Rough ride for Argonauts
Saskatchewan tied for second in West after 36-10 win
TORONTO – The streaky Saskatchewan Roughriders are at it again.
The Riders extended their winning streak to three games on Thanksgiving Monday by defeating the Toronto Argonauts 36-10 at Rogers Centre.
Saskatchewan opened the CFL season with three consecutive victories, only to follow with five consecutive losses. The Riders have reversed that skid by winning five of their last six games.
The latest streak comes at a more opportune time. The Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders are tied for second place in the West Division with 8-6 records. They both trail the first-place B.C. Lions (10-4), who clinched a playoff berth with Saturday’s 27-22 win over the visiting Stampeders.
“This means more because we’re rolling at the right time,’’ Riders defensive back Eddie Russ said after 25,176 spectators had filed out of Rogers Centre. “We want to be the hottest team going into the playoffs and in the CFL. We’re jelling. When we first started, we were a raw team and didn’t know each other. Now we know each other, we know what to expect and we come in expecting to win.’’
Monday’s game got off to a solid start for the Riders when Brandon West returned the opening kickoff 81 yards to Toronto’s 23-yard line. Five plays later, Sandro DeAngelis connected on a 17-yard field goal to give the Riders a 3-0 lead at 12:56 of the first quarter. It was a lead the Riders wouldn’t relinquish.
“We usually come out and wait for the other team,’’ said Russ, who recorded three defensive tackles and had a sure interception on Toronto’s first possession bounce off his chest.
“(Monday) we started fast and we let them know that we would be here for the whole game. We wanted it more than they did.’’
It appeared that way. The Riders led 10-3 after the first quarter, but left scoring chances on the field. If Russ had hung on to the ball, he had a wide-open sprint to the end zone. Even so, the Riders scored on their next possession, thanks to a one-yard sneak by Drew Willy that put them ahead 10-0. DeAngelis, who was five-for-six on field- goal attempts overall, added three more field goals in the second quarter. Toronto responded with a field goal and a five-yard touchdown reception by Gerald Riggs Jr., as the Riders held a 19-10 halftime lead.
The Riders took over in the third quarter with a 17-point burst to grab a 36-10 advantage. Running back Kory Sheets broke free on a 48-yard rumble that gave the Riders a 29-10 lead after a DeAngelis convert. Quarterback Darian Durant then hit slotback Weston Dressler on a 78-yard passand-run scoring play.
Sheets’ 48-yard run enabled him to surpass the 1,000 rushing yards in his first CFL season. He’s the 11th player in Riders history to reach that plateau. Dressler’s touchdown was his 10th of the season, marking the first time he’s reached that mark in his five-year career.
Surpassing 1,000 rushing yards “means a lot to me and to the offensive line,’’ said Sheets, who had 19 carries for 113 yards. “They opened big holes for me and they made it easy for me. I just had to carry the ball.’’
The Riders made it tough on Argonauts quarterback Jarious Jackson, who was making his second consecutive start while Ricky Ray is sidelined with a knee injury. Jackson was held to 162 passing yards. He was also intercepted by Chris McKenzie in the end zone.