Posted: November 8,2014 10:10PM
Updated: November 8,2014 10:37PM
CFL.ca Staff
#EDMvsSSK
REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders enter the 2014 CFL Playoffs on a high note, after running all over the Edmonton Eskimos on the way to a 24-17 win on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
The Riders built a 16-4 halftime lead after rushing for 172 yards in the opening 30 minutes, while the defence held off Matt Nichols to end a seven-game losing streak and head into the post-season with some momentum.
The 27-year-old Nichols threw for 261 yards on 30-of-42 passing and added a rushing touchdown, but was intercepted twice in a losing effort. Rookie running back Tyler Thomas rushed for 66 yards on 10 carries, while Fred Stamps, Kendial Lawrence, and Thomas each eclipsed the 50 yards receiving mark.
Kerry Joseph started his third game for the Riders, but wasn't effective throwing the ball, completing just five of 16 passes for 71 yards in the game. Tino Sunseri was 2-of-2 for the Riders, however, with 59 yards and a touchdown pass.
The real story for the Riders was on the ground, where Anthony Allen rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries, but sustained a fourth-quarter injury. Rookie running back Steven Miller added 71 yards on 11 carries in his debut with the offence, while receiver Korey Williams chipped in with an 18-yard touchdown run.
While the Eskimos had nothing to lose or gain in the standings, the Riders needed a win in order to move into third in the West, ultimately setting up a Nov. 16 rematch with the Eskimos at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.
Nichols made his first start since a mid-season matchup with the Stampeders, as Mike Reilly sat out with an injured foot. The Eskimos also sat other key starters on offence, such as Adarius Bowman and John White.
With the Esks up 1-0 on a missed field goal rouge, Joseph and the Rider finally got the ball rolling near the end of the first quarter. Steven Miller kick-started the drive with runs of nine and 19 yards, before an eight-yard run by Allen set up another big gain by Miller of 28 yards to the Edmonton 32.
The Riders continued their downhill rushing attack, as Allen rushed for 17 more yards to the Edmonton six-yard-line. A Joseph completion to Korey Williams put the ball on the one, and the 41-year-old finished the drive from there, plunging into the end zone on second down for the game’s first touchdown.
The eight-play drive covered 95 yards and took 4:51 off the clock, with the Green and White offensive line paving the way as seven of those plays came on the ground.
A Nichols interception set up the Riders with a chance to add more, but Edmonton’s defence stood tall for its young quarterback searching for his first victory of 2014.
And the backup quarterback, in his third start of the season, led the Eskimos deep into Saskatchewan territory before having to settle for a Hugh O’Neill field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
With the help of a first down pickup by Dressler, the Riders moved into scoring range looking to add to their lead with time in the first half ticking down. But the Green and Gold defence held its ground yet again, forcing a Chris Milo field goal to make it a 10-4 game.
The Eskimos looked to respond, but found themselves caught in a second-and-long situation deep in their own end. The Esks played it conservative by handing the ball off to Thomas, but after the rookie back exploded up the seam to pick up first-down yardage, the ball slipped out of his hands and into enemy arms.
On what looked like a broken play, the Riders took full advantage of the extra late-half opportunity. Williams got the ball in the backfield with a defender in his face, but eluded the would-be tackler and sprinted to his left, going untouched the rest of the way for an 18-yard touchdown.
The Riders went for two and failed the
conversion after the touchdown, but went into the half with a 16-4 lead
over the visiting Esks. Joseph finished the first half with just five
completions on 15 attempts, but Saskatchewan’s run game was in full
force, posting 172 rushing yards through the first 30 minutes.
While the Eskimos looked to fire back in the third, the Rider defence just wasn’t allowing it on this night as Nichols continued his struggles moving the Edmonton offence.
The Riders may have put the game away for good in the third quarter, when they took over with good field position at the 40 with Sunseri under centre for the first time on the night. Sunseri, who served as the Riders’ starter earlier in the season, found Bagg for a 40-yard touchdown, extending the Riders’ lead to 23-7.
O'Neill's third field goal of the game cut the
Riders' lead to two touchdowns in the fourth, and suddenly the Riders
weren't out of the woods just yet. Hemmed in their own end on the
following possession, Allen had the ball knocked loose from his grip,
only to be recovered by Esks' defensive lineman Willie Jefferson.
The Eskimos promptly punched it in from there, as Nichols scored from two yards out to make it a 24-17 game. After a quick two-and-out on defence, the Esks found themselves with a chance to even things up, after just a few minutes ago trailing 24-7.
But on the ensuing punt, Kendial Lawrence misplayed the ball in their air, putting it on the ground for the Riders' Tristan Black to recover. The Esks were given one last chance to do something, starting at their own five with just under a minute to play.
They ran out of time though, as the Rider defence held strong while Nichols and the Eskimos couldn't make up all that ground.
Saskatchewan clinched third in the West with the victory, but more importantly picked up some much-needed momentum. The Riders' season has been a streaky one, as the team followed up a seven-game winning streak with a seven-game losing streak.
The Green and White will hope that Saturday night's assertive victory can spark a new winning streak, as three straight wins moving forward would lead the Riders to their second straight Grey Cup Championship in a row.
The Eskimos, meanwhile, were one of the CFL's hottest teams entering the weekend, coming off a dominating 37-3 win over the BC Lions. They were without several key players in this one, including star quarterback Reilly, running back White and MOP candidate Bowman.
They'll hope that this setback doesn't carry into next weekend, as the Eskimos surely eye a spot in the Western Final against heated division rival Calgary.
The journey for both teams starts on Nov. 16 at Commonwealth Stadium, as they'll meet for the fourth time in seven games.
#EDMvsSSK
REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders enter the 2014 CFL Playoffs on a high note, after running all over the Edmonton Eskimos on the way to a 24-17 win on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
The Riders built a 16-4 halftime lead after rushing for 172 yards in the opening 30 minutes, while the defence held off Matt Nichols to end a seven-game losing streak and head into the post-season with some momentum.
The 27-year-old Nichols threw for 261 yards on 30-of-42 passing and added a rushing touchdown, but was intercepted twice in a losing effort. Rookie running back Tyler Thomas rushed for 66 yards on 10 carries, while Fred Stamps, Kendial Lawrence, and Thomas each eclipsed the 50 yards receiving mark.
Kerry Joseph started his third game for the Riders, but wasn't effective throwing the ball, completing just five of 16 passes for 71 yards in the game. Tino Sunseri was 2-of-2 for the Riders, however, with 59 yards and a touchdown pass.
The real story for the Riders was on the ground, where Anthony Allen rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries, but sustained a fourth-quarter injury. Rookie running back Steven Miller added 71 yards on 11 carries in his debut with the offence, while receiver Korey Williams chipped in with an 18-yard touchdown run.
While the Eskimos had nothing to lose or gain in the standings, the Riders needed a win in order to move into third in the West, ultimately setting up a Nov. 16 rematch with the Eskimos at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.
Nichols made his first start since a mid-season matchup with the Stampeders, as Mike Reilly sat out with an injured foot. The Eskimos also sat other key starters on offence, such as Adarius Bowman and John White.
With the Esks up 1-0 on a missed field goal rouge, Joseph and the Rider finally got the ball rolling near the end of the first quarter. Steven Miller kick-started the drive with runs of nine and 19 yards, before an eight-yard run by Allen set up another big gain by Miller of 28 yards to the Edmonton 32.
The Riders continued their downhill rushing attack, as Allen rushed for 17 more yards to the Edmonton six-yard-line. A Joseph completion to Korey Williams put the ball on the one, and the 41-year-old finished the drive from there, plunging into the end zone on second down for the game’s first touchdown.
The eight-play drive covered 95 yards and took 4:51 off the clock, with the Green and White offensive line paving the way as seven of those plays came on the ground.
A Nichols interception set up the Riders with a chance to add more, but Edmonton’s defence stood tall for its young quarterback searching for his first victory of 2014.
And the backup quarterback, in his third start of the season, led the Eskimos deep into Saskatchewan territory before having to settle for a Hugh O’Neill field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
With the help of a first down pickup by Dressler, the Riders moved into scoring range looking to add to their lead with time in the first half ticking down. But the Green and Gold defence held its ground yet again, forcing a Chris Milo field goal to make it a 10-4 game.
The Eskimos looked to respond, but found themselves caught in a second-and-long situation deep in their own end. The Esks played it conservative by handing the ball off to Thomas, but after the rookie back exploded up the seam to pick up first-down yardage, the ball slipped out of his hands and into enemy arms.
On what looked like a broken play, the Riders took full advantage of the extra late-half opportunity. Williams got the ball in the backfield with a defender in his face, but eluded the would-be tackler and sprinted to his left, going untouched the rest of the way for an 18-yard touchdown.
| 2014 CFL Playoffs: Always better live! |
|---|
 The Eskimos and Riders have met three times in the last six weeks, and on Nov. 16, they'll meet a fourth time. Reserve your spot at the Western Semi-Final today, as one of the league's hottest rivalries adds another chapter.  |
While the Eskimos looked to fire back in the third, the Rider defence just wasn’t allowing it on this night as Nichols continued his struggles moving the Edmonton offence.
The Riders may have put the game away for good in the third quarter, when they took over with good field position at the 40 with Sunseri under centre for the first time on the night. Sunseri, who served as the Riders’ starter earlier in the season, found Bagg for a 40-yard touchdown, extending the Riders’ lead to 23-7.
| Ground Pound |
|---|
 While the Riders struggled to move the ball through the air, they let their ground game take over the game, rushing for 172 yards in the first half to lead the Riders to victory. » View Game Stats |
The Eskimos promptly punched it in from there, as Nichols scored from two yards out to make it a 24-17 game. After a quick two-and-out on defence, the Esks found themselves with a chance to even things up, after just a few minutes ago trailing 24-7.
But on the ensuing punt, Kendial Lawrence misplayed the ball in their air, putting it on the ground for the Riders' Tristan Black to recover. The Esks were given one last chance to do something, starting at their own five with just under a minute to play.
They ran out of time though, as the Rider defence held strong while Nichols and the Eskimos couldn't make up all that ground.
Saskatchewan clinched third in the West with the victory, but more importantly picked up some much-needed momentum. The Riders' season has been a streaky one, as the team followed up a seven-game winning streak with a seven-game losing streak.
The Green and White will hope that Saturday night's assertive victory can spark a new winning streak, as three straight wins moving forward would lead the Riders to their second straight Grey Cup Championship in a row.
The Eskimos, meanwhile, were one of the CFL's hottest teams entering the weekend, coming off a dominating 37-3 win over the BC Lions. They were without several key players in this one, including star quarterback Reilly, running back White and MOP candidate Bowman.
They'll hope that this setback doesn't carry into next weekend, as the Eskimos surely eye a spot in the Western Final against heated division rival Calgary.
The journey for both teams starts on Nov. 16 at Commonwealth Stadium, as they'll meet for the fourth time in seven games.
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