OTTAWA — Turnovers were the difference as the Ottawa REDBLACKS defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night.
Ottawa took advantage of turnovers for 25 points as they snapped a seven-game losing skid in front of their home crowd at TD Place. The REDBLACKS had five turnovers on the evening, including a pair of interceptions from defensive back DeAndre Lamont.
Despite the Roughriders scoring two touchdowns late in the contest, Ottawa was able to hang on for the 36-28 victory.
Receiver Bralon Addison scored his first touchdown as a REDBLACK in the win, while receiver Siaosi Mariner and quarterbacks Dustin Crum and Tyrrell Pigrome also got in on the scoring with majors.
Crum connected on 21 of 27 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Devonte Williams rushed for 136 yards on 22 carries.
Samuel Emilus, Kian Schaffer-Baker, and Antonio Pipkin scored touchdowns for the Riders in the losing effort. Mario Alford returned a punt 107-yards for a major score late in the contest as well. Linebacker Larry Dean led all defenders on the night with 12 tackles.
Jake Dolegala was good on 24 of his 35 pass attempts for 291 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
After Dustin Crum and the REDBLACKS offence were held to a two-and-out on the game’s opening series, Saskatchewan’s offence got to work.
Dolegala was getting into a rhythm with his receivers on their first drive, which included a pair of consecutive first downs, but it was Douglas Coleman and Bryce Carter who stopped the visitors in their tracks. Carter got credit for the sack on the Riders’ quarterback on second and seven and Saskatchewan was forced to punt.
Following an Ottawa punt, Saskatchewan continued to move the chains on their ensuing drive, using a mix of their running back and receivers. Frankie Hickson had a 18-yard run that followed a big play from Kian Schaffer-Baker for 19 yards, moving down into Ottawa territory.
A 14-yard pass to Tevin Jones brought Saskatchewan down to the REDBLACKS’ 11-yard line, as the visitor’s were threatening to score. Dolegala connected with Schaffer-Baker, who hauled in the pass inside the five and ran his way into the end zone for the game’s first score. With the completed convert from Brett Lauther, the Riders took a 7-0 lead with just under six minutes left in the opening quarter.
Starting on their own 26, the REDBLACKS drive was aided by a handful of penalties against the Riders including a face mask, unnecessary roughness, and an illegal contact penalty that brought them down to the Saskatchewan eight-yard line.
After a seven-yard rush from Devonte Williams on first down, short yardage quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome plunged into the end zone for the home team’s first score. Michael Domagala‘s convert was good and things were tied at seven with under a minute left in the opening frame.
The Riders responded with a touchdown of their own as Dolegala aired it out to Samuel Emilus, who was wide open, for a 54-yard score to cap off the five-play, 79-yard drive. Lauther missed his convert and the Riders had a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Saskatchewan’s defence kept the momentum on their side, as defensive end Christian Albright (who started in place of an injured Anthony Lanier II) got to Crum twice for back-to-back sacks, forcing the REDBLACKS to punt.
A few series later, Richie Leone booted a punt into the end zone for a single point, cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to 13-8 with four minutes left in the half.
Late in the second quarter, with 42 seconds left on the clock, defensive back DeAndre Lamont picked off the Riders quarterback and returned it 42 yards, bringing Crum and co. back on the field on the Saskatchewan six-yard line.
Crum threw deep into the back corner of the end zone for Bralon Addison on the first play of the drive for the major score. Hardy connected on the two-point convert and the REDBLACKS took a 16-13 lead with 20 seconds left in the half.
Then on the first play of the Riders ensuing drive, things continued to go the REDBLACKS way. Lorenzo Mauldin stripped the ball from Dolegala and Ottawa’s Adam Auclair recovered, bringing kicker Domagala onto to the field with five second left on the clock. He was good on his 42-yard field goal, increasing Ottawa’s lead to 19-13 heading into half time.
The first score of the second half was a punt single, as Adam Korsak punted the ball into Ottawa’s end zone. That rouge cut the REDBLACKS lead to 19-14 with 11 minutes left in the third frame.
On Ottawa’s ensuing drive, Crum moved the sticks down into field goal range. Domagala attempted a 44-yarder and missed, keeping his team’s lead at five points.
Domagala had another chance at a field goal on the REDBLACKS next possession, this time from 32 yards out, capping an eight-play, 49-yard drive. He booted the ball through the uprights, increasing Ottawa’s lead to 22-14 with three and a half minutes left in the third frame.
The Riders scooped up their first turnover of the game on their ensuing possession. Crum connected with Hardy but C.J. Reavis forced the receiver to fumble and recovered the ball himself as the third quarter was coming to a close.
Dolegala and co. hit the field, looking to take advantage as the final frame began.
But just like at the end of the first half, an Ottawa defender disrupted Dolegala for yet another turnover. Carter caused the Riders quarterback to fumble and Cleyon Laing jumped on the ball to change possession again.
Unlike the Riders, Ottawa was able to take advantage of their turnover with points. Siaosi Mariner hauled in his first two catches of the game; his first was an 11-yard gain on second-and-eight for a fresh set of downs and his second was a 34-yard touchdown score. After Domagala’s convert, Ottawa extended their lead to 29-14.
The Roughriders committed another turnover with just over 10 minutes left in the contest, as Domegala found Tevin Jones but Justin Howell hit Jones, popping the ball free and Brandin Dandridge grabbed the ball.
Ottawa capitalized once again, as Dustin Crum ran in for a 35-yard score. That touchdown capped off a seven-play, 70-yard drive and with the completed convert increased their lead to 36-14 with just over six minutes left in the game.
Lamont got his second interception of the game, Ottawa’s fifth turnover on the night, with just over two minutes on the clock as Dolegala looked for a receiver downfield.
After an Ottawa two-and-out following the turnover, Mario Alford returned a punt all the way to the house for a 107-yard major late in the contest. Saskatchewan tried for the two-point convert but was unsuccessful. That score cut Ottawa’s lead to 36-20 with a minute and a half left in the game.
The Riders weren’t done yet. They moved into Ottawa territory on their next possession that included a 17-yard gain to Schaffer-Baker, bringing them down to the one-yard line. Antonio Pipkin scored a one-yard major to cap the drive. Saskatchewan was good on their two-point convert, cutting into Ottawa’s lead (36-28) with one minute on the clock.
There would be no more room for a comeback for the Riders as Crum and the REDBLACKS offence hit the field and took care of the football to drain the clock to hang on for the win.
Next up for the Roughriders is a meeting against the BC Lions next Friday night while the REDBLACKS will host the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday.