Roughriders defeat Bombers 19-17 in nail-biting Labour Day Classic

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This article was published 01/09/2019 (2200 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA – For a moment, it looked like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers might actually pull it off. The perfect ending to a far-from-flawless affair against their prairie rival Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Instead, the annual Labour Day Classic game ended much the same way it always does – or at least has in recent memory – with the Roughriders muscling their way into the winner’s circle, edging the Bombers 19-17 Sunday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium. Saskatchewan has now won 14 of the last 15 games against Winnipeg on the September-long weekend.

“It sucks. I’m disappointed,” a quiet Nic Demski said after the game, the Bombers receiver shaking his head as he spoke. “We just got to come out better next weekend and play our type of football. That wasn’t our type of football this week.”

With the loss, the Bombers snapped a three-game win streak, falling to 8-3 on the season. They still occupy top spot in the West Division, but the Roughriders, who improved to 7-3, could unseat Winnipeg with a victory in the Banjo-Bowl rematch Saturday at IG Field.

“We knew what we signed up for. This is Labour Day-Banjo Bowl so we can’t wait to get back out there,” Demski added.

On Sunday, the game needed every last second to determine a winner. Trailing by a point with zeroes on the clock, Roughriders kicker Brett Lauther connected on a 26-yard field goal to seal the game. As the ball sailed through the uprights, Lauther was mauled in celebration by his teammates, first by those who helped execute the play and then by the dozens that rushed the field from the sidelines. A sea of green celebrated from the stands.

The game-clinching kick capped off an 11-play, 87-yard drive that started on the Roughriders’ 5, and took the entirely of the game’s final 3 minutes and 18 seconds. In the series before, the Bombers orchestrated an impressive run of their own, eventually taking their first lead of the day.

Quarterback Chris Streveler, earning his second start with Matt Nichols still on the shelf with a shoulder injury, needed three attempts at a quarterback sneak to break the goal line. He managed to push his way through on the final go, putting the visitors up 17-16. It was a forceful ending to a bruising 11-play, 63-yard series that saw the final 31 yards collected on five runs.

“The offence handed us the game and special teams put the cherry on top when they got them pinned down on their own 5-yard line. On defence, I don’t know what happened. We’re going to have to look at it tomorrow but the defence is going to have to take that one,” Bombers safety Jeff Hecht said.

Hecht’s suggestion it was the defence that was at fault for the Bombers’ loss was, at the very least, misleading. Still, Hecht refused to see the bright side for a unit that undoubtedly kept Winnipeg in the game, especially early, when it looked like Saskatchewan was primed to take over.

“I mean we have the lead. The defence has been handed the game and all we have to do is get them off the field, right?” said Hecht. “We let them go 11 plays and kick a relatively easy field goal for the win. We didn’t squeeze it out so we’ve got to figure it out.”

Saskatchewan put up 340 net yards of offence, while Winnipeg countered with 325. Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo accounted for much of his team’s attack, ending the day 25-for-39 passing for 300 yards and a touchdown – a 10-yard strike to Shaq Evans that put the home side up 10-0 by the end of the first quarter.

Fajardo, who has now won six straight games for the Roughriders, continued to impress as the club’s new starter. He replaced Zach Collaros, who has since been traded to the Toronto Argonauts, early in the season after Collaros suffered a concussion.

Fajardo entered the game having attempted 129 passes, over a four-game stretch, without throwing an interception. He would be picked off twice by the Bombers Sunday – first from Adam Bighill and then again by Winston Rose – both of which came on drives where the Roughriders had gained major momentum in the game.

He was also sacked five times by the Bombers – tying Calgary for the most by any defence this season. After the Evans’ touchdown, the Roughriders scored just nine points through the final three quarters, all off the foot of Lauther.

“Early on, the defence was put in a tough spot twice and gave up a punt single and then picked the ball off,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea, noting Bighill’s interception, said. “So I thought we certainly saved and took points off the board from Sask in the first. I thought our defence was on the field a lot in the first but they managed to sort of survive that.”

He added: “I thought our guys battled the entire game…the entire game. There’s a lot to like about it.”

What will look less attractive once the Bombers break down the game film Monday will be the play of the offence. Streveler mounted a nice comeback at the end, but his start to the day was dreadful.

He was intercepted on Winnipeg’s opening drive, and then again early in the fourth quarter that ended a promising drive on the Saskatchewan’s 21. Streveler was 7-for-17 passing for 89 yards in a road win over the Edmonton Eskimos last week; against the Roughriders, he threw 24, completing 17 for 161 yards.

Last week, he had 95 rushing yards to make up for his arm, but only scampered for 65 on Sunday, much of which came in the second half. Streveler would find Kenny Lawler for a nine-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, which was set up by an impressive 55-yard run by Johnny Augustine, to make it a 10-7.

“You always remember your first time. Obviously it’s bittersweet. But at the end of the day, as a team and as an individual, is the only thing we can do from here is get better,” said Augustine, who finished with 12 carries for 98 yards in relief of the suspended Andrew Harris.

A scoreless third quarter, followed by a slow final frame, set up a photo-finish ending. The Bombers had edge their way by a nose with Streveler’s rushing touchdown, but all was for none after the Roughriders answered back.

“You lose by two and it nets out to one play,” O’Shea said. “Even with a win, everybody is going to look at their film and their performance and say what can they do better?”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton