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Corey Mays is at peace with himself.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders coach, sitting in front of reporters with a green embrace, smiles.
With his team trailing by 7 with three minutes left, Mays decided to settle for a field goal from the BC Lion five-yard line.
The sold-out crowd at Mosaic Stadium erupted as they watched the Riders eliminate the team on the field. Some choice words from a member of the crowd of 33,350 were loud enough to be heard in the press box.
Instead of potentially tying the game, kicker Brett Lauter's 13-yard field goal cut the Lions' lead to 21-17.
With 2:42 left, the Riders would need to get the ball back and still score a touchdown. Mace said it was a choice he had no problem with.
“I think I've made aggressive decisions before with this team and it hasn't worked out for us in previous games,” Mays said.
“I completely understand [the booing]. Just have faith.”
Head coach Corey Mace will lead the Saskatchewan Raiders to the Gray Cup in just his second season leading the Green and White.
It's a decision that will ultimately pay off for the Riders. The Saskatchewan defense would hold off the BC Lions back to back. double property.
Then, with 1:03 left in the fourth quarter, Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris drove the team 74 yards down the field in just seven plays.
The game-winning touchdown to wide receiver Tommy Nield would follow. There were only 11 seconds left on the clock.
While Mays' decision may have drawn condemnation from the crowd, players on the field say he didn't have a moment's hesitation.
“I trust Corey Mays. He knows what he's doing,” Harris said.
“I'm sure there were people at home asking, 'What are you doing?' Now they're like, “Mace is the man.”
That level of confidence and trust between coach and roster is what Mays will need as the Riders prepare to travel to the 112th Gray Cup in Winnipeg.
They will take on the Montreal Alouettes, a team they have had mixed results against this season.
Saskatchewan beat Montreal 34–6 in its first game of the season, but the Alouettes defeated the Riders 48–31 when the teams faced each other again later in the season.
Harris, who finished with 26 completions on 38 attempts, admitted he was far from perfect on Saturday but said the Riders can do much better.
“This group is capable of more, and we haven't played our best football yet,” Harris said.
Tommy Neild's three-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Trevor Harris with 11 seconds left in the game lifted the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 24-21 West Division final victory over the visiting BC Lions. The Riders will travel to Winnipeg to play the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL Gray Cup next Sunday.
With the victory still fresh in the minds of the entire lineup, veteran running back AJ Ouellette told the media that he had already given advice to his teammates.
“There will be a lot of distractions. There will be a lot of people trying to pump you up. You have to stay focused, stay grounded,” Ouellette said.
Mays said he's already looking forward to watching film of the CFL East final, where the Alouettes beat the Hamilton Tiger Cats 19-16.
The second-year head coach said he was eager to come up with a game plan.
“We love being around each other and we have the opportunity to do something we've been planning to do since training camp,” Mays said.
It was a comment Harris repeated.
“I think it's our time.”
