The Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-4) were out to snap a three-game slide Sunday afternoon in Montreal as they opposed the Alouettes (4-8) to close Week 14 of the 2013 Canadian Football League season. Here’s the game log from the broadcast booth at Percival Molson Stadium:
– It was sunny and 23 degrees Celsius at the 1:00 pm ET kickoff with a south wind at 11 km/h.
– The Riders wore their road “all-whites” with white jerseys, pants and helmets. The Alouettes were in their home reds with white pants and silver helmets.
– The scratches from the Riders’ 46-man reserve roster were: KR Jock Sanders, DB Carlos Thomas, LB Weldon Brown and LS Cory Huclack.
– Rider quarterback Darian Durant called tails for the coin toss by referee Al Bradbury, and won the toss. The Riders elected to defer. The Alouettes got the ball to begin the game, beginning at their 31 with Josh Neiswander at quarterback. They managed one first down before punting.
– The Riders’ first drive started at their 47 with Darian Durant at QB. They were 2-and-out after a Chris Garrett and an incomplete pass to Chris Getzlaf.
– Montreal’s second series started at their 22. They got as far as the Rider 24 before attempting a 31-yard Sean Whyte field goal. However he grazed the right upright and the Als came away with no points. Still 0-0 with 8:28 to go in the first period.
– Riders took over for their second series at their 25. They got to the Montreal 50 on a catch by SB Geroy Simon, making him the CFL’s all-time receptions leader. However he was 3 yards short of the first down and the team had to punt. It went for a 60-yard single from Ricky Schmitt, giving Saskatchewan a 1-0 lead with 4:56 to go in the first.
– Als got it at their 35. They got to the Rider 46 before punting.
– On the first play of the Riders’ third series, starting at their 35, Durant threw a 72-yard pass and run play to Chris Getzlaf to the Montreal 3. Drew Willy came in at QB in short yardage. First down RB Chris Garrett was stopped at the 1 1/2. Second down Willy was stopped at the one. The series carried over into the second frame.
AFTER ONE: RIDERS 1 ALOUETTES 1
– On the first play of the second quarter on 3rd-and-1 the Riders’ Chris Garrett fumbled and the Als took over at their one. Turnovers: 1-0 against Saskatchewan.
– Montreal was 2-and-out on the ensuing series and punter Sean Whyte conceded a safety giving Saskatchewan a 3-1 lead 1:21 into the second.
– The Alouettes kicked off and Saskatchewan’s next series began at it’s 42. They moved downfield and got to the Als’ 22 but Darian Durant was intercepted in the endzone by Montreal CB Geoff Tisdale.
– Montreal took over at it’s 25. They got one first down before punting. Saskatchewan took over at it’s 40. It was their fifth series of the half. A holding penalty and an 11-yard sack moved them back to 2-and-31 at their 19. After a slip-screen to Garrett, Ricky Schmitt had to punt it away on 3rd-and- 20.
– With 2:02 to go the Als took over at their 32. They got one first down before punting.
– Saskatchewan’s last series of the half began at their 23 with 1:05 remaining. On first down Durant was sacked for a third time and he threw an incomplete pass. Punt.
– With 0:28 to go the Als took over at their 49. They got down to the Rider 25 and then with 0:02 on the clock Whyte hit a 32-yard field goal for a 4-3 lead.
AT THE BREAK: ALOUETTES 4 ROUGHRIDERS 3
– The Riders got the ball to open the second half, beginning at their 40. Neal Hughes replaced Chris Garrett at tailback for the opening series. They managed one first down before punting. It went for a 57-yard single, tying the game 4-4 at the 2:17 mark.
– Als took over at their 35. They got to the Rider 53 before punting.
– With 7:36 to go Troy Smith came in at QB for Montreal, the rookie from OSU. On 2nd down he threw a screen to Jerome Messam who raced 55-yards to the Rider endzone but fumbled just outside of it and the Riders recovered it in the endzone. No points for Montreal.
– Saskatchewan took over at their 25. It ended in a punt.
– With 3:00 to go in the third quarter Neiswander came back in at QB for Montreal, starting at their 50. They took the lead on a 45-yard touchdown pass to Duron Carter making it 11-4 Als with 1:31 left in the quarter. It came one play after a tough pass interference penalty on Rider DB Dwight Anderson.
– With 1:22 left the Rider started at their 55 after a nice return by Tristan Jackson. With 0.02 left on the board Durant was picked off by Montreal DB Jerald Brown at the Montreal 35. Turnovers 2-0.
AFTER THREE: ALOUETTES 11 RIDERS 4
– First series of the fourth for the Riders began at their 25 after a penalty on the punt return team. Two quick passes to Taj Smith and Geroy Simon got ’em to the Alouettes 50. Then a 27-yarder to Dressler got them to the Als 24. Two plays later Durant drilled a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dressler to tie the game 11-11 with 11:55 to go.
– On the kickoff Montreal’s Tim Carrier returned it to the Rider 52. They got to the Rider 33 before Whyte attempted a 40-yard FG. He barely cleared the crossbar, but it fell through for three points. 14-11 Alouettes with 14-11 to go.
– With 8:32 left the Riders started at their 52. Punter Ricky Schmitt capped the short drive with a 62-yard single making it 14-12 Montreal with 6:53 to go.
– With 6:53 left the Als started at their 35. They were 2-and-out.
– With 6:00 left Durant and company started at their 43. They went 2-and-out. Two incomplete passes. One was a throwaway to avoid a sack.
– A 35 reception by Duran Carter from Neiswander with 2:58 to go set the Als up at the Rider 15. They cashed in with a 19-yard Sean Whyte field goal, making it 17-12 with 2:28 to go.
– Riders took over at their 35. Two plays later they were 3rd-and-5 and they punted.
– Als took over at their 37 with 1:43 to go. They were 2-and-out.
– Riders got it at their 32 with 1:08 to go after an out-of-bounds-on-a-bounce punt by Sean Whyte. It was up to Durant and the offense to win it with a touchdown drive. Dressler gets a first down with a reception. Simon gets to the Als 44 with 0:41 left. With 0:26 left the Riders were 3rd-and-10 at the Als 44. With 0:21 left Durant is the beneficiary of a roughing-the-passer penalty. 1st down at the Montreal 28. With 0:21 left Durant was intercepted in the Alouettes end zone by LB Chip Cox. Durant was hit as he threw and it was a duck.
– Neiswander came on to kneel down and grind out the clock.
GAME OVER: ALOUETTES 17 ROUGHRIDERS 12
POSTGAME COMMENTS:
HEAD COACH COREY CHAMBLIN
– We had our chances to pull it out early. Shoulda come up with a touchdown early. We had a couple of things we weren’t clean on.
– We just thought Neal had a better grasp of the offense as far as protections. It was just something we had to do.
– We showed that we’re still a resilient, tough football team. Down to the end we had a chance to win it but we can’t wait that late. When we have a chance, we have to win ’em.
– The game-ending pick was tough. We have to come out with points and come down with plays when it comes down to that.
– It’s one of those things, we gotta get healthy on the o-line and get continuity there. We have musical chairs on the o-line but we have to come back and play better ball.
– Geroy Simon made history and that’s good. He’s done some great things in the past and that was a huge accomplishment.
– We just have to be smart on special teams without match-ups and things. If guys can’t handle them, they have to let them go. Don’t take penalties.
SB CHRIS GETZLAF
– It’s an offensive game. We have to be able to move the ball and put up points. We had penalties, especially on special teams, but we have to get points. We were on the two and didn’t get points. That gives us a better chance at the end of the game.
– The biggest thing when we’re being blitzed is we have to strike them big. Today we had a lot of opportunity to do that and if we do it, they’ll get out of it. One of those I caught a ball and got down to the two. We have to be able to punch it in down there.
– Even on our last drive we had numerous chances to move it downfield. We have to hold the block for an extra half-second and when we do, we’ll complete plays.
– We have a real tough game in BC. We have to regroup and get the extra work in. We have a short week and everyone has to play ball if we’re going to get over this hump.
DT KEITH SHOLOGAN
– We had a lot of opportunities late in the game, start of the game, and we just didn’t take advantage. They did. It should have gone another way.
– We didn’t want to lose one in a row let alone two, three or four. We can see phases of the game where we’re playing well but another phase is we’re not getting it done. We WILL bounce back from this.
– It’s early right now after this loss. We’re depressed. The four straight losses haven’t click in, we’re just still thinking about this one. It’s got to be a little thing because we’re playing well in a lot of areas and we’re in all these games.
– You have to hold the faith. We’re 8-5 and in the hunt and we’ll turn thing around.
* The Riders visit the BC Lions Friday night at 8 pm on TSN and the CKRM Rider Radio Network.
