The Fifth Quarter Sept. 14

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/09/2009 (5860 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Game Balls:

OFFENCE

Saskatchewan’s Darian Durant put together a creative and effective performance as he guided his club to an easy win. The final line of 18-for-36 with one interception, one touchdown and 225 yards wasn’t spectacular, but he made few mistakes and extended drives with the right play at the right time.

DEFENCE

Riders linebacker Sean Lucas had an afternoon to remember with four tackles, a sack and an interception. Maybe the Bombers offence is bad, but the Riders defensive dozen kept them on the floor two weeks in a row.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Winnipeg punter Mike Renaud kicked the cover off the ball and Jovon Johnson busted his hump returning kicks, so they both get honourable mentions, but Riders kicker Luca Congi was a human slot machine, ringing up points all afternoon. Congi was a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals with a long of 40 yards and finished with 23 points.

CRITICAL NUMBER

4

The Bombers turned the ball over four consecutive times, on a failed fake punt, a Michael Bishop interception, an Yvenson Bernard fumble and then an Adarius Bowman fumble, in a disastrous second quarter. Winnipeg’s pathetic play had the folks in the press box arguing if it was the worst quarter of football to date this season. The Riders, to their credit, took full advantage, scoring 18 points on those transactions to turn a 7-7 tie into a 26-7 rout by the half.

FAN-O-METER

QB Michael Bishop started the game hitting only one of his first five passes and late in the first quarter, after another incompletion, the boo-birds said hello for the first time. Fred Reid won the house back, however, with his 35-yard touchdown scamper late in the opener that had the Bomber faithful shaking the stadium. That noise didn’t last and by half-time the East side of the stadium was a sea of empty blue seats while the tarmac surrounding the end zone rum hut was bumper to bumper. And it stayed that way the rest of the afternoon. Theory — high rum sales equals Bombers loss.

SUMMARY

First Quarter

Sask – TD Cates, 10 pass from Durant (Congi convert)

9:56

Wpg – TD Reid, 35 yard run (Serna convert) 14:20

Second Quarter

Sask – Boreham, 55 yard punt single 2:54

Sask – FG Congi 40 6:50

Sask – TD Durant, 10-yard run (Congi convert) 8:19

Sask – Boreham, 76-yard kickoff single

Sask – TD Cates, 4-yard run (Congi convert) 10:39

Third Quarter

Sask – FG Congi 34 3:33

Sask – FG Congi 40 5:50

Sask – TD Fantuz, 34 pass from Armstead (Congi convert) 9:15

Sask – FG Congi 8 13:43

Fourth Quarter

Wpg – FG Serna 48 4:00

Sask – FG Congi 32 7:41

Sask – TD Cates, one-yard run (Congi convert) 8:50

Sask – FG Congi 29 13:06

Winnipeg 7 0 0 3 — 10

Saskatchewan 7 19 16 13 — 55

Attendance — 29,533