'Bonehead penalties' cost Roughriders in Labour Day Classic loss to Bombers

The Saskatchewan Roughriders were flagged 11 times for 99 yards in penalties on Sunday afternoon’s 20-18 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The most frustrating perhaps for the team came in the second half when Duke Williams, who was not dressed, was flagged on the sideline.

“Moving forward there will be no players on the bench area that are not either playing or thoroughly involved in coaching the position groups. It hurt us. It hurt us bad,” said head coach Craig Dickenson following the loss.

The head coach admitted post game that the team needs to clean up their play and he’s hopeful that the locker room will take ownership over what happens after the whistles.

“I can live with physical mistakes, I can’t live with (bad) decisions,” Dickenson said.

“You go out there, you feel like you execute and it’s just bonehead penalties that cost us,” said receiver Shaq Evans after the game.

“At the beginning we had them on their heels and we let them off the hook, so it’s very frustrating.”

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The Roughriders did come out of the gate firing. Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed his first nine pass attempts on the afternoon and the offence was moving the chains.

The green and white engineered an 11-play, 67 yard touchdown drive. It included a pair of catches by receiver Shaq Evans in his return to the line-up, a pair of hard runs from running back Frankie Hickson (19, nine yards) and was capped off by a one-yard end zone plunge by Fajardo.

A Kaare Vedvik rouge and a Brett Lauther field goal from 47 yards out put the Riders in charge 11-0 at the end of the opening quarter.

The Riders opened the second quarter with another Lauther field goal (30 yards). Then, the defending Grey Cup Champions offence started rolling.

Quarterback Zach Collardos quickly put together a five play drive, including a 50 yard strike to former Rider Nic Demski to bring the team to within four.

“It just seems like we were one play away and we didn’t make them and Winnipeg did, and that’s why they’re the defending champs,” said Fajardo after the game.

Dalton Schoen added to his impressive season by hauling in a toe-dragging touchdown catch in the second quarter to tie him for the league lead in touchdowns.

Mac Liegghio added a field goal with two seconds left in the half to send the teams to the locker room tied at 17.

The Riders’ offence stalled in the second half. The team was only able to score a single point, a rouge, from their punter.

Blue Bombers punter Marc Liegghio nailed a career-long 55-yard bomb with three minutes to go and it proved to be the difference. For the 32nd time in Labour Day Classic history, the game was decided in the final three minutes.

Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo led a late drive downfield that included a ten yard pass to Evans and 17 yard grab from Kian Schaffer-Baker.

The drive resulted in an interception when Fajardo tried to hit Hickson with a pass over the middle.

The ball glanced off of the intended target’s finger tips and into the waiting arms of Bomber defender Nick Hallett. On the ensuing possession, the Bombers expertly ran out the clock.

Fajardo completed 23 of his 32 pass attempts for a 71.9 percent completion rate, 292 yards and an interception.

Starting running back Frankie Hickson carried the ball 15 times for 85 yards. Receiver Shaq Evans had a successful return to the line-up, catching five of his seven targets for 88 yards.

“Taking last week off helped me this week. I felt more confident. Healthy,” said Evans post game.

“It was a good game individually but I felt like I could’ve made a couple of more plays to help us win, so at the end of the day, all I care about is the W(in).”

Receiver Kyran Moore is also finding his rhythm in the offence catching seven of his eight targets for 58 yards.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders travel to Winnipeg for Saturday’s Banjo Bowl.