Riders complete late-game comeback to clinch playoff spot

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot with their 16-12 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium.

Trailing 12-9 in the late stages of the game, Trevor Harris and the Riders came all the way back to defeat Montreal and lock up their spot in the postseason. With 33 seconds left on the clock and the Riders set up on Montreal’s 17-yard line, Harris found KeeSean Johnson in the end zone for the touchdown. That score gave the Riders a four-point lead that they held onto for the victory.

The Riders’ first touchdown of the game capped a drive that included a 22-yard rush from Harris to get them into scoring position, with all other points coming on field goals from Brett Lauther. Harris finished his afternoon completing 68.4 per cent of his passes for 251 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

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The game’s first point came after the Als’ opening drive, with Joseph Zema scoring a single on a punt that landed in the end zone early in the first quarter. After that rouge, the defences on either team held the opposing offences off the scoreboard until late in the frame.

After a 23-yard rush from Shomari Lawrence, who started at running back in place of a resting Stevie Scott III, brought the Als into Saskatchewan territory, Dustin Crum found a wide-open Alexander Hollins down the middle, who ran into the end zone untouched. The 37-yard touchdown added to Montreal’s lead, 8-0, with under 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

In his first game back at Mosaic Stadium since being traded from the Ottawa REDBLACKS, Brett Lauther booted a field goal from distance. His 52-yard attempt sailed through the uprights and was followed by a boisterous cheer from the crowd welcoming him back. The three points cut Montreal’s lead to 8-3 with nine minutes left in the half. Inside the three-minute warning, Lauther attempted another field goal of the afternoon, this one from 48 yards, but missed, keeping the score 8-3.

With just 25 seconds to go in the half, the Als defence came up with a turnover. Defensive back Wesley Sutton picked off Harris, and Sutton returned it 14 yards to bring Montreal into Saskatchewan territory at the Riders’ 27-yard line. Montreal cashed in with a field goal, as José Maltos Díaz connected on his 25-yard attempt, increasing his team’s lead to 11-3 as the first half wrapped up.

The Rider offence started clicking on their first drive of the second half, starting on their own 22-yard line and moving the chains down to the Als’ 23. The drive finished with Lauther’s third field goal of the contest, with the 31-yard attempt adding three more points to cut into Montreal’s lead (11-6). After another Zema single later in the frame, Lauther added yet another field goal, making good on his 48-yard attempt to cut the Als’ lead to 12-9.

Down three and with three minutes left on the clock and on the Als’ side of midfield, the Riders were looking to get into scoring position to mount a comeback. Saskatchewan set up on third-and-short, but the Alouettes’ defence kept Tommy Stevens from getting the fresh set of downs, forcing the turnover on downs.

Crum then moved the Als into field goal range, but Maltos Díaz missed his attempt, giving the ball back to Harris and co. with 1:31 on the clock.

Harris made quick work of the field, moving down into Montreal territory before finding KeeSean Johnson for the home team’s first touchdown of the game. That score gave Saskatchewan their first lead of the contest, 16-12, that they would hold onto for the win.