EDMONTON -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders were able to make things close late in the game Saturday night against the Edmonton Elks, but it was everything that happened prior to the final three minutes of the contest that made the difference in the final result.
The Riders offence was unable to find its footing until late in the third quarter quarter, the defence gave up a series of big plays late, and Edmonton would go on to a 27-25 victory in Canadian Football League action from Commonwealth Field.
Saskatchewan falls to 10-4 with their second-straight loss but remain first place overall in the CFL, while Edmonton improves to 6-9 and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The game followed a familiar pattern -- a slow start with the Riders defence keeping things close before things came together later in the game. That resulted in a few close wins earlier in the season, but has become a costly approach in recent outings.
“It's going to continue to be details and really our juice and our energy, being able to come out there and start swinging out of the gate,” head coach Corey Mace said on the Rider Broadcast Network post-game show.
“I thought we took turns tonight as a team. I thought the defence started hot when the offence was a little slow and then special teams slipped up when we missed a couple [field goals]. Then the defence, when we needed it most, that's when we started giving up big plays. We got to do a better job playing complimentary because when we do, we still believe we're a really good team.”
After sputtering to nine points through the first three quarters, the Riders took a 12-11 lead with a field goal early in the fourth. But a 37-yard touchdown run by Justin Rankin restored Edmonton’s lead with 9:59 to play and a 44-yard pass to Owen Hiliaire led to a five-yard Rankin TD and a 24-12 edge with 3:35 remaining.
A seven-play Riders drive led to a 24-yard Tommy Nield touchdown with 2:13 remaining, but Hiliare would haul in another broken-coverage 42-yard pass on the Elks’ next possession, leading to what would turn into a crucial 29-yard field goal.
That’s because Riders' quarterback Trevor Harris engineered a seven-play drive that would feature a pair of key catches by KeeSean Johnson, including a 15-yarder to get down to the Edmonton one with six seconds left. Tommy Stevens would punch it in from there, and Saskatchewan only needed a two-point convert to force overtime.
Two Riders receivers collided in the end zone on that play, though, and Harris’ pass floated harmlessly to the turf. The fact that Saskatchewan came that close to forcing overtime despite how rough things were going offensively through the first three quarters took a bit of the edge of the loss away from running back A.J. Ouellette, but was disappointing nonetheless.
“I feel like in the fourth, once we got the run game established, our offence was clicking,” Ouellette, who had 19 carries for 115 yards to surpass 1,000 yards rushing on the season, said. “We played well in the fourth, the offensive line was feeling it. I feel like they were wearing down the D-line and getting up to the linebackers well. We got to start fast, man.”
That was once again a point of contention. The Riders committed three turnovers -- two interceptions and a fumble -- in the first quarter and snuffed out any potential momentum they might have been able to build. Things didn’t improve all that much until the second half and the late-game rally.
“I feel like we're saying this week in and week out, but it's getting frustrating that we're not starting well, so we're going to have to figure something out and change something,” Ouellette said.
“We're going to have to look back, self-scout the last few weeks, that's where we're going to have to start. Then I think lighting a fire under these guys' asses. From play one, I feel like the guys need to be motivated to play. Maybe start thudding in pregame or something, I feel like we play well after we take some hits.”
Harris finished 33-of-46 passing for 351 yards, while Elks' quarterback Cody Fajardo went 18-of-23 for 305 yards.
It also was a milestone game for Johnson who had eight catches for 119 yards and now has 1,088 yards receiving on the season.
Saskatchewan returns to action in Week 18 when they travel to Ottawa to face the Redblacks. Kick off is 5:30 p.m. on the Rider Broadcast Network.
