Riders take down Elks to clinch playoff spot

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are back in the post-season for the first time since 2021.

The Green and White completed a 28-24 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium to move to 8-7-1 and secure a playoff spot.

Edmonton had a chance to go ahead late in the fourth quarter trailing by four points, but a fumble forced by defensive back Amari Henderson stopped the Elks’ march and sealed the win for Saskatchewan.

Quarterback Trevor Harris threw for 358 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Samuel Emilus and KeeSean Johnson with two interceptions, while backup Shea Patterson added a rushing score in a prolific night for the Riders offence.

Emilus finished with four catches for 126 yards and the score, and ace defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. caught his eighth interception of the season to retake the sole lead in picks after 18 weeks.

Javon Leake, Dillon Mitchell and Eugene Lewis added majors for the Elks but were unable to avoid the team from being eliminated from playoff contention.

Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw for 379 yards, two majors and two interceptions, but didn’t get a chance to complete a late-game comeback for the home team.

Saskatchewan’s win also clinched a post-season spot for the BC Lions, who won their matchup against the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night.

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The Elks opened the scoring with a single on their first drive of the game.

Kordell Jackson intercepted a pass from Harris late in the first quarter to kickstart a scoring drive for the home team. Zach Mathis and Lewis converted two crucial second-and-11 for the Elks to set up first-and-goal. After an incompletion on first down, Dillon Mitchell caught a short pass from Bethel-Thompson on second down but was stopped two yards out from the goal line. Edmonton elected to go for it and Leake caught a short toss to the right to score the first touchdown of the game.

The Riders responded immediately with a long pass from Harris to Emilus for 88 yards and a quick touchdown for the visitors. The team elected to go for two and converted on a pass to Dhel Duncan-Busby to tie the game at eight in the second quarter.

Live by the long pass, die by the long pass said the Elks as Bethel-Thompson answered with a heave of his own to Mitchell to retake the lead for the Green and Gold, 15-8 with 2:47 left in the second quarter.

Saskatchewan kept the scoring streak going by putting together another long campaign. This time it involved the running game gaining a couple of first downs with Frankie Hickson and Harris completing a trio of short passes to march into enemy territory. From there it was Patterson finishing the job with two short yardage runs, including a two-yard score that tied the game at 15 with under a minute left in the half.

Edmonton tried putting together another scoring march with the time they had left, but a bobbled pass ended up in the hands of Adam Auclair to give the Riders a chance to take the lead before halftime. Harris completed a couple of passes to position Brett Lauther and the veteran kicker gave the visitors an 18-15 lead going into half.

Milligan Jr. added to his interception total by grabbing a jump ball from Bethel-Thompson intended for Mathis in the first drive of the second half. The offence almost added seven points from the turnover, but a second-and-goal incompletion ended up prompting the Riders to send in Lauther to extend the lead to 21-15.

The hosts fought back to tie the game in the third quarter. Bethel-Thompson connected with two of his favourite targets in Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and Lewis to make it first and goal from the 10-yard line. The pivot then threw a fade to the right to No. 87 for the major. Kicker Boris Bede missed the extra point to keep the game tied at 21 midway through the third.

Kian Schaffer-Baker made an acrobatic catch to flip the field for the Riders on their ensuing possession. Harris then threw a 28-yard strike to Johnson to give the Green and White another seven-point lead.

Bethel-Thompson connected with Lewis on a slant in the fourth quarter for a 25-yard gain across midfield. Leake then converted a pivotal third down to keep the drive alive, opening up the door for Bede to cut the Riders lead to four points with 5:46 left in the game.

Defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy gave the Elks a chance to take the lead with an interception later in the quarter, but Corey Mace’s defence forced a two-and-out to keep the visitors ahead.

The Elks were riding the momentum and appeared to be headed towards a score, but Henderson made the play of the game by forcing a fumble on a catch by Gittens Jr., regaining possession for the visitors.

Harris and the offence were able to run out the clock with a pass-interference penalty on receiver Jerreth Sterns and another first-down pass to Johnson to clinch the win and a playoff spot.

The Elks now travels to Calgary to face the Stampeders on Saturday, October 12, same day the Riders return home to host the BC Lions in a battle for second place in the West Division.