Roughriders get big defensive stand to slip past Elks

EDMONTON — The defence did most of the heavy lifting to give the Saskatchewan Roughriders a win to start the season.

Brett Lauther kicked three field goals as the Roughriders opened the CFL regular season with an unlikely 17-13 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Sunday.

The Roughriders' defence came up huge late in the fourth quarter with a goal-line stand that stopped Edmonton on three attempts from the one-yard line.

“It was a big building block for our team and our defence to rally around that,” said Riders linebacker Larry Dean. “It is an affirmation for what our defence can be.

"You have the opportunity to make the play and you make it and we were fortunate enough to do that as a collective and guys stepped up. It is a good energizer to get off on a good foot.”

Saskatchewan head coach Craig Dickenson said his defence was the game’s collective first star.

“Those were big plays,” he noted. “We talked about that in the off-season, how important those short yardage plays are. They determine who wins and loses. That was a big stand by the defence. It was the turning point of the game.

“We had missed opportunities on offence and hopefully we will do better in the future on that, but I felt like it was a gutsy win by a group that had a good camp and a group that enjoys playing football together. I was proud of them."

The home hex continues for the Elks, who have lost a CFL-record 18 consecutive home games, a string of futility stretching back to Oct. 12, 2019.

"Offensively, we've just got to finish in the red zone," said Eskimos quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who is now 4-17 as a starter. "We were down there several times and the last time, obviously, didn't come away with points.

"But we've got to score touchdowns over field goals and we can't shoot ourselves in the foot and take penalties that backed us up behind the sticks and things like that. And I've got to play better, too."

The Riders got off to a great start to the contest as quarterback Trevor Harris pitched it to receiver Derel Walker for a four-yard touchdown six minutes into the opening quarter.

The Elks responded with a 17-yard field goal from Dean Faithfull.

Edmonton took the lead on a huge play to start the second quarter as QB Taylor Cornelius sent it downfield to all-star receiver Eugene Lewis, who won a jump ball battle before having a jog the rest of the way to record a 102-yard touchdown.

Saskatchewan tied the game on a 13-yard field goal by Lauther.

The Roughriders had a great opportunity to start the third quarter after a 62-yard kick return by Mario Alford, but settled for a single point on a missed 33-yard field goal by Lauther.

Edmonton went up 13-11 on its next possession thanks to a 43-yard Faithfull field goal.

Another long drive by the Riders ended up fizzling out with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter as they were forced to settle for an 11-yard Lauther field goal.

Lauther nailed a 46-yarder early in the fourth after Saskatchewan’s Rolan Milligan Jr. picked off Cornelius on the Edmonton 42-yard line.

Edmonton had a chance to surge back in front after Nyles Morgan picked off Harris on the Saskatchewan 21, however the Elks offence was stuffed three times from the one-yard line on QB keeper attempts by Kai Locksley with four minutes to play, turning the ball over on downs.

Saskatchewan marched the ball back the other way and was able to run out the clock.

NOTES

Both teams missed post-season play last season as the Riders finished 6-12, while the Elks were even worse at 4-14 … The game featured the teams that gave up the most QB sacks last season, with Saskatchewan surrendering a whopping 77 and Edmonton second worst at 53 … The Elks paid homage to rookie kick returner Christian Saulsberry, who died after being gunned down at a house party on Dec. 17, 2022 at the age of 25 in Memphis, Tenn. Saulsberry’s No. 25 was used as decals on players’ helmets and painted in the end zones. Several members of his family were in attendance … Jaxon Ford made his CFL debut for the Roughriders, some 21,132 days after his grandfather Alan Ford also played for the first time for Saskatchewan in 1965.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Out for the Riders were receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker (hip) and Brayden Lenius (lower back), defensive back Godfrey Onyeka (chest), punter Kaare Vedvik (hip), offensive lineman Philip Blake (chest), linebacker Derrick Moncrief (shoulder), offensive lineman Colin Kelly (suspension) and offensive tackle  Jerald Hawkins (family issue) … Elks veteran Aaron Grymes, who missed all of last season with an ACL injury, once again started this season on the six-game injured list to continue rehabilitating it … The crowd was announced as 32,233, the largest for an Edmonton home opener since 2013.

UP NEXT

The Roughriders will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in their home opener next Friday in Regina. The Elks are on the road next Saturday in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2023.