Rod Pedersen
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5) played host to the Edmonton Eskimos (3-11) Saturday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium. It was the third of their four game season series, which the Riders led 2-0 going in, and the Riders were looking to put together back-to-back wins in the regular season. The Eskimos needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here’s the game log from the broadcast booth:
– It was clear and 10 degrees Celsius at the 2:30 pm kickoff with a northwest wind at 29 km/h.
– The Riders wore their green home uniforms with white pants and white helmets while the Eskimos were in their white roads with green pants and helmets.
– The scratches rom the Riders’ 46-man roster were: LB Ejiro Kuale, LB Weldon Brown, LB Abraham Kromah and DT Jermaine McEleveen.
– Prior to the game Rider slotback Geroy Simon was honoured with a special presentation for becoming the CFL’s all-time receptions leader two weeks earlier in Montreal.
– The Riders won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Edmonton took the ball to open the game, defending the north endzone.
– Edmonton’s first series began at their 39. They were 2-and-out after two incomplete passes from QB Mike Reilly.
– The Riders’ first series began at their 27. They managed one first down before punting.
– Edmonton’s second series began at their 25. They got to the Rider 38 before a Tearrius George sack of Reilly forced them into a 47-yard Grant Shaw field goal attempt. The U of Saskatchewan product was good, and the Eskimos led 3-0 at the 8:05 mark. It was a 10-play, 45-yard drive.
– The Riders took over at their 35 for their second series. They were 2-and-out after Odell Willis sacked Rider QB Darian Durant for his 8th of the season.
– Saskatchewan’s third possession began at their 29 after forcing an Edmonton 2-and-out. They got to the Edmonton 46 before punting. Weston Dressler made a great onedhanded 13-yard grab in the series. Then they faked on 3rd down, as Neal Hughes rushed for seven yards on 3rd-and-2. They drive carried over into the second quarter.
AFTER ONE: ESKIMOS 3 RIDERS 0
– One play into the second frame Durant fired a 21-yard touchdown to Weston Dressler for a 7-0 lead just 0:35 in. It was an 11-play, 81-yard drive.
– The Eskimos’ fourth drive began at their 41 but they went 2-and-out.
– The Riders took over at the 55 after an illegal punt by Edmonton’s Grant Shaw. They promptly moved it downfield and ended the series with a 5-yard Kory Sheets touchdown romp for a 14-3 Saskatchewan lead at the 5:44 mark. It was Sheets’ 11th TD of the season. 55-yard, 7-play drive.
– Edmonton got it back at their 25 after a 95-yard Ricky Schmitt kickoff. They were 2-and-out for a fourth time.
– On the next Rider drive Durant was picked off by Edmonton safety Donovan Alexander at the Edmonton 35 for the game’s first turnover. However the Rider defense bailed out Durant with a fifth 2-and-out.
– Eskimos got it back with 2:46 left in the half at their 15, down 14-3. They ended the strong of 2-and-outs with a 3rd-and-1 gamble at their 24, and a QB keep by Reilly which they converted. They he launched a 49-yard bomb to SB Matt Carter to the Rider 25. Then on 1st-and-goal from the Rider six, Rider safety Tyron Brackenridge picked off Reilly at the two! That tied the turnovers at 1-1.
– The first half ended with the Riders on offense and the final play was a Durant hitch pass to Weston Dressler on 2nd down from their own 53. He punted it downfield and the Eskimos recovered to kill the clock.
AT THE BREAK: RIDERS 14 ESKIMOS 3
– Edmonton got the ball to open the third quarter as the Riders elected to take the wind in the fourth. Edmonton’s first series began at their 32 after a Jamal Miles kick return. Mike McCullough had the special teams tackle. They got to the Rider 52 before another Tearrius George sack of Reilly forced a punt. It went as a 56-yard single from Grant Shaw to cut the Riders’ lead to 14-4 at the 2:19 mark.
– Saskatchewan’s first series began at their 35. They were 2-and-out but part of that was because of a drop by Chris Getzlaf on a deep throw from Durant.
– The Eskimos’ second series began at their 46. They were 2-and-out.
– Saskatchewan’s second series began at its 19. 2-and-out.
– The attendance 35,579.
– Edmonton’s third series began at its 40. 2-and-out.
– With 7:03 to go the Riders started at their 11. On the first play Durant took an 8-yard loss on a sack by Marcus Howard. It was Edmonton’s third. Two plays later they were punting.
– With 5:25 to go in the third period, the Eskimos started their fourth series at the Rider 40. A couple of plays in Reilly was picked off again, this time by LB Diamond Ferri, who returned it 30 yards to the Edmonton 50.
– On the next play Durant was picked off by Edmonton LB Rennie Curran who returned it to the Sask 45. Turnovers: 2-2. They cashed in with a 50-yard Grant Shaw field goal cutting the Riders’ lead to 14-7 with 2:47 left in the third.
– Saskatchewan took over at their 35 and were 2-and-out. Then they gave up two more on a safety when Rider punter Ricky Schmitt booted it out the back of his own end zone after a high snap went over his head. 14-9 Riders with 1:36 left in third.
– The game experienced a lenghthy delay with 1:00 to go in third quarter when Edmonton DT Almondo Sewell was carted off with injury. It was suffered on the kickoff return following the safety.
THROUGH THREE: RIDERS 14 ESKIMOS 9
– Riders took 5:24 off the clock to open the fourth quarter but turned it over on downs on 3rd-and-1 at the Edmonton 7-yard line. Backup Drew Willy came in for Durant, but couldn’t convert. Turnovers: 3-2 in Edmonton’s favour.
– The Esks moved it out to their 32 before punting. Whoops — punter Grant Shaw took off with the snap and rushed for a first down. However penalties and dropped passes stalled the series which ultimately end with a punt.
– With 4:59 to go the Riders took over at their 38. 2-and-out.
– With 3:31 left, Edmonton got it at their 18. They got it all the way to the Rider 48 before going for it on 3rd-and-5 with 2:08 left. Reilly found Adarius Bowman for 40-yards to the Rider 8. On 3rd-and-goal from the one Reilly went with the quarterback keep but he was stuffed. It was reviewed, and the Riders got the ball at their one. Turnovers: 3-3.
– Two Durant runs got a first down taking the clock to 0:51. From there they ran it out.
GAME OVER!: RIDERS 14 ESKIMOS 9
POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM RIDER COACH COREY CHAMBLIN
– 10th win! There was some good, tough football out there. Guys alluded to playoff games and those types of games are going to be close.
– Alex Hall was very active earlier. He missed a sack earlier and I told him he owes me for that! But Edmonton is a talented team and I told the guys that. It was nice to be able to finish. A win is a win. When you look back, all that matters is the two points.
– On the fake Coach Dyce said we could do it there. I didn’t think they thought we’d do it, but we did. But kudos to Bob Dyce. On theirs, guys thought they’d punt it and lost contain.
– Getzlaf dropped the big one and I’m sure he wants it back. But chalk it up as a learning experience.
– Every offense runs a different short yardage package. For us it’s Drew Willy and it’s his package. It could have a little more polish, but we’ll continue to work on that.
– We changed the energy here and changed the momentum by getting a home win after a couple of tough losses. Now we need to make sure it continues.
* The Riders improved to 10-5 with the win and are home again in Week 17 as they host the B.C. Lions next Saturday at 5:00 pm on TSN and the CKRM Rider Radio Network.
