Boatmen drop air battle with Riders
REGINA— Duron Carter’s best game with the Saskatchewan Roughriders included a highlight-reel catch and led the home side to a 38-27 victory over the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday night.
Carter caught two touchdown passes and led all receivers with nine receptions for 131 yards as the Riders improved to 2-3, while the Argonauts’ record fell to 3-3.
Carter’s second major of the night, a 14-yard effort early in the fourth quarter, put the Riders ahead for good, 27-24.
Saskatchewan recovered the ensuing onside kick that led to a 44-yard field goal from Tyler Crapigna, one that gave the home team a 30-24 advantage with more than nine minutes to go.
The Argos had just two possessions beyond that point — one ending with a 12-yard field goal from Lirim Hajrullahu, the other coming with 49 seconds to go and trailing by 11.
Ray staked the Argos to an early 10-0 lead, highlighted by an eight-yard touchdown pass to Llevi Noel.
Kevin Glenn and the Riders offence found some traction in the second quarter after a 22-yard field goal from Crapigna put the home team on the scoreboard late in the first quarter.
Glenn followed that scoring drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Naaman Roosevelt that knotted the score at 10-10 with alittle more than four minutes remaining in the half.
The teams traded TDs to end the half, though both were of the highlight-reel variety.
S.J. Green’s spectacular leaping grab in the end zone between two defenders put the Argos ahead 17-10.
With 61 seconds remaining in the half, Glenn marched the Riders into Toronto territory and connected with Carter for another jaw-dropping catch.
That scoring play brought the sellout crowd to its feet and tied the score at 17-17 going into halftime.
Glenn completed 24 of 37 pass at- tempts for 340 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Cameron Marshall rushed for 110 yards.
Ray finished with 330 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Argos had won five of the past seven meetings with the Riders and were 4-1in their previous five visits to Regina.
Must-win victories are rare this early in the season, though the road ahead for the Riders is daunting. They’ll travel to Vancouver next week for the first of a home-andhome set against the B.C. Lions. Following that, they’ll take on the West Division-leading Edmonton Eskimos — who improved to 5-0 with a win over the B.C. Lions late Friday — at Commonwealth Stadium.
The Argos host the Calgary Stampeders at BMO Field on Thursday.