Roughriders beat Eskimos 14-9 to knock Edmonton out of playoff contention | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy  0.2°C

Roughriders beat Eskimos 14-9 to knock Edmonton out of playoff contention

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant is sacked Edmonton Eskimos defensive end Odell Willis during the first quarter of CFL football action in Regina, Sask., Saturday, October 12, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards

REGINA - Tearrius George had two sacks and the Roughriders stuffed Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly on a goal line stand with barely a minute to play as Saskatchewan officially knocked the Eskimos out of playoff contention Saturday with a 14-9 victory.

The win was the second straight for Saskatchewan (10-5), and it ended a two-game losing streak at Mosaic Stadium.

Edmonton (3-12) entered the game needing four straight wins combined with four straight losses by Winnipeg to secure a crossover playoff berth through the East Division.

Trailing by five points as the fourth quarter wound down, Reilly hit Adarius Bowman for a 40-yard catch-and-run to the Saskatchewan eight-yard line with two minutes on the clock.

Reilly then threw to Nate Coehoorn for seven yards, setting up the fateful third-and-one attempt.

The Eskimos thought they had the game won when Reilly appeared to plunge over the goal line, but the play was cancelled after Saskatchewan called timeout just prior to the snap.

Reilly's second attempt was stopped by the combined effort of Ricky Foley and Craig Butler, and the Riders called three rushing plays to run out the clock for the win in front of 35,579 spectators.

Saskatchewan can clinch second place in the West Division with a victory next week over the B.C. Lions. A loss on Saturday would have required them to win both of their final two games in order to secure the coveted home playoff match.

Saturday's game was a defensive showdown as the teams combined for three points in the first quarter — a 47-yard field goal from Edmonton kicker Grant Shaw.

The opening stanza also marked the sixth straight game the Roughriders have failed to score a touchdown in the first quarter.

They worked quickly in the second, though. A direct snap to Neal Hughes on a third-and-two situation near the end of the first quarter helped set up a 21-yard touchdown pass from Darian Durant to Weston Dressler in the first minute of the second.

Saskatchewan cashed in on their next series as well when Kory Sheets ran six yards untouched up the middle, for his first touchdown since returning from a knee injury in Week 15.

Sheets finished the game with 106 yards rushing on 24 attempts.

The Riders' offence dried up from there as Durant overthrew Dressler by five yards on their next possession, and was picked off by Donovan Alexander.

Saskatchewan linebacker Tyron Brackenridge saved a touchdown when Reilly threw the ball directly into his hands at the Saskatchewan two-yard line.

But Durant was sacked for a 12-yard loss by Eric Samuels on a key second down late in the half, and threw his second of two interceptions to Rennie Curran on the first play after Riders linebacker Diamond Ferri returned Reilly's pick 40 yards to the Eskimos' 50.

That play led to another long field goal from Shaw — this one from 50 yards — to make it 14-6.

Durant finished 16 of 24 passes for 170 yards. Reilly went 17-for-34 for 244 yards.

George got his second of two sacks to force Edmonton into third-and-14 at midfield but Shaw made it 14-7 with a long punt single.

The Riders punted on the ensuing possession but the snap from Cory Huclack sailed over punter Ricky Schmitt's head and Schmitt booted the ball out the back of his own end zone for a safety to bring Edmonton within five points but that was as close as they would get.

The game was stopped for approximately 10 minutes late in the third when a Saskatchewan defender rolled over the neck of Edmonton returner Almondo Sewell's neck while covering a punt.

Sewell left on a stretcher and there was no immediate word on his condition after the game.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2013
The Canadian Press

  • Popular penticton News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile