Rod Pedersen
It was the biggest game of the year for the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-5) Friday night in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions (9-4). The Riders needed a win to snap a 4-game losing streak and keep their hopes of a home playoff game alive. Here’s the game log from the broadcast booth:
-It was overcast and 16 degrees Celsius at the 7:15 pm local kickoff. The game was delayed due to a pregame ceremony for Rider slotback Geroy Simon who was making his first return to Vancouver after being traded to Saskatchewan in the off-season. He spent 12 seasons with the Lions and is their all-time leading receiver.
-The scratches from the Riders’ 46-man reserve roster were: DB Prince Miller, LB Abraham Kromah, LB Ejiro Kuale and OL Patrick Neufeld.
-The Riders were in their “all-white” uniforms with white jerseys, pants and helmets. The Lions wore their gun-metal third jerseys, with charcoal coloured jerseys, pants and helmets.
-The Riders’ Weston Dressler called tails and won the coin toss. They elected to take the football to open the game.
-Saskatchewan’s opening series with quarterback Darian Durant began at their 34 and opened with a 4-yard Kory Sheets run. Then an 8-yard pass to Chris Getzlaf for a first down. They ended up having to punt after just the one first down.
-BC’s opening drive began at their 50 after a 33-yard Ricky Schmitt punt and a no yards penalty. Thomas DeMarco was the Lions’ starting pivot due to an injury to regular starter Travis Lulay. They were 2-and-out.
-The Riders’ second series began at their 22. 2-and-out after back-to-back throws to Kory Sheets.
-Lions’ second possession commenced at the 55. They got down to the Rider 28, which included a 3rd down-and-inches gamble which required a review, and they capped the series with a 35-yard Paul McCallum field goal. 3-0 BC with 5:35 to go in the first.
-Third Rider series began at their 38 after a Jock Sanders kickoff return. They managed one first down on another Chris Getzlaf 11-yard reception but then had to punt.
-BC’s third series began at their 30. They got a couple of first downs before punting from their 51.
-Riders got it back at their 30 in the final minute of the first quarter. They went 2-and-out as the clock it 0:00.
AFTER ONE: LIONS 3 RIDERS 0
-0:14 into the second frame the Lions got it at their 28 for their fourth series. They got one first down via a Tearrius George facemasking penalty, and then punted.
-Riders got it at their 49 when they took over for the first time in the second period after a 23-yard punt return by Jock Sanders. Their first four series ended in punts. First play was a 21-yard electrifying rush by Kory Sheets to the BC 40. He looked as good as ever. Then a pass interference call on BC set the Riders up at the BC 7. On 2nd-and-goal from the six, Durant fired a a touchdown pass to Weston Dressler. 7-3 Riders with 11:08 to go in the half. It was a 4-play, 61-yard drive.
-BC mounted an impressive drive beginning at their 35 but on 1st-and-10 from the Rider 12, DeMarco was picked off in the endzone by Rider DB Dwight Anderson who returned it to the Saskatchewan 32. The quarterback DeMarco made the tackle. Turnovers 1-0 in the Riders’ favour.
-Riders took it all the way down to the BC 25 before lining up for a Chris Milo field goal. However a facemask penalty on BC’s Lin-J Shell continued the drive. On 1st-and-goal from the Lions’ one-yard line Kory Sheets scored on a rush to make it 13-3 Riders with 3:48 to go in the half. A two-point convert pass from Durant to Dressler was successful making it 15-3. It was an 8-play, 78-yard drive taking 4:06 off the clock.
-Next BC series DeMarco was picked off by Rider LB Craig Butler who returned it to the Lions’ 33! Turnovers 2-0 in the Riders’ favour.
-Make that 2-1. Three plays later the Riders turned it over on downs on a 3rd-and-inches gamble with QB-keep by Drew Willy at the BC 23.
-A sack by the Riders’ Jermaine McElveen on DeMarco at the BC 47 forced a punt with 1:07 to go in the half.
-With 0:48 to go the Riders took over at their 25. They moved it to the BC 20, thanks in part to a 20-yard Sheets run, and on the last play of the half the Riders’ Chris Milo lined up a 26-yard field goal. However he missed it it went for a single.
AT THE BREAK: RIDERS 16 BC 3
-BC opened with the ball to start the second half, starting at their 45 after an illegal kickoff (out-of-bounds) by Ricky Schmitt. They promptly moved it downfield including a 41-yard run on a slotback counter right by rookie Korey Williams. A PI call set them up 1st and goal at the Rider 1. One play later Shawn Gore scored on a TD rush making it 16-10 just 2:14 into the third frame.
-Riders’ first series began at their 48. They dominated the Lions downfield and ended the series with a 6-yard Kory Sheets touchdown run. 23-10 Riders with 10:25 to go in the third. It was a 4-play, 63-yard drive.
-Lions’ second series began at their 25. They got to the Rider 51 before a John Chick sack of DeMarco took them out of field goal range and forced a sack.
-With 5:07 left in the third the mauling of DeMarco continued as a McElveen sack forced a 2-and-out for BC.
-That allowed the Riders to take over at their 21 with 4:40 to go. The series ended in a 43-yard Milo field goal attempt. He missed well to the right, and it was brought out for no points. Still 23-10 Riders with 1:35 to go in the third.
-So BC started from their 2 with Buck Pierce at QB. They were 2-and-out as Pierce was sacked by Rider DE Ricky Foley. That resulted in a safety concession by Lions punter Paul McCallum with 0:06 left.
THROUGH THREE: RIDERS 25 LIONS 10
-Riders started the fourth with a drive beginning at their 49. They were 2-and-out and lost WR Taj Smith in the process, who took a hard hit from Lions safety JR Larose.
-Lions got it back at their 34 with 13:58 to go. Buck Pierce and company were 2-and-out.
-Rider ball at their 38 with 12:59 to go. First play BC LB Adam Bighill sacks Durant for an 11-yard loss. They end up 2-and-out.
-With 11:37 left the Lions took over at their 33 with 11:16 to go and the Riders up by 15 points. Thomas DeMarco was back at QB and on the first play he threw it 42-yards to Korey Williams. They got to the Rider 10 but a huge sack by Foley pushed them back into a 32-yard field goal attempt by Paul McCallum. But he was wide! And Dressler returned it out to the Rider 35. And then an unnecessary roughness penalty by BC’s Patrick Kabongo against Dressler moved it up to the Rider 50. They ended the drive with a 45-yard Chris Milo field goal attempt. This one was good, and the Riders went up 28-10 with 5:41 remaining.
-The attendance 37,312.
-BC took it at their 35 with DeMarco in charge. He moved it downfield to the Rider 15 before they faced 3rd-and-goal with 2:13 to go. DeMarco drilled a TD pass to Nick Moore making it 28-17 Riders.
-BC’s Lin-J Shell recovered the onside kick at their 46 with 2:09 to go. However they turned it over on downs with1:51 to go.
-Rider ball at the BC 41. With 0:52 left Milo hit a 33-yard field goal making it 31-17 for the green guys.
-Lions got it at their 35 with 0:30 to go. Two plays into the series Rider DB Carlos Thomas picked off DeMarco at the BC. That was his third pick of the day, and their fourth turnover.
-Durant and the boys came on to grind out the clock and steal the huge divisional win, including a 14-yard pass to Geroy Simon for his only catch of the game. The victory formation ended the game.
GAME OVER: RIDERS 31 LIONS 17
POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM RIDER HEAD COACH COREY CHAMBLIN
-The biggest thing I told the guys is we had a tough four weeks but let’s play our new style of ball. It’s great having Sheets back. He’s a cornerstone of this team. We missed him and it’s great to have him back.
-We’re doing good things on defense and we’re not all the way there. We’re missing guys and guys are out of place but they’re playing hard.
-One of the things was we wanted to get pressure on their quarterback. I told them if we’re gonna lose, I want their quarterback on his back. We went after him.
-The offensive line is gelling now and really playing good. Right now this is the way it will be. When we get healthy bodies back, we’ll go from there.
-Darian said exactly what he should have. He’s taken a lot over the years as QB of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and he finally let it out. He moved past what the fans think and showed ‘em up.
-We’re a good team and we’re gonna get this thing back rolling.
-Rob Bagg this morning said we’re going for two and we went for two (early in the game).
DARIAN DURANT
-I just want to thank Rider Nation for their support and the people who supported me. I went out on a limb and did some things I shouldn’t have done but did whatever I could to spark this team. I’m a competitor and I just want us to win. I just want to thank all the supporters and the people who have my back. It was a great win in a hostile environment.
-We’ve been trying to find ways to get Westin the ball lately because he’s such a dynamic player. He’s my guy. He bails me out sometimes. To get a big team win like this guys have to make plays and guys did that tonight.
-It’s so good to have Sheets back. That balance. That’s what we were missing. I threw it 150 times the past three games and that gave defenses the advantage. When you have balance, it’s easier to read defenses and you see the results.
-If you can keep the D-line off balance, they can’t just rush the passer. With Sheets in there, they have to play the run now. It’s huge for play-action. Sheets is such a big part of our offense and you saw it tonight.
** The Roughriders and Lions are now tied for second-place in the CFL West at 9-5 although the Riders get the nod due to points-differential. Saskatchewan hosts Edmonton Saturday at 2:30 pm at Mosaic Stadium.
