Brendon LaBatte and the Saskatchewan Roughriders lost their chance to face Calgary in the western final, after losing 18-10 to the Edmonton Eskimos in the western semifinal on Sunday.
A stingy defence and an 88-yard punt return touchdown for Edmonton made all the difference, as the Esks took a 17-0 second-quarter lead and never looked back.
Kerry Joseph threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Korey Williams just before halftime to make it a close game, but was pulled in the third quarter after throwing a playoff record-tying fifth interception in the game. Sunseri provided a spark for the Riders but couldn't finish the comeback.
The Eskimos defence came out firing as they dominated the first quarter, they forced a pair of two-and-outs while jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
After looking to get the ground game going with a first down, the Riders found trouble through the air. Joseph's errant pass downfield was picked off, giving the Eskimo offence the ball inside scoring range.
The Rider defence held for a 42-yard field goal, but wouldn't stay off the field for long. Joseph threw his second straight interception on a deep ball attempt, again putting a quick end to the Riders' possession.
Bad turned to worse for Joseph and the Riders their next time out. This time, Joseph's low pass over the middle was corralled up into the air and into the hands of the Eskimos, marking Joseph's third straight interception on as many passing attempts.
The Eskimos couldn't add more than four points off of their defensive hat trick, but extended their lead to 10-0 by securing a field goal by the midway point of the second quarter.
The Eskimos special teams sparked the game's first touchdown. They burst through a seam up the middle of the field, burning the Riders' coverage team for an 88-yard score. This gave them a 17-0 lead.
Joseph was picked off for the fourth time in the game on the very next drive. The threat was quickly ended, when the Riders intercepted the ball from the Eskimos. The Riders scored a 54-yard touchdown right before halftime, closing the distance from Edmonton to 10-points.
The defences continued their dominance in the third quarter, while the Esks' defence continued to cause headaches for Joseph, who was picked off early in the third quarter. The Eskimos added just a single point off the turnover with a missed field goal. It was at that time that the Riders replaced Joseph with Tino Sunseri. The Esks also opted for a change at quarterback.
The Riders scored a 30-yard field goal, leaving them down just eight points at the end of the third quarter. It took until late, at the three-minute warning of the fourth quarter, but the Riders mounted their late comeback attempt, starting with a big stop on the Eskimos.
The Riders kept their drive moving into Edmonton territory. But they hit a snag, when a holding penalty moved them back. The Riders were forced to punt with just over a minute left.
The Eskimos needed to run down the clock, and they did just that with first down pickups. The victory gave the Eskimos three of four games against the Riders this season. The Eskimos will now face Brett Jones and the Calgary Stampeders in the west final, to be held in Calgary on Sunday, Nov. 23.
The Riders finish their season on a disappointing note, in a year characterized by the elbow injury to Darian Durant back in the Banjo Bowl. Sunseri completed seven of 15 passing attempts for 100 yards in the loss against Edmonton, and will likely get a chance to compete for a backup spot next spring.
