Rod Pedersen
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5) were at Montreal on Thanksgiving Day Monday afternoon for a CFL Week 16 meeting with the Alouettes (5-8). It was the second of their two game season series which saw the Riders take the opener 16-11 on August 16 in Regina. The Riders needed a win to clinch a playoff berth for the third straight season. Here’s the game log from the broadcast booth:
– It was sunny and 24 degrees Celsius at the 1:07 pm ET kickoff with a south wind at 20 km/h. With the humidity it felt like 29 degrees.
– The Riders wore their “all-white” road uniforms with white pants, jerseys and helmets while the Alouettes were in their home maroon jerseys with blue pants and silver helmets.
– The Roughriders’ scratches from their 46-man roster were REC/PR Ryan Smith and OT Xavier Fulton.
– The Alouettes won the coin toss and deferred. The Riders took the ball to open the game.
– Tino Sunseri quarterbacked the Riders’ first series which began at their 30 after a 20-yard Tristan Jackson kick return. Five straight runs by Anthony Allen got them a pair of first downs before punting from the Als 52. Sunseri attempted one pass but it was incomplete to Chris Getzlaf.
– Montreal’s first series began at their 9 with Jonathan Crompton at QB. They managed one first down before punting from their 19.
– Rider ball at their 38 after a clipping call on the Riders’ Diamond Ferri on the punt return team. We had to broadcast the game over a phone because of a technical problem in the booth. That’s why this report isn’t as detailed as usual. They got one first down on an another Allen run but Sunseri was sacked by Montreal LB Bear Woods and had to punt from their 51. The sack came on the Riders’ only pass attempt of the series.
– Montreal’s second series began at their 7. After a 1st down on a Crompton run, WR Duron Carter fumbled and the Riders’ Rod Williams recovered at the Als 35. TURNOVERS: ALS 1 RIDERS 0
– Riders’ 3rd series began at the Montreal 35. Sunseri impressively marched it into scoring range and tossed an 11-yard TD pass to Anthony Allen for a 7-0 Rider lead with 3:41 to go in the opening quarter.
– Montreal’s third series began at their 35. 2-and-out.
– Rider ball for a fourth time at their 24 with 2:07 to go in the quarter. They got into a 3rd-and-inches and brought Kerry Joseph in to convert. He did. Drive alive. It carried over into the second.
AFTER ONE: RIDERS 7 ALS 0
– Two plays into the second quarter the Riders punted from their 40.
– Als got it at their 7. They got a first down on a big S.J. Green reception to their 35 before punting with 11:43 to go in the half.
– Saskatchewan’s fifth series commenced at their 47. On first down Sunseri was drilled and the ball was recovered by the Als at the Rider 25. TURNOVERS: RIDERS 1 ALS 1
– A P-I call on the Riders Terrell Maze gave the Als a 1st down at the Rider 1. On the next play back-up QB Tanner Marsh brought it in to tie the game 7-7 with 9:47 to go in the half.
– Riders took it after the kickoff at their 31. 2-and-out after a pair of A. Allen runs.
– Montreal got it at their 31 with 8:12 to go. They managed one first down before punting from their 47.
– With 6:42 to go in the half the Riders took over at their 8. 2-and-out after a pair of runs. They punted from their 13.
– With 5:27 to go in the half the Als began from their 49. Crompton capped the series with a 62-yard Duran Carter TD for a 14-7 Als lead with 4:21 remaining.
– After the kickoff the Riders began from their 18. 2-and-out after an Allen run and incomplete attempt to Getzlaf.
– Montreal got it at their 53 with 2:40 remaining. 2-and-out.
– Back-and-forth. Riders got it at their 13 with 1:50 left. 2-and-out after two pair touches to Anthony Allen. They punted from their 20 with 59.5 remaining.
– Montreal took it at the Riders 52 in the final minute. 2-and-out.
– Rider ball at their 38 with 43.3 to go. 2-and-out after a deep incompletion to Dressler and an Allen run. They punted as the clock hit 0:00. Sunseri was 4/8 for 27 yards and a TD in the first half.
AT THE BREAK: ALOUETTES 14 RIDERS 7
– The Als got the ball to open the second half, beginning at the Rider 43 after a monster return by Chris Rainey. They ended the series with a 25-yard TD reception from Crompton for a 21-7 lead at the 2:54 mark.
– The Riders began at their 51 after a 41-yard return by T-Jack. They got to the Als’ 40 before attempting a 48-yard Chris Milo field goal. It clanked off the crossbar and fell dead for no points.
– Montreal took over at their 25. They moved it all the way down to the Rider 18 before settling for a 25-yard Sean Whyte field goal. 24-7 Alouettes with 5:13 remaining.
– Riders took it at their 35 following the field goal. A bad exchange from Sunseri to Allen was recovered by the Als at the Rider 30. TURNOVERS: RIDERS 2 ALS 1.
– That began Montreal’s third series. Two plays later Crompton heaved a 30-yard TD to Brandon London for a 31-7 Montreal lead with 4:22 to go in the third. It was London’s first TD of the year.
– Riders took over from their 27. 2-and-out and Sunseri was sacked for a third time on the drive.
– With 2:46 to go Montreal began at the Rider 51. They got to the Rider 34 before settling for a 41-yard Whyte TG. 34-7 with 35.5 to go.
– Riders took it at their 35. First play Getzlaf took his first reception to the Als 46. But on the next play Sunseri was picked by Montreal CB Geoff Tisdale at the Als 31. TURNOVERS: RIDERS 3 ALS 1
AFTER THREE: ALOUETTES 34 RIDERS 7
– Montreal began from their 31 for the first play of the fourth period. 2-and-out on two incompletions which the Riders could’ve probably both picked.
– Weston Dressler returned the punt to the Montreal 47 with 14:04 to go. Seth Doege quarterbacked the Riders for the series. 2-and-out after one run and a drop by WR Dan DePalma.
– Montreal ball at their 5 with 12:40 remaining. 2-and-out as Crompton stayed in the game. The punter gave up an intentional safety to make it 34-9 Alouettes with 10:53 to go.
– Riders got it at their 54 for their next series and Doege at the controls. Two plays in Doege was picked by Tisdale at the Als’ 18. TURNOVERS: RIDERS 4 ALS 1
– Montreal kept it on the ground from there as RB Tyrell Sutton took over. And Alex Brink came in at QB. They ended the series with a 25-yard Sean Whyte field goal and the Alouettes went up 37-9 with 3:40 remaining.
– The Riders took it at their 35. Messam and Doege both rushed for first downs to the Als’ 49 inside the 3:00 warning. They turned it over on downs at their own 49 with 2:12 to go when Doege was sacked by Bear Woods. TURNOVERS: RIDERS 5 ALS 1
– Montreal turned that into a 28-yard Whyte goal giving them a 40-9 lead with 1:15 remaining.
– Saskatchewan took over from their 35. The Als backed off and the Riders easily moved it downfield but the gun sounded on a Doege hook-slide at the Montreal 35.
GAME OVER: ALOUETTES 40 RIDERS 9
*The Riders host Edmonton next Sunday at 2 pm on the Cooperators Rider Radio Network.
