Rod Pedersen
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-1) played host to the Montreal Alouettes (2-4) Saturday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium in Week 8 action of the 2013 CFL season. The game was soldout (40,637) making it the third-highest attended game in Roughrider history. Here’s the game log from the broadcast booth:
– It was sunny and 26 degrees Celsius at the 2:00 pm kickoff with a north wind at 11 km/h.
– The Riders wore their green home uniforms with green helmets and white pants. The Alouettes were adorned in their white road jerseys with blue pants and silver helmets.
– The Rider scratches from the 46-man roster were: KR Matt Brown, LB Sam Hurl, LB Carlos Thomas and REC Eron Riley.
– The Riders won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Alouettes took the ball to open the game, defending the north endzone. Their opening drive started at their 32 yard line with 20-year vet Anthony Calvillo behind centre. They were 2-and-out.
– Saskatchewan’s first drive commenced at their 35-yard line with Darian Durant pulling the trigger. On the series slotback Weston Dressler caught his 300th career pass. They managed one first down before punting.
– Montreal’s second series began at their 22. On the second play AC found SJ Green for a 74-yard play to the Rider 8. They capped the drive with a 15-yard Sean White field goal. 3-0 Als, 5:58 into the game.
– Riders’ next series began at their 51 after a 43-yard Jock Sanders return. They moved it all the way downfield and Durant finished the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Weston Dressler in the back of the north endzone. 7-3 Riders with 6:20 to go in the opening quarter. Dressler hurt his shoulder on the play. It was a 5-play, 59-yard drive.
– Montreal took over at their 40. They were 2-and-out.
– Riders’ third series began at their 30. Dressler was back on the field. They got one first down before punting.
AFTER ONE: RIDERS 7 ALS 3
– On the second play of the second quarter Als kicker Sean Whyte attempted a 45-yard field goal. He missed and it went for a single. 7-4 Saskatchewan. Calvillo was plowed by Rider DE Ricky Foley and left the game. Josh Neiswander took over.
– Riders went up 8-4 courtesy a 68-yard Ricky Schmitt punt with 10:52 to go in the half.
– Riders’ Jock Sanders fumbled a punt and the Als’ Kyries Hebert recovered at the Rider 17 with 8:00 left in the half. Montreal cashed in with an 11-yard Sean Whyte field goal. 8-7 Saskatchewan with 5:56 to go.
– With 0:34 to go Darian Durant fumbled and the Als’ John Bowman recovered at the Montreal 41. The Riders were marching, hoping to put some points on the board before the half. In the series Rider WR Rob Bagg left with a knee injury. He did not return.
AT THE BREAK: RIDERS 8 ALS 7
– The Riders got the ball to open the second half but returner Jock Sanders fumbled again. The Alouettes took over at the Rider 25. Calvillo was still not back in the game. Montreal turned it into a 24-yard Whyte field goal. 10-8 Als just 2:11 into the third quarter.
– Saskatchewan took over at its 35. They got to the Montreal 48 before punting. Ricky Schmitt hit a 63-yard punt single making it 10-9 Montreal with 10:23 to go in the third.
– On the Als’ second series Neiswander was picked off by Rider safety Tyron Brackenridge at the Rider 41. However they went backwards on the drive and had to punt.
– Sean Whyte hit a punt single on their next series making it 11-9 Als with 5:22 left in the third period.
– A 66-yard Ricky Schmitt punt forced the Als to give up a safety on the next series to tie the game 11-11 with 2:28 to go in the third.
– Riders got it back at their 40. Weldon Brown and Diamond Ferri were on KOR with Jock Sanders taken out. Durant and the offense marched it all the way downfield before the clock interrupted their drive.
AFTER THREE: RIDERS 11 ALOUETTES 11
– On the second play of the fourth quarter Rider kicker Chris Milo hit a 25-yard field goal to end the drive, making him 15/15 on the year. 14-11 Saskatchewan just 0:32 into the final frame.
– Alouettes tied the game with a 38-yard Whyte field goal. 14-14 with 10:37 to go.
– Saskatchewan took over at its 35. They got to the 55, on Geroy Simon’s 1,000th career reception, but the Riders had to punt on the next play.
– With 7:16 to go, and the game tied, Saskatchewan got it back at their 31. They were 2-and-out.
– With 6:04 left, the Alouettes got it back at their 41. To this point in the game, 11 Rider penalties for 100 yards. THANKFULLY SJ Green fumbled at the Rider 33 and John Chick recovered!!!
– ON the ensuing series Darian Durant was called for grounding the ball, a 15-yard penalty, and the club had to punt. Montreal got it back at their 48 with 2:27 to go. First pass Neiswander was intercepted by Rider DB Dwight Anderson who did an “Alouettes Dance” to the Montreal bench at the Rider 51
– He celebrated too soon. Durant fumbled two plays later and Montreal DB Jerald Brown returned it 55-yards for the score. 21-14 Als with 1:45 go go.
– Riders got it back with 1:39 to go, starting at their 25. Three plays later Durant launched a 65-yard touchdown pass to Taj Smith. 21-21 with 1:02 to go.
– With 0:56 left, Montreal started what they hoped was a game-winning drive at their 33. They were 2-and-out.
– Riders got it back at the Montreal 38 with 0:28 to go after a 42-yard punt return by Weston Dressler. With no time left Rider kicker Chris Milo lined up a 36-yard field goal, but not before his head coach Corey Chamblin called a timeout! Didn’t matter. Milo hit it easily and the Riders won the game!
GAME OVER: RIDERS 24 ALOUETTES 21
POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM RIDER COACH COREY CHAMBLIN
– We’d talked that we were gonna take a timeout. I said hey ‘it’s on you babe’ and I’m proud of him. I just wanted to take the clock down a bit. We won as a team.
– They’re one of the toughest defenses in this league. Noel Thorpe has them playing and they’re doing a real good job. This is pro football. I told them the biggest victory tonight is that we had faith in one another right to the end.
– Bagg is in humble spirits. I can’t tell you exactly what it is but he’s a warrior. I hope it’s better than we think that it is.
– Those guys all play hard. I heard the defense chirping the whole night to stay in it and not give up. We won a game by sticking together.
– There are always things to work on. Focus, whatever. We’ll go back to the fundamentals. The tailbacks struggled to hang onto the balls. It’s tough to win games by turning over the ball. Darian wasn’t his sharpest tonight but the guys stayed with him. We broke through that wall today and I hope we don’t have to go through it again.
** The Riders visit Edmonton next Saturday at 2:00 pm on TSN and the CKRM Rider Radio Network.
