Rod Pedersen
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-2) played host to the Toronto Argonauts (1-3) Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium to close out Week 5 of the 2014 CFL season. Both teams were coming off losses and badly needed a win to keep pace in their respective divisional races. Here’s how it looked from the broadcast booth:
– The temperature was 20 degrees Celsius at the 8:07 pm kickoff with a north wind at 22 km/h. The sky was clear.
– The Riders wore their home green jerseys with green pants and helmets while the Argos were in their road white uniforms with blue pants and helmets.
– The scratches for the Riders from their 46-man roster were OT Levy Adock and FB Scott McHenry.
– Saskatchewan won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Toronto got the ball and the north endzone, with the wind, to open the game.
– Ricky Ray brought his offense out for Toronto with their first drive beginning at their 42 after a 26-yard return by Curtis Steele. On 2nd down Ray was picked by Rider S Tyron Brackenridge who returned it to the Argo 23. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 1 RIDERS 0
– Riders’ first series began there. A couple of Will Ford runs got them 1st-and-goal at the 9. On the next play Rider QB Darian Durant rolled left and then rushed in for the touchdown. 7-0 Riders at the 2:30.
– Toronto’s second series began at their 35 but Ricky Ray was stripped of the ball by Rider DT Tearrius George and Saskatchewan took over at the Toronto 27. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 2 RIDERS 0.
– So Saskatchewan’s second possession began at the Toronto 27. On 2nd down Will Ford ripped off the right side and rushed 20 yards to the endzone. 14-0 Riders at the 4:38 mark.
– The Argos got it for a third time starting at their 28. They went 2-and-out.
– The Riders’ third series began at their 34 after a 7-yard Marshay Green return. On 2nd down a Durant pass was tipped and it was picked and returned by Toronto’s Thaddeus Gibson to the Rider 40. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 2 RIDERS 1
– Toronto’s fourth series began inside Rider territory at the 40. They marched it to the Rider 10 before settling for a 17-yard Swayze Waters field goal. 14-3 Riders with 4:40 to go in the first period.
– Riders took it at their 35. 2-and-out after a Will Ford rush and incomplete pass to Ford. Punt.
– Toronto ball for a fifth time at their 48. They got to the Rider 9 behind attempting a 16-yard Swayze Waters field goal. He was good, making it 14-6 Riders with 1:40 to go.
– Riders again took it at their 35. 2-and-out.
– Toronto got it at their 39 with 0:01 to go in the first. The series carried over into the second.
AFTER ONE: RIDERS 14 ARGOS 6
– The Riders forced a punt and got it for the first time of the second frame at their 32. 2-and-out, including a Jerome Messame carry. Punter Josh Bartel took the 3rd down snap left, looking for daylight, but then unleashed a 54-yard left-footed punt.
– Argo ball at their 15. They managed one first down on a 14-yard reception by Anthony Coombs before punting. Rider D was very aggressive.
– With 10:24 left in the half the Riders took over at their 30 hoping to snap a string of three straight 2-and-outs. Nope. Bartel had to punt again.
– Toronto ball at their 17. No first downs. Punt.
– With 7:44 to go in the half the Riders got it at their 47 after a 7-yard Marshay Green return. Durant impressively moved it down field with big completions to Rob Bagg and Taj Smith and Will Ford capped the series with a 3-yard TD run. 21-6 Riders with 3:37 to go in the half. 7-plays, 63 yards.
– Argos took over at their 28 after a third ST tackle by Rider rookie DE Dylan Ainsworth who leads the team with 8 to this point in the year. They got to the Rider 45, via penalty, but another John Chick sack forced a punt.
– Tristan Jackson replaced Green on PR and brought the kick back 20 yards to the Rider 52 with 2:08 left. On the first play Durant threw a 56-yard pick up to Dan DePalma down to the Argo 2. 46 yards were YAC. On the next play Will Ford rushed in from two yards out for a 28-6 Rider lead.
– With 1:33 to go in the half the Argos took over at their 32. They managed a first down before Ricky Ray was picked by Rider DB Mark LeGree who returned it to the Rider 54 and then an U-R penalty on Toronto moved the ball up to the Argo 41. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 3 RIDERS 1
– Durant rushed seven yards to the Argo 34, setting up a 41-yard Chris Milo field goal attempt. However it was wide right and it was brought out for no points
– Toronto got it at their 2-yard line with 0:19 to go. Ricky Ray knelt down twice to run out the clock.
AT THE BREAK: RIDERS 28 ARGOS 6
– At half-time it was announced a new Rider recorod 104,300 lbs of food was donated to the Purolator Tackles Hunger program before the game.
– The Riders opened the second half with the ball, defending the south endzone, beginning at their 36. They were 2-and-out.
– The attendance 32, 621.
– A 54-yard Bartel punt left Toronto starting out at their 20. They got their first first down on a 3rd-and-1 gamble rush by back-up QB Mitchell Gale to the 31. Their next first down came on a 12-yard reception by FB Alex Dupuis to the Argo 52. But the Riders’ John Chick forced a Ricky Ray fumble and the Riders recovered at the Argo 40. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 4 RIDERS 1
– The Riders had to settle for a 39-yard Chris Milo field goal attempt. On this one he was good, and Saskatchewan went up 31-6. 17 points off Argo turnovers.
– Toronto took it at their 35 with 8:22 to go in the third. A long series died at the RIder 33 with a 40-yard Swayze Waters FG attempt. He was good, making it 31-9 Riders with 1:53 to go in the third.
– Riders took it at their 35 for their third series of the half. Anthony Allen lined up at RB for the first time in the game. They got to the Toronto 52 before punting.
– Argos started at their 10-yard line with 0:07 to go in the quarter. The series carried over.
AFTER THREE: RIDERS 31 ARGOS 9
– Two plays in the Argos had to punt from their 15.
– The Riders got it at the Argo 46 after a Tristan Jackson punt return. They got one first down on a Darian Durant 11-yard run before Chris Milo stroked a 38-yard field goal to open a 34-9 Rider lead with 12:08 remaining.
– Toronto began their next series at their 37. Receiver Jarred Fayson fumbled a catch at the Rider 32 and Saskatchewan recovered. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 5 RIDERS 1. Macho Harris with the FF and the FR.
– On the first play from the Rider 32, Will Ford raced for a 38-yard gain to the Argo 40 putting him at 103. The drive ended with a 43-yard Milo field goal upping the Riders’ advantage to 37-9 with 8:04 to go.
– Argo ball at their 35. Ricky Ray done for the night with Trevor Harris taking over at QB. 2-and-out.
– With 6:59 to go the Riders started from their 30 with Tino Sunseri at QB. 2-and-out.
– Toronto got it at their 39 with 5:00 to go. 2-and-out.
– Rider returner Tristan Jackson fumbled the punt and Toronto recovered at the Rider 35. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 5 RIDERS 2
– They got to the Rider 16 but they turned it over on downs on a Tyron Brackenridge sack of Trevor Harris on 3rd and 2 with 1:54 left. TURNOVERS: ARGOS 6 RIDERS
– Tino Sunseri and the Rider offense came out at that point, starting at their 24. They were 2-and-out but the chippiness in the game almost bubbled over with a scrap at the RIder 30 yard line. It resulted in off-setting Unnecessary Roughness penalties.
– Toronto ball at their 26 with 1:10 to go. Harris moved it down to the Rider 29 before the clock hit 0:00.
GAME OVER: RIDERS 37 ARGOS 9
POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM RIDER COACH COREY CHAMBLIN
– It’s a brand new season. We retooled some things, with personnel, and the way we practiced, and it provided a spark. We stayed aggressive to the end. They were a little under-manned, we knew that, but we kept playing till the end.
– To be honest we had a whole game plan surrounded around Ryan Smith but when he got hurt in practice, George Cortez did a good job adjusting. So it was ‘next man up’ and DePalma was ready to.
– We knew Will Ford would go early in the week, but we kept people guessing. We needed to know how quick he could pick things up and he did.
– I knew we could win games like this, but we also know we have things to fix. I think we’re headed in the right direction.
– We played strong football. That’s the way a defense is supposed to look. They did a great job against a Ricky Ray team. I’m not worried about making a statement. It’s about setting a standard and we have to play at a high level with energy and a lot of enthusiasm.
– They’re competitors and they’re pro’s. They know when you’re down you have to be better. You have to put the past behind you and move forward.
– I had John Chick speak to the team. He should’ve played in the 80’s because he was built for that. I love the way he plays and conducts himself.
– Will Ford can be a homerun-hitter. I think he and Anthony Allen can be a good 1-2 punch. Will hadn’t even had a training camp. We expected some mistakes but he played fast. Will he start next week? That’s to be determined. He’s earned more time but he has to pick up more in the next week. Nothing’s given – it’s earned.
– I never counted it a must-win. It doesn’t matter whether it’s home or road – it’s just the next game. We just had to win because I knew this team was built to win like all teams are. I knew this would be the team coming off the bye that was capable of winning games. There’s still work to do whether it’s blitzes, pass protection, assignments whatever.
– We had a good crowd tonight. The Rider Nation stood up tonight. It was all positive.
**The Riders are on the road to Ottawa in Week 6 next Saturday on TSN and the CKRM Rider Radio Network
