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Ugh! Where do we begin after the Hamilton Tiger-Cats dominated every aspect of the game en route to shellacking the Saskatchewan Roughriders 53-7 on Saturday?

It is said that game-planning begins in the trenches, and that games are won and lost there, so let’s begin on the line on the Riders’ first offensive play.

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Right guard Matt Vonk, who was making his very first professional start, went offside and backed the team up five yards to begin the possession. That play set the tone for a game that was filled with penalties and mental errors.

Because it was Vonk’s first career start, it’s almost understandable that he would jump offside on the first play — a mistake of enthusiasm — but the problem is that the Riders have had to go so deeply into the depth chart to field a team.

Due to poor play and injuries, the Riders have used eight different offensive guards this season — Vonk, Brendon LaBatte, Andrew Jones, Aaron Picton, Josiah St. John, Marcus Hall, Kennedy Estelle and Hasan Hazime. Plus, a ninth guard — Chris Best — was injured in training camp and has yet to play this season.