Sask. Roughriders clinch Western Final spot
The Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Calgary Stampeders 33-30 in overtime on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.
The win earned the club a trip to Winnipeg to meet the regular-season champion Blue Bombers on Dec. 5.
“I don’t even care if I kicked the game-winning field goal. I just wanted to win this game so bad for the fans. This province deserves it so much,” Brett Lauther, Riders’ kicker said after the game.
It was his field goal from 34-yards out that clinched victory for the Riders.
Lauther kicked the field goal, the crowd went wild, but a flag laid on the 20-yard line.
“I did a double-take because I knew as soon as the ball was snapped and Kaare (Vedvik) put it down we had it, it was perfect,” said Lauther. “I was trying to stop my heart rate for a second in case I had to go back out there.”
The flag was on Calgary, the penalty was declined and the game was over.
“One hundred per cent I knew he was going to make it,” Ed Gainey, defensive star, said of his team’s kicker after the game.
By his admission, it was not Cody Fajardo’s best game -- he threw four interceptions.
“If you’d have told me I’d throw four picks and we’d win, I’d say you were psychotic,” Fajardo said after a game.
Fajardo said he was ready to throw away the statistics and focus on the win. The 29-year old starter went 22 for 33 for 189 yards with a single touchdown and four interceptions. Fajardo was also the team’s leading rusher, scampering downfield for 89 yards on ten carries.
“It was kind of a result of what they were giving us.” Fajardo said. “For me as a runner, it helps me get into the rhythm of the game, you feel the chains moving, and I think it’s something I’ve relied on most of my career.”
Head coach Craig Dickenson says while he and his quarterback know that he didn’t have his best game, he found a way to win.
“[Cody] threw some picks tonight. He knows that. He made some plays with his legs and when we needed him to make some throws, he made them. The guy’s a winner,” Craig Dickenson said of his quarterback’s performance.
Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell threw two interceptions, both to Ed Gainey, who credited the defensive game plan for his success.
“Defence wins championships at the end of the day,” Gainey said.
He went 26 for 36 for 285 yards with two picks. Stamps running back Ka’Deem Carey turned in another strong performance against the Roughriders, gaining 117 yards on 22 tries with a pair of touchdowns.
A penalty at the end of the first half meant the Riders kicked off from mid-field. Instead of kicking deep, head coach Craig Dickenson rolled the dice on an on-side kick. Brett Lauther sent the ball sailing high and it was A.C. Leonard who came down with it.
A major penalty was assessed to Stamps defensive end Shawn Lemon after he shoved Riders receiver Duke Williams in the face.
Following the on-side kick recovery, the Riders' offence made good on the effort. Cody Fajardo faked a pass and scampered downfield for a big gain. On the very next play, Fajardo found Kian Schaffer-Baker inside the pylon for a 25-yard touchdown and a 17-8 lead.
The Stampeders mounted a late-game rally including a pair of field goals from Rene Parades, who had two misses in the contest, including one in overtime that gave the Riders a window to win.
“The winner of this game gets to go play Goliath,” Dickenson said of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. “They’ve been the best team all year, we’re happy to be playing them, and we’re going to give them a good game.”
The West Final featuring the Riders and Bombers will take place next Sunday at 3 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.