The Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the B.C. Lions by a score of 28-19 in the West Semi-Final on Saturday night in Regina.
The teams battled to a 13-13 draw at the half, though the Riders dominated the time of possession by a 19:47 to 10:13 margin. While the gap closed slightly after the intermission, Saskatchewan’s offence continued to milk the clock with a high-efficiency passing attack from Trevor Harris and hard-running from A.J. Ouellette. The Lions struggled to match that consistency, failing to find the end zone in the second half.
Ouellette was the star of the game, riling up the home crowd with 14 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as part of a tandem backfield. Harris finished 26-of-33 for 279 yards and one touchdown, while Canadian receiver Samuel Emilus led the way with nine catches for 106 yards. Jerreth Sterns caught the game’s deciding touchdown and rookie KeeSean Johnson sealed the deal with a two-point convert.
Lions’ quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 20-of-33 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns, but tossed three interceptions. The first went to former teammate Marcus Sayles early in the second quarter, while Nelson Lokombo and Rolan Milligan picked off shots at the end zone in the fourth quarter. Kicker Sean Whyte, the West Division nominee for Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, sent both a field goal and an extra point attempt off the right upright amid swirling winds to cost the team four points.
The Roughriders (10-8-1) will now advance to the West Final against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11-7) on Saturday, November 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EDT at Princess Auto Stadium.
