2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders season

CFL team season

2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders season

General manager| Eric Tillman
Head coach| Ken Miller
Home field| Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field
Results
Record| 12–6
Division place| 2nd, West
Playoff finish| Lost West Semi-Final
Team MOP| Wes Cates
Team MOC| Gene Makowsky
Team MOR| Weston Dressler
Uniform

* <- 2007
* Roughriders seasons
* 2009 ->

The 2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders finished in second place in the West Division with a 12–6 record for the second consecutive year. It was their 51st season in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders attempted to repeat as Grey Cup champions, but, due to an abundance of injuries, lost to the BC Lions in the West Semi-Final game.

## Off-season

[edit]

Several months after capturing the 2007 Grey Cup, 2007 CFL coach of the Year Kent Austin stepped down as head coach to become the offensive co-ordinator at Ole Miss. In accepting this position in the NCAA, Austin turned down a very lucrative contract that the Riders had offered.[1] On February 6, 2008, Eric Tillman announced that the new head coach would be Ken Miller. Miller was formerly an offensive coordinator under Austin.[2]

Last season's starting quarterback Kerry Joseph was traded to the Toronto Argonauts on March 5, 2008, along with a third round pick in the 2010 CFL Draft in exchange for offensive tackle Glenn January, defensive lineman Ronald Flemons, the Argos' first-round pick in the 2008 CFL Draft and a 2010 second-round selection.

On April 5, 2008 a report was released saying that the Roughriders set a new record for earnings in a single season. At the Roughriders' annual general meeting, Mike Back, the club's vice-president of finance and operations, reported the Roughriders registered a record profit of $1,737,377 in 2007.[3] The Roughriders exceeded the $22 million plateau in total operating revenue and expenditures. This figure eclipsed the previous mark of $15 million. Total net assets increased by $1,998,857 to $5,096,393.[3] These earnings were due in part to the championship season the Roughriders sported, which included 8 home game sellouts and their first home playoff game in 19 years.

### CFL draft

[edit]

Round  | Player  | Position  | School/Club Team

|
|
|

1 (via Toronto)  | Keith Shologan | Defensive Lineman  | Central Florida Knights
2 (via Edmonton, via Toronto, via Edmonton)  | Jonathan St. Pierre | Offensive Lineman  | Illinois State Redbirds
2 (via BC)  | Michael Stadnyk | Defensive Lineman  | Montana Grizzlies
4 (via BC)  | Jean-François Morin-Roberge | Offensive Lineman  | Montreal Carabins
5  | Jeff Zelinski | Defensive Back  | Saint Mary's Huskies
6 (via Hamilton)  | Teale Orban | Quarterback  | Regina Rams

## Pre-season

[edit]

Week  | Date  | Opponent  | Score  | Result  | Attendance

|
|
|
|
|

A  | Fri, June 13  | BC Lions | 33–13 [4] | Win  | 28,800
B  | Thurs, June 19  | at Edmonton Eskimos | 37–7 [4] | Lost  | 33,508

## Regular season

[edit]

### Crowd trouble

[edit]

On September 20, an unsportsmanlike incident occurred during a game in Saskatchewan. It started in the fourth quarter when Saskatchewan fans became angry about a B.C. play they thought should have been a face mask penalty. Lions defensive back Dante Marsh fired the ball into the stands, and Saskatchewan fans responded by pelting the Lions with full cans of beer.[5] The incident occurred on the night when the Roughriders were honouring past CFL legend Ron Lancaster, who recently died at the age of 69. The club subsequently announced that in order to reduce the probability of a similar incident beer in the east stands (where the visitors bench is) would be sold in plastic cups for at least the remainder of the season.

### Ron Lancaster

[edit]

On Thursday, September 18, Ron Lancaster, 69, died from an apparent heart attack, less than two months after being diagnosed with lung cancer.[6] The former Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback, also had a long career as a head coach, with the Edmonton Eskimos and Hamilton Tiger Cats. He was diagnosed in late July and had been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.[6] Lancaster played 16 seasons with Saskatchewan, and led the team to five Grey Cup appearances. He led the club to their first CFL championship in 1966 when Saskatchewan upset the Ottawa Rough Riders 29–14.[7] When he retired in 1978, at the age of 41, he was the league's all-time leader in passing yards (50,535), touchdown passes (333), pass attempts (6,223) and completions (3,384).[8] He also suffered more interceptions than any other quarterback in CFL history.[9] He had also passed for more yards than any passer in professional football history.[9]

### Season standings

[edit]

#### West

[edit]

West Division

* view
* talk
* edit

Team  | GP  | W  | L  | T  | PF  | PA  | Pts
Calgary Stampeders | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 595 | 420 | 26 | Details
Saskatchewan Roughriders | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 500 | 471 | 24 | Details
BC Lions | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 559 | 479 | 22 | Details
Edmonton Eskimos | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 512 | 536 | 20 | Details

#### East

[edit]

East Division

* view
* talk
* edit

Team  | GP  | W  | L  | T  | PF  | PA  | Pts
Montreal Alouettes | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 610 | 443 | 22 | Details
Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 435 | 490 | 16 | Details
Toronto Argonauts | 18 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 397 | 627 | 8 | Details
Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 441 | 593 | 6 | Details

### Season schedule

[edit]

Week  | Date  | Opponent  | Score  | Result  | Attendance  | Record

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Sat, June 28  | vs. Edmonton Eskimos | 34–13  | Win  | 28,800  | 1–0
2  | Fri, July 4  | at BC Lions | 26–16  | Win  | 33,815  | 2–0
3  | Sat, July 12  | at Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 33–28  | Win  | 20,874  | 3–0
4  | Sat, July 19  | vs. Montreal Alouettes | 41–33  | Win  | 28,800  | 4–0
5  | Sun, July 27  | vs. Toronto Argonauts | 28–22  | Win  | 28,800  | 5–0
6  | Sat, Aug 2  | at Calgary Stampeders | 22–21  | Win  | 35,650  | 6–0
7  | Thurs, Aug 7  | vs. Calgary Stampeders  | 30–25  | Loss  | 28,800  | 6–1
8  | Bye
9  | Thurs, Aug 21  | at Edmonton Eskimos  | 27–10  | Loss  | 48,808  | 6–2
10  | Sun, Aug 31 | vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 19–6  | Win  | 30,985  | 7–2
11  | Sun, Sept 7 | at Winnipeg Blue Bombers  | 34–31  | Win  | 29,770  | 8–2
12  | Sat, Sept 13  | at BC Lions  | 28–23  | Loss  | 38,608  | 8–3
13  | Sat, Sept 20  | vs. BC Lions  | 27–21  | Loss  | 30,945  | 8–4
14  | Sun, Sept 28  | at Montreal Alouettes  | 37–12  | Loss  | 20,202  | 8–5
15  | Fri, Oct 3  | vs. Calgary Stampeders  | 37–34  | Win  | 30,945  | 9–5
16  | Mon, Oct 13 | at Calgary Stampeders  | 42–5  | Loss  | 35,650  | 9–6
17  | Sun, Oct 19  | vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats  | 30–29  | Win  | 30,945  | 10–6
18  | Sat, Oct 25  | vs. Edmonton Eskimos  | 55–9  | Win  | 30,945  | 11–6
19  | Thurs, Oct 30  | at Toronto Argonauts  | 45–38  | Win  | 28,654  | 12–6

### Roster

[edit]

2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders roster

Quarterbacks

* 4 Darian Durant
* 9 Steven Jyles
* 17 Michael Bishop

Running backs

* 20 Wes Cates RB
* 22 Stu Foord FB
* 27 Henri Childs RB
* 32 Neal Hughes FB
* 33 Chris Szarka FB
* \-- Justin Beaver RB

Wide receivers

* 6 Rob Bagg WR
* 12 Adarius Bowman SB
* 84 Chris Jones WR

Slotbacks

* 7 Weston Dressler SB
* 77 Michael Palmer SB
* 83 Andy Fantuz SB
* 89 Chris Getzlaf SB

|  | Offensive linemen

* 52 Wayne Smith RT
* 54 Jeremy O'Day Centre
* 57 Marc Parenteau LG
* 58 Belton Johnson LT
* 60 Gene Makowsky C
* 67 Mike Abou-Mechrek RG
* 69 Glenn January RT

Defensive linemen

* 46 Kitwana Jones Rush End
* 51 Marcus Adams Off Tackle
* 93 Seante Williams Quick End
* 95 Luc Mullinder Quick End
* 96 Scott Schultz Nose Tackle
* 97 John Chick Quick End
* \-- Kai Brown DL
* \-- A.J. Raebel DL

|  | Linebackers

* 31 Sean Lucas Strong-Side LB
* 42 Anton McKenzie Weak-Side LB
* 45 Mike McCullough Middle LB
* 47 Maurice Lloyd Middle LB
* 48 Renauld Williams Weak-Side LB
* 49 Yannick Carter Weak-Side LB
* \-- Kye Williams LB

Defensive backs

* 1 Omarr Morgan CB
* 14 James Patrick CB
* 15 Lance Frazier Halfback
* 19 James Johnson CB
* 24 Tad Kornegay Halfback
* 26 Scott Gordon Free Safety
* 29 Eddie Davis Halfback

Special teams

* 10 Luca Congi K
* 30 Jamie Boreham P
* 59 Jocelyn Frenette Long Snapper

|  | Reserve List

* 2 Corey Grant WR
* 38 Hugh Charles RB
* 63 Steve Morley LT
* 91 Jimmy Verdon Off Tackle

Developmental squad

Injured lists

* 3 D. J. Flick SB
* 11 Dalton Bell QB
* 16 Adam Nicolson SB
* 21 Denatay Heard CB
* 25 Leron Mitchell CB (9 Game)
* 35 Brandon Lynch Strong-Side LB (9 Game)
* 39 Sebastian Clovis Free Safety
* 53 Jean-François Morin-Roberge OL (9 Game)
* 66 Chris Best RG
* 72 Kevin Scott Long Snapper
* 74 Keith Shologan Nose Tackle
* 80 Gerran Walker WR
* 81 Carl Berman SB (9 Game)
* 85 David McKoy SB (9 Game)
* 88 Matt Dominguez WR
* 90 Stevie Baggs DL
* 92 Dek Bake Quick End (9 Game)

Suspended List

* 22 Dustin Cherniawski DB
* 37 Tristan Clovis Free Safety

* * *

Italics indicate Import player
Roster updated 2008-10-30
Depth Chart • Transactions
46 Active, 11 Inactive, 7 PS

→ More rosters

### Notable transactions

[edit]

Date | Type | Incoming | Outgoing | Team

|
|
|
|

September 6, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Adam Nicolson, Slotback  | N/A  | British Columbia Lions (2007)
August 28, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | Marcus Crandell, Quarterback  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
August 23, 2008  | Trade  | Michael Bishop, Quarterback  | Conditional 2011 CFL Canadian Draft choice  | Toronto Argonauts
July 24, 2008  | Free Agent Signing (for 2009)  | Kye Stewart, Linebacker  | N/A  | Illinois State (NCAA) (2007)
July 17, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | Amariah Farrow, Offensive Lineman  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
July 8, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | Airabin Justin, Defensive Back  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
July 7, 2008  | Trade  |

* T.J. Acree, Wide Receiver
* Rights to Brian Smith, Defensive Lineman
* Argonauts' Third Round Canadian Draft Choice In 2011

* Ronald Flemons, Defensive End
* Roughriders' Fifth Round Canadian Draft Choice In 2011

| Toronto Argonauts
June 28, 2008  | Draft Pick Signing  | Keith Shologan, Defensive Lineman  | N/A  | San Diego Chargers (NFL) (2008)
June 18, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | Brock Stratton, Linebacker  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
June 6, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | Quinton Jones, Defensive Back  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
June 5, 2008  | Trade  | Leron Mitchell, Cornerback  | Jamal Robertson, Running Back  | Toronto Argonauts
June 2, 2008  | Retirement  | N/A  | Tim Fleiszer, Defensive Line  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
June 2, 2008  | Retirement  | N/A  | Kennedy Nkeyasen, Defensive Back  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
June 1, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Denatay Heard, Defensive Back  | N/A  | Stillman College (NCAA) (2007)
June 1, 2008  | Trade  | Future Considerations and a Negotiation List Player  | Kevin Garrett, Defensive Back  | Winnipeg Blue Bombers
June 1, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | Jason Mitchell, Wide Receiver  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
May 31, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | T.J. Stancil, Linebacker  | Saskatchewan Roughriders
May 26, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Adarius Bowman, Wide Receiver  | N/A  | Oklahoma State (NCAA) (2007)
May 26, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Stu Foord, Wide Receiver  | N/A  | Regina Thunder (CJFL) (2007)
May 26, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Brad Peters, Offensive Lineman  | N/A  | Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL) (2007)
May 11, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Weston Dressler, Wide Receiver  | N/A  | North Dakota (NCAA) (2007)
May 5, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Kevin Scott, Offensive Lineman/Long Snapper  | N/A  | Queen's (CIS) (2007)
April 1, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Kevin Garrett, Defensive Back  | N/A  | Calgary Stampeders
March 12, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Omarr Morgan, Defensive Back  | N/A  | Edmonton Eskimos
March 5, 2008  | Trade  |

* Glenn January, Offensive Tackle
* Ronald Flemons, Defensive Lineman
* Argonauts first round selection in the 2008 CFL Draft
* Argonauts second round selection in the 2010 CFL Draft

* Kerry Joseph, Quarterback
* Riders third round pick in the 2010 CFL Draft

| Toronto Argonauts
March 4, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Brock Stratton, Linebacker  | N/A  | Texas Tech (NCAA) (2006)
February 27, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | N/A  | Jovon Johnson, Defensive Back  | Erie RiverRats (AIFA)
February 19, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | N/A  | Reggie Hunt, Linebacker  | Montreal Alouettes
February 8, 2008  | Trade  | Steven Jyles, Quarterback  | Fred Perry, Defensive End  | Edmonton Eskimos
January 31, 2008  | Retirement  | N/A  | Val St. Germain, Offensive Lineman  | N/A
January 29, 2008  | Release  | N/A  | Corey Holmes, Running Back  | N/A
January 29, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Quinton Jones, Defensive Back  | N/A  | San Diego Chargers (NFL) (2007)
January 29, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | James Patrick, Defensive Back  | N/A  | New England Patriots (NFL) (2007)
January 23, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Rob Bagg, Wide Receiver  | N/A  | Queen's (CIS) (2007)
January 23, 2008  | Free Agent Signing  | Jason Mitchell, Wide Receiver  | N/A  | USC (NCAA) (2006)
November 28, 2007  | Retirement  | N/A  | Yo Murphy, Wide Receiver  | N/A

## Player stats

[edit]

### Passing

[edit]

Player  | Att  | Comp  | %  | Yards  | TD  | INT  | Rating

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Michael Bishop | 274 | 160 | 58.4 | 2550 | 10 | 13 | 81.9
Darian Durant | 129 | 77 | 59.7 | 1122 | 7 | 6 | 86.8
Marcus Crandell | 128 | 67 | 52.3 | 924 | 7 | 3 | 84.3
Steven Jyles | 61 | 42 | 68.9 | 533 | 4 | 6 | 76.7
Andy Fantuz | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | (−414.6)

[10]

### Rushing

[edit]

Player  | No.  | Yards  | Average  | TD  | Fumbles

|
|
|
|
|

Wes Cates | 216 | 1229 | 5.7 | 12 | 4
Michael Bishop | 46 | 244 | 5.3 | 4 | 5
Darian Durant | 27 | 204 | 7.6 | 1 | 1
Stuart Foord | 27 | 162 | 6.0 | 2 | 0
Neal Hughes | 35 | 130 | 3.7 | 4 | 1

[11]

### Receiving

[edit]

Player  | No.  | Yards  | Avg.  | Long  | TD

|
|
|
|
|

Weston Dressler | 56 | 1123 | 20.1 | 67 | 6
Andy Fantuz | 36 | 488 | 13.6 | 31 | 3
Wes Cates | 39 | 451 | 11.6 | 40 | 2
Rob Bagg | 22 | 371 | 16.9 | 72 | 0
Adarius Bowman | 23 | 358 | 15.6 | 73 | 3

[12]

## Awards and records

[edit]

* The Roughriders started the season 6–0 for the first time since 1934.
* Wes Cates, Led CFL, Rushing Touchdowns (12)[11]
* Weston Dressler (SB), Saskatchewan Roughriders – CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award
* Jeremy O'Day (C), Saskatchewan Roughriders – Tom Pate Memorial Award

### CFL All-Star Selections

[edit]

* Wes Cates, Running Back
* Gene Makowsky, Offensive Guard
* Anton McKenzie, Linebacker
* Maurice Lloyd, Linebacker

[13]

### CFL West All-Star Selections

[edit]

* Wes Cates, Running Back
* Gene Makowsky, Offensive Guard
* Anton McKenzie, Linebacker
* Maurice Lloyd, Linebacker

[14]

## Playoffs

[edit]

### West Semi-Final

[edit]

Date and time: Saturday, November 8, 3:30 PM Central Standard Time
Venue: Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, Regina, Saskatchewan

Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total

|
|
|
|
|

BC Lions | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 33
Saskatchewan Roughriders | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Austin jumps ship for Ole Miss". Slam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved 2008-11-29.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. ^ CANOE – SLAM! Sports – CFL – Saskatchewan: Riders hire Miller as coach[usurped]
3. ^ a b "Riders season a financial success". Slam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2008-11-29.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
4. ^ a b "CFL.ca". Cfl.ca. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
5. ^ "CFL fans behaving badly". Slam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-29.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
6. ^ a b CBC Sports (2008-09-19). "CFL fans remember Ron Lancaster". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
7. ^ Ralph, Dan (2008-09-18). "Tributes pour in for 'Mr. CFL,' legendary Ron Lancaster". The Star. Toronto. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
8. ^ "CFL legend Ron Lancaster dies at 69". Canada.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
9. ^ a b "Ron Lancaster". Histori.ca. Archived from the original on 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
10. ^ "CFL.ca". Cfl.ca. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
11. ^ a b "CFL.ca". Cfl.ca. Archived from the original on 2008-10-18. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
12. ^ "CFL.ca". Cfl.ca. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
13. ^ "CFL.ca – 2008 All-Stars". Cfl.ca. Archived from the original on 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
14. ^ "CFL.ca – 2008 East & West Division All-Stars". Cfl.ca. Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-11-29.

* v
* t
* e

2008 CFL season by team

Western|

* BC
* Calgary
* Edmonton
* Saskatchewan

Eastern|

* Hamilton
* Montreal
* Toronto
* Winnipeg

See also|

* 2008 CFL Draft
* 96th Grey Cup

* v
* t
* e

Saskatchewan Roughriders seasons

* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* ~~1917~~
* ~~1918~~
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* ~~1942~~
* ~~1943~~
* ~~1944~~
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Bold indicates Grey Cup victory

* v
* t
* e

Saskatchewan Roughriders

* Founded in 1910
* Based in Regina, Saskatchewan

Franchise|

* Franchise
* History
* Records
* Players
* Seasons
* Head coaches
* Starting quarterbacks

Stadiums|

* Taylor Field
* Mosaic Stadium

Culture|

* Labour Day Classic
* Banjo Bowl
* Gainer the Gopher

Important figures|

* Ron Atchison
* Roger Aldag
* Bill Baker
* Al Benecick
* "Gluey" Hugh Campbell
* Ken Charlton
* Bill Clarke
* Ray Elgaard
* Edwin "Eddie" "Dynamite" James
* Bobby Jurasin
* Ron Lancaster
* Ed McQuarters
* George Reed
* Dave Ridgway
* Martin Ruby
* N. J. "Piffles" Taylor
* Ted Urness

Retired numbers|

* 23 Ron Lancaster
* 34 George Reed
* 36 Dave Ridgway
* 40 Mel Becket
* 44 Roger Aldag
* 55 Mario DeMarco
* 56 Ray Syrnyk
* 73 Gordon Sturtridge

Key personnel|

* Owners: "Community" owned
* General Manager: Jeremy O'Day
* Head Coach: Corey Mace

Grey Cup
championships (4)|

* 1966
* 1989
* 2007
* 2013

West Division
championships (25)|

* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1919
* 1920
* 1923
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1934
* 1951
* 1966
* 1967
* 1969
* 1972
* 1976
* 1989
* 1997
* 2007
* 2009
* 2010
* 2013

Current league
affiliations|

* League: Canadian Football League
* Division: West

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*[e]: Edit this template