As it happens, Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Jack Coan made his CFL on-field debut Saturday against the visiting Calgary Stampeders.

As much as he enjoyed the game experience, part of him had hoped he wouldn’t get a single snap.

“It was bittersweet,” the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Wisconsin Badgers signal-caller admitted after Saturday’s regular-season finale at Mosaic Stadium.

Earlier in the day, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Montreal Alouettes 28-27 to clinch first place in the West division.

If Winnipeg had lost, Saskatchewan could have secured first place by beating Calgary.

With the Roughriders-Stampeders game having no impact on the standings, Saskatchewan coaches opted to rest a handful of key starters, including quarterback Trevor Harris.

In place of Harris, Shea Patterson started behind center for the seventh time this season. At the end of the first half, the opportunity was also taken to get a first glimpse of Coan in playing conditions.

He completed 10 of 21 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown – a 19-yard strike to Jerreth Sterns.

“I was grateful for the opportunity I was given,” Coan said, “and I had a great time being there.”

The 25-year-old passer had not seen a live game since the Roughriders’ preseason final on May 25.

“It was so fun to be back and see what I could see and what I felt being in the game, with the speed of the game,” Coan said.

“It was great.”

Especially at 7:34 of the fourth quarter, when Coan became the 84^th “Roughrider to throw TD pass after WWII”.

“Great game design,” he said. “The O-line blocked really well. Sterns had an excellent run.

“It was a lot of fun.”

Given the circumstances, neither Coan nor Patterson received abundant first-team reps during the training sessions leading up to Saturday’s game.

The emphasis was on giving Harris most of the front-line work in case the Roughriders needed to beat Calgary to finish first.

Patterson, who started six games this summer while Harris was recovering from a knee injury, was 5-for-12 for 56 yards Saturday. Then the ball was handed to Coan.

“I was just trying to go through each room and go through my readings one by one,” he said. “I wanted to track my progress and just trust myself.

“When you don’t play for a while, you don’t know exactly what the speed is going to feel like when you come in. You don’t know exactly what you’re going to see and what you’re not going to see.

“It was fun to be there and see what it was like.”

Next up for the Roughriders is Saturday’s West Division semi-final against the British Columbia Lions (4:30 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). Tickets are available HERE.