REGINA — It’s become a tradition for the Labour Day Classic to feature all sorts of late-game drama, that was no exception in the 60th annual meeting between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday night.
Winnipeg scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes to get within a two-point convert of tying the game, but Tevaughn Campbell would come up with a huge interception and take it 112 yards the other way, securing a 34-30 Saskatchewan victory in front of a record-setting crowd at Mosaic Stadium.
Saskatchewan improves to 9-2 on the season and continue to hold down first in the West Division and the Canadian Football League. Winnipeg falls to 6-5 and are third in the West.
It was a game that featured a slew of swings in momentum, with Saskatchewan appearing to have things all but wrapped up late before a surge by Winnipeg led to the incredibly dramatic finish.
“These games, for whatever reason, the craziest things happen and I don't think today was any different,” head coach Corey Mace said on the Rider Broadcast Network post-game show. “For us, whether adversity hit or we were in a great situation, we wanted to make sure that the work looked the same. I thought it did all night, the guys were champing at the bit, trying to execute each play. Ultimately it worked out in our favour.”
As wild as things turned out, it was a pedestrian start to the contest, with neither team putting up points in the first quarter. That all changed after the switch of ends, though, as a Brady Oliveira touchdown and 10-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo would put Winnipeg up 10-0 with 11:54 to play in the half.
The Riders defence would key a comeback not long after Winnipeg took their two-score lead, though, with a Malik Carney sack and fumble recovery leading to a seven-yard touchdown run by A.J. Ouellette with 8:02 remaining in the second quarter.
Carney was a menace all game, taking advantage of some shifts in defensive positioning to finish with three tackles and two sacks, none bigger than the one mentioned above.
“First, give kudos to the fans, the energy was so electric making it loud for their offence to get their cadence and everything,” Carney said in describing the play. “I was on [offensive lineman Gabe] Wallace and simply working inside when I saw Collaros had the ball high, so I went for the ball. I secured the sack and the ball popped out and I did my best recover it.”
The Riders defence was successful in making things miserable for Collaros, even with how close things turned out. They’d finish with five sacks, with Jameer Thurman, Micah Johnson and Ali Saad — with the first of his career — also getting home.
“We knew that it was going to be a dogfight, but I believe in my dogs,” Carney said. “Being relentless in our rush, as a defence we preach on physicality and making it difficult for the offence to communicate and get their plays off. That's what we focus on and that's what we're going to continue to do.”
Not long after that momentum swing, Riders’ receiver Tommy Nield had his biggest reception of the season, hauling in a pass at the Winnipeg 33 and going the rest of the way for a 69-yard touchdown that made it a 14-10 Saskatchewan lead at halftime.
“Honestly, a play like that, it’s something you dream about especially on Labour Day,” Nield said. “That's the biggest crowd I've probably played in front of and to hear the energy and feel the energy in the stadium the whole night, it was amazing.”
While the first half had enough swings in momentum to fill the average game, it was nothing compared to what the fans were in for after the break.
A 34-yard field goal by Brett Lauther made it a two-score Riders lead early in the third quarter, after which Winnipeg’s Nic Demski and Saskatchewan’s Mario Anderson scored majors for a 23-17 Saskatchewan lead heading into the final 15 minutes.
The touchdown was the first of Anderson’s CFL career and came on an impressive 26-yard run that brought the Rider faithful to their feet. He’d then score his second major of the game with 10:11 to play in the game, which combined with an Ajou Ajou two-point convert made it a 31-17 Riders lead.
“So proud of the kid,” Mace said. “When we talk about how we respond versus adversity, he's one who's seen it with his career, even with us. So seeing him being able to celebrate that in front of this crowd with his teammates, that was awesome.”
As good as things looked at that point, the momentum was about to swing once again.
A Mario Alford punt return fumble would put the Bombers in business with 5:27 remaining, and Keric Wheatfall would haul in a 33-yard pass to get Winnipeg within a score.
That led to some late-game trickery and a crucial single point. Riders’ quarterback Trevor Harris got off a third-down onside punt that the Bombers’ Deatrick Nichols fielded in the end zone before being hammered on a hit by Joe Robustelli, giving the Riders a rouge and a 32-24 lead.
Collaros would promptly march his team back down the field, aided by a third-down pass interference call on a deep throw to Demski. Three plays later, Collaros would find Dalton Schoen for a major with 30 seconds remaining, and all of a sudden Winnipeg was a two-point convert away from tying the game.
That set the stage for Campbell, who would intercept that convert attempt in the end zone and go all the way down the field to put the final two points on the board for Saskatchewan.
“What do they call that, a bingo card? It wasn’t on mine but I’ll take it,” Mace said with a laugh. “You know, they were doing such a good job offensively, trying to force us into some things and moving the ball with [run-pass options] and things like that. I think [defensive lineman Habakkuk] Baldonado got in his face a little bit and he had to put a little bit of air on top of it, and what a play by TC. Once he touches it, I don't know who's going to catch him, so that was excellent to see.”
Harris finished 17-for-27 passing for 219 yards and a touchdown, Ouellette had 18 carries for 89 yards and Nield hauled in three catches to lead the receiving corps with 86 yards.
Collaros was 26-for-37 passing for 326 yards and three majors, with Demski catching seven passes for 89 yards. The Riders were able to limit reigning CFL MOP Brady Oliveira to 24 yards on five carries.
The two teams get to do it all over again in the Banjo Bowl on Saturday, with kick-off from Princess Auto Stadium at 2 p.m.
