Rod Pedersen
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-2) hosted the Toronto Argonauts (6-4) in a battle of division-leaders Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium. The Riders were hoping to get back in the win column after seeing their three game win streak snapped in Winnipeg in Week 11. Here’s the game log from the broadcast booth:
– It was sunny and 20 degrees Celsius at the 7:30 pm kickoff time with a northeast wind at 22 km/h.
– The Riders wore their home green uniforms with white pants and green helmets. The Argos were in their road white uniforms with blue pants and helmets.
– The Rider scratches from the 46-man roster were: SB Weston Dressler, KR Jock Sanders, RB Chris Garrett and DT Tearrius George.
– The Riders won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Argos elected to take the ball to open the game. They defended the north endzone to open the game, starting at their 29-yard line with Zach Collaros at quarterback. They managed one first down before a Swayze Waters punt which went 64 yards for a single. 1-0 Argos 2:20 into the game.
– Riders started at their 35 with Darian Durant at QB. Durant was picked off by Argo halfback Demetrice Morley on the second play who returned it to the Rider 14. Three plays later Collaros scored on a 1-yard touchdown run for an early 8-0 Toronto lead just 4:32 into the contest.
– Saskatchewan’s second series commenced at their 44 after a 32-yard kick return by Tristan Jackson. They were 2-and-out.
– Argo returner Ricardo Coclough fumbled the Ricky Schmitt punt and Saskatchewan recovered at the Toronto 22. The Riders’ Neal Hughes recovered. Turnovers: 1-1.
– Saskatchewan’s offense moved backwards on the series and were forced to punt on 3rd-and-27 from the Argo 39. The snap went over Schmitt’s head and Toronto took over at the Rider 34.
– On the next play the Riders’ Hilee Taylor sacked Collaros for a 7-yard loss. Argos were forced into a long 48-yard field goal attempt by Swayze Waters. He was good, and Toronto opened an 11-0 lead with 6:33 to go in the first period.
– Saskatchewan’s fourth series began at their 35. They got their first first down via penalty, but then CFL-leading rusher Kory Sheets went down with an apparent right knee injury. Neal Hughes came in as a replacement and caught a 15-yard pass on the next play for a first down to the Argo 52. The Riders ended up punting.
– Toronto’s fourth drive began at their 10. They were 2-and-out.
– Saskatchewan took over at the Argo 42 after a Tristan Jackson punt return. They had to settle for a 33-yard Chris Milo field goal with Ricky Schmitt as the holder. It was the final play of the opening quarter.
AFTER ONE: ARGOS 11 RIDERS 3
– Toronto had 15 net yards in the first quarter to the Riders’ 2.
– Toronto opened the second frame with a series beginning at their 35, defending the south endzone. On the series Collaros was intercepted by Rider linebacker Weldon Brown who returned it to the Toronto 26. A piling on penalty allowed the Riders to take over at the Toronto 12. They finished the drive with a 21-yard field goal attempt by Chris Milo but he hit the upright for a dead ball. No points, and Milo’s 28/28 field goal streak ended. Still 11-3 for the Boatmen.
– Riders’ first series of the 2nd quarter began at their 20. They were 2-and-out.
– Toronto took over at their 38. They were forced into a punt after a Ricky Foley sack of Collaros for a 14-yard loss.
– Saskatchewan got it at their 47. They moved it downfield and Durant fired a 31-yard touchdown strike to Chris Getzlaf to cut the Argo lead to one. 11-10 Toronto with 5:57 to go in the half. It was an 8-play, 63-yard drive.
– On the next Argo series Toronto receiver Jason Barnes fumbled and the Riders recovered at the Toronto 23. The Riders had to settle for a 19-yard Milo field goal to give Saskatchewan a 13-11 lead with 3:00 to go.
– On the very next Toronto series Argo running back Chad Kackert fumbled on a force by Rider safety Tyron Brackenridge and Saskatchewan recovered at the Toronto 47. Turnovers: 4-1 in the Riders’ favour. One pick and three fumbles. On 2nd-and-10 Durant fired a 47-yard touchdown pass to Rob Bagg for a 30-11 lead with 2:24 to go.
– Toronto answered with a 60-yard punt single by Waters on the next series with 1:31 to go, making it 20-12 Riders.
– Saskatchewan began its next series at their 35. They got to the Argo 49 before Durant was picked off by Toronto’s Ricardo Coclough at the Toronto 5-yard line with 0:49 left. Turnovers: 4-2 in the Riders’ favour. Toronto ran out the clock.
AT THE BREAK: RIDERS 20 ARGOS 12
– Riders reported tailback Kory Sheets would not return to the game due to a mild knee sprain. They got the ball to start the second half, opening at their 40-yard line. They were 2-and-out.
– Toronto’s first series began at its 27. They were 2-and-out as well.
– Riders’ second drive began at their 21. 30 yards to Getzlaf, 42 to Hughes, and the Riders were down to the Argo 16. They ended up with a 9-yard Chris Milo field goal to make it 23-12 Riders with 7:47 left in the third. It was a 9-play, 88-yard drive.
– The attendance 36,703.
– Argo tailback Chad Kackert out for the night with an upper body injury.
AFTER THREE: RIDERS 23 ARGOS 12
– Temperature dipped to 13 degrees Celsius for the start of the fourth with a northeast wind at 13 km/h.
– First play of the fourth quarter was a 33-yard Swayze Waters field goal to cut the Riders’ lead to 23-15. It was their first points of the second half.
– Riders’ first series of the final frame began at their 35 after the field goal. They were 2-and-out.
– With 10:51 to go Collaros fired a 15-yard touchdown pass in the right corner of the endzone to WR John Chiles. Collaros then fired a strike to Chiles for a successful two point convert to tie the game at 23-23. The turning point may have come in that series when a pick by Rider CB Carlos Thomas was overturned by video review.
– With 9:39 to go Durant was picked off by Toronto’s Alonzo Lawrence who returned it to the Argo 54. They capped the ensuing series with a 2-yard touchdown run by rookie tailback Jerious Norwood to make it 30-23 Saskatchewan with 7:57 left.
– Riders got it back at their 34 with 7:47 to go. They got one first down before punting.
– Toronto began what they hoped was a game-ending drive at their 22 with 5:08 to go. They strung together a series of first downs and got to the Rider 25 before attempting a 32-yard Swayze Waters field goal. He missed, and it went for a single making it 31-23.
– So with 0:53 to go the Riders took over at their 35. First pass, 10-yards to Geroy Simon. Second play, 45-yards to Getzlaf to the Toronto 20. 33 seconds left. A Durant run to the 18 with 0:24 to go. Next play, 18-yard touchdown pass to Getzlaf. 31-29 Argos. Durant gets sacked on the two-point convert attempt and that does it.
– Argo receiver Jason Barnes came down with the onside kick at the Rider 50 with 0:13 to go. Collaros knelt down twice to grind out the clock.
GAME OVER: ARGOS 31 RIDERS 29
POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM RIDER COACH COREY CHAMBLIN
– I think they started 11-0 and we came back and we managed to get a lead. I told the guys when you get up, you gotta stay up. It was a very tough football game and we came out on the wrong end. There’s too many things running through my mind to figure out what went wrong. I gotta go through and look at the film.
– Sheets just has a knee strain. He wanted to come back but we thought it was smart to keep him out.
– The penalties hurt us. There was some fighting and you’d like some things to be called but you have to fight through that stuff. That’s football.
– Getzlaf and Geroy did a good job. There were a couple of times where they got to us in the pass rush and those guys up front are new to each other. They just gotta work more to come together.
– I think we have to continue to move forward. We have to go through the adversity and move forward. Without a doubt we’re happy to have a long week and be home again next week.
* The Riders host the BC Lions next Sunday at 2:30 pm on TSN and the CKRM Rider Radio Network.
