a basketball shooter who knows the shot is good as soon as it leaves his hand.

> "Anybody that's played basketball, you know, kind of when you shoot a 3, you kind of feel it come off your hand, you know it's going to be good. When I let it go, I kind of knew it was in there. I kind of just peeked the halfback to make sure he wasn't too wide to where I could kind of drive it over the DB's head, and he kind of just showed me his chest. And if he would have kind of spot dropped, we would have had Shea for, you know, 12 to 15-yard gain. But we threw it over his head and felt good coming off my hand, and Ke'Shawn ran underneath it," Harris said.

Johnson said he tracked the ball the moment he turned around. "I had a go ball and once I passed the defender, I seen the ball in the air. It was moving real slow and I just had to focus and make the play," he said. Johnson added that he knew the throw would beat the defenders to the spot: "I saw it coming in. You know, obviously you see the defenders coming, but I knew the ball would beat them there. Trevor made a great pass."

On the third-down conversion that preceded the score, Harris said the design was built around a 12-yard stop route to the boundary. "They were kind of doing a good job spot dropping, taking away benders. Bev kind of spotted inside and I took my shoulder inside to him to make him buy it. And he did. He stayed inside and walled and kind of just opened up the lane there for us to throw it to Ke'Shawn," Harris said.

## Harris Breaks One Loose

Harris also delivered a 22-yard run during the drive, explaining that Montreal's defense had dropped nine players into coverage. "They dispersed the box. They allocated 9 resources to pass game. I felt that it was just a matter of time before they dispersed enough to where I could just feel it and kind of just step up. And then when I stepped up and started running, I knew I could get the first down," he said.

Mace said he saw the burst coming before Harris even took off. "I thought he was going to go. I was like, oh my goodness, he's going to do it," Mace said. He added that the play call reflected the defensive look Saskatchewan was getting. "It was something that they did actually last week as well, I think once or twice. And Trevor seen what he had to see. There was nothing there. You know, you're dropping 10 guys... Trevor Harris, you're going to have to move this with your legs. And he found a way to do it."

Defensive back Tevaughn Campbell couldn't help but needle his quarterback for not finishing the run in the end zone. "That was funny. He should have ran it in, but he just ran out of bounds," Campbell said.

## A Season-Long Message Pays Off

Harris said he addressed the team in a meeting weeks earlier about needing one moment rather than one win to change the group's trajectory.

> "It's not that we needed one win. We just needed one moment. And whether that be the defense creating a turnover or a big stop in a big-time situation, the special teams making a big hit or flipping the field, or the offense scoring a touchdown, you know, when we really truly need it. And I think that we had that all today," Harris said.

Mace echoed that sentiment when describing the sequence that flipped the game. "We've been waiting for somebody to miss a field goal versus us this year. And we finally got one. We get a good return... and then, you know, we're in 3-down territory and we were facing a 3rd and 10 at one point. We convert there. Trevor takes off... a lot of things were going and you had to make a play. And these guys did that," Mace said.

Mace also credited the defense's response after a third-and-short conversion went against Saskatchewan late in the game. "All I heard was our defensive players and our defensive staff. They were just running on the field, getting ready to have each other, to have the offenses back. I would say maybe in weeks prior, man, I felt like we were just missing that a little bit. So that was awesome to see," he said.

## Defense Holds the Line

Campbell said the defense limited Montreal to one touchdown, though he wasn't fully satisfied with how it was allowed. "It's a touchdown that shouldn't have been surrendered, so we're definitely looking at it as from a defensive point of view and trying to correct it for this week," he said. He pointed to the group's response after previous weeks. "We just kind of stood on business, man. We had to get something shaking and we knew at the end of the day it was gonna fall on us to stop them... and I think we did that."

Mace confirmed a coach's challenge late in the game went Saskatchewan's way. "At first, if I'm being honest, I saw him go through his back. And then when I caught the replay, I saw him wrapped around his waist and he was pulling too. So I made sure I was very clear when I was telling Andre about that too," Mace said.

## Clinching the Playoff Spot

Mace said he didn't initially realize the win had clinched a playoff berth. "In full transparency, I didn't even know that that game kind of pushed us through. I thought we had to wait for another one, to be honest with you. So that was even a nice present surprise for us," he said. He added that the first half fell short of the standard he expects. "The first half was very underwhelming for our standard. We had a good talk at halftime. And I think it picked up in most parts."

Campbell called the moment a long time coming. "It feels good. I think this is a long time coming, and we definitely worked hard all week. We worked hard all season, and just to get back into the postseason, man, it's amazing," he said.

Harris said the celebration included his family. "I had all 4 of my kids in there, so I was kind of late to it, but I was just glad to hear the, ah, you know, from the team. So just glad we were able to kind of put that tick up there, but let's put a few more," he said.

Johnson, who moved into second place in franchise history in receptions, said he's not focused on the milestone yet. "Season's not done. So I always kind of tell you, I'll look at it at the end and see where we are," he said. Mace noted Johnson has stepped into a larger role this season. "He's just dependable," Harris said of his receiver. "He has elite body control. Somebody that you can trust as a receiver. He's on a shortlist for me throughout my career of receivers that make the game easier for you as a quarterback."

Mace said the team still has a regular-season game remaining before the postseason begins. "We still got a game next week that also means something," he said.

## Watch the Full Videos

**Saskatchewan Roughriders: KeeSean Johnson | October 17th Post-game**

**Saskatchewan Roughriders: Tevaughn Campbell | October 17th Post-game**

**Saskatchewan Roughriders: Trevor Harris | October 17th Post-game**

**Saskatchewan Roughriders: Corey Mace | October 17th Post-game**

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