After starting out the 2013 CFL season with a blazing start the 2013 Roughriders crashed to earth last Friday when they went to McMahon Stadium for a critical West Division rematch with the Calgary Stampeders. With a chance to seal the season series as well as the chance to go up two games over the Stamps the tables were turned on the Riders who were dominated by the Stampeders offensive line and defense for much of the game, a script that is usually saved for the Riders opponents on gameday.
Kory Sheets fumble on the first drive of the game, turnover number one of the Riders season after two months of play, set the tone for what would be an uncharacteristic fall back to old habits. Not being able to move the football and having problems making tackles on running back Jon Cornish Saskatchewan looked more like the 2012 versions of themselves than the team that was undefeated leading into Friday.
After Sheets turnover and a quick series following that, Calgary had already scored two touchdowns to go up 13-0. Eventually Saskatchewan would get its first touchdown of the game as Chris Getzlaf finished off a nice drive from Darian Durant in the passing game to give the Riders life. Cornish wouldn't give the Riders the momentum for long as the Stampeders running back busted out for a 32 yard touchdown in a first half where he rushed for over 100 yards.
Beyond the lack of defense shown by the Riders in the first half, their running game was non existent as Charleston Hughes lived up to his vow to shut Sheets down for half of the game. That lack of ground game led to a lot of two and out drives in the opening half, leading to a tired Riders defense that couldn't stop the rushing exploits of Cornish or the aerial attack of Kevin Glenn, who had a throwback game, hitting fellow veteran Nik Lewis on multiple occasions with back breaking first down pass and catch plays.
Saskatchewan would step it up in the second half as Sheets began to show why he is the best running back in the CFL, breaking out for some impressive individual runs that showed his agility and jukes that the stand up and run behind the line style of Cornish can't compete with. Sheets and Durant would lead the Riders within a score, but a now uncharacteristic mental error would cost them the game for the first time all year.
Punt return man Jock Sanders opted to attempt to take a corner punt inside the five yard line down six points rather than take the rouge in the endzone before being tackled deep in Riders territory. The result was a safety after Durant was sacked and another score shortly after to end the Riders comeback bid and their undefeated season.
Those types of errors have been uncommon for a Riders team that had yet to turn the ball over on offense to start the season , but in Calgary they were happening far too common and they couldn't have came against a worse opponent as Corey Chamblin knows that his team was up against the Riders biggest opposition to the Grey Cup at this juncture of the season.
Despite the disappointment of failing to widen the gap in the West between themselves and Calgary, Saskatchewan is still sitting pretty heading into their return to home against the Montreal Alouettes. The Riders are still tied for first place and will have another crack at Calgary to win the season series later down the road. For now Saskatchewan looks ahead to a month's worth of action that should give Chamblin a chance to build on their division lead with three of the CFL's bottom teams of 2013 next in line.
Saskatchewan hosts Montreal (2-4) before playing Edmonton (1-5) and then following that with the Labour Day Classic/Banjo Bowl with the abysmal 1-5 Winnipeg Blue Bombers. If everything goes right Saskatchewan will be 9-1 very soon, optimism after a crushing loss.
