The Saskatchewan Roughriders might not have been able to put up a ton of points in their regular season finale against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday afternoon. But with the way things were going with their defensive front, they didn’t need to.
The Riders got home for six sacks and forced four turnovers on the day to take a 16-9 victory in their final home game of the season at Mosaic Stadium.
As a result, Saskatchewan finishes with a 10-8 record and will now face the B.C. Lions in the West Division semifinal next weekend in Vancouver.
“We’ll take them any way we can get them, fumbles turnovers on downs, any way,” Riders coach Corey Mace said of the Riders’ top showing in the takeaway department this season.
“For us just to be able to get the ball back to the offence, that’s our job as a defence. I was really pleased with those guys to be able to create those turnovers because they are not always just given to you; you’ve got to create them.”
Jonathan Edouard and Devin Adams each had fumble recoveries for the Green and White, while six different players — Adams, Caleb Sanders, Habakkuk Baldonado, David Gbenda, Seyi Oladipo Jr., and Desmond Evans — had sacks on the afternoon.
And that number could have been higher given the amount of pressure the Riders were regularly getting on Elks quarterback Taylor Powell, who filled in for Cody Fajardo.
Edouard, Adams, and Sanders also forced one fumble apiece.
“Just being able to get those turnovers, it just builds confidence and hopefully we can continue to build on that going into next week,” Sanders said.
It was also a record-setting day for one member of Saskatchewan’s offence.
Tommy Stevens picked up a pair of short-range touchdowns for his 16th and 17th majors of the season, breaking George Reed’s team mark of 16 set back in 1969.
“To say that it didn't mean something to me coming into the game, I would be lying to you. It's obviously something that I wanted to go get,” Stevens said. “I wish we wouldn't have put so much pressure on the last game of the year. We've been stuck here for about five weeks now.”
Both of Steven’s majors came on one-yard blasts through the line, with the tying touchdown coming with 2:53 to play in the first quarter and the record-breaker with 12:28 to play in the game. They were also crucial in the victory, as both offences battled incredibly windy conditions that played havoc with the kicking game.
“I was glad to have an impact on the game,” Stevens said. “I'm glad we were able to put together a team win going into the playoffs. That's really what matters. I think that we're trending up. We're excited for the opportunity next week.”
The contest also marked the first start of quarterback Jack Coan’s career, and he ended up 15-for-26 passing for 178 yards with an interception in the brutal conditions. He had an especially solid drive to set up Stevens’ second major, stringing together 12 plays to cover 99 yards.
“He did a good job,” Mace said. “I was proud of him, especially to keep up there in some different situations to see what they look like. Third downs, two-point conversions. Just see how we execute. Ultimately, we moved the ball enough for us to get us the touchdowns we needed to win.”
Rookie Brayden Schager also saw action in the fourth quarter, completing three of six passes for 27 yards but also getting taken down for sacks three times.
Deon Jackson led Saskatchewan’s ground game with nine carries for 44 yards. Dhel Duncan-Busby was the top receiver with four catches for 56 yards.
Powell completed 26 of 30 passes for 236 yards, ShunDerrick Powell ran 11 times for 101 yards, and Josh Cephus caught three passes for 44 yards to lead Edmonton.
The Riders now turns their attention to the Lions, who they’ll be meeting in the playoffs for the third season in a row.
“We know what it is,” Mace said. “We know they’ve got a great quarterback and a great team. We got to be at our best and that's what we're preparing to be. Go out there and let things rip. We won't have to worry about 70 km/h wins next week. We just got to go out and play detailed football.”
The West Division semifinal is set for 2:30 p.m. next Saturday at B.C. Place.
