WINNIPEG -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders have seen their season come to an end after a loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2024 West Final.
Winnipeg used their big-play offence and staunch defence to control the game from start to finish, going on to an 38-22 victory at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
The Blue Bombers will face the Toronto Argonauts in the Grey Cup on Sunday, Nov. 17 in Vancouver.
After both teams had short series on their opening possessions, Winnipeg would get on the board first.
Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros engineered a seven-play drive that took 4:50 off the clock and ended with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Lawler with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter.
After holding the Roughriders to only a handful of yards on their next drive, Winnipeg got right back to work and quickly -- and once again thanks to Lawler. The veteran wide receiver hauled in a 65-yard pass to get within striking distance and one play later caught a 24-yard pass for the major and a 14-0 Blue Bombers lead with 2:23 to play in the first.
Saskatchewan nearly got one back on the next drive, but a long bomb to KeeSean Johnson would go off his hands and helmet before hitting the turf in the end zone. Brett Lauther would get the Riders on the board with a 40-yard field goal, and the first quarter would end with a 14-3 Winnipeg lead.
Winnipeg’s first drive in the second quarter led to great field possession for the Riders, thanks to a blocked punt by Caleb Sanders that set Saskatchewan up at the Bombers 25-yard line. They’d end up settling for a 33-yard field goal to get back within eight with 2:16 gone.
A short-yardage play on the next series led to a 48-yard gain for back-up quarterback Terry Wilson, immediately putting the Bombers in the red zone. One play later, Nick Demski caught a 13-yard pass for the major and a 21-6 lead.
It was the second drive of the first half that took four or fewer plays for Winnipeg to score, this time needing only three plays and 1:13 to find the end zone.
Saskatchewan got things going on their next possession, putting together a six-play drive that ended with a 44-yard field goal from Lauther with 2:37 to play in the half.
The Roughriders defence continued to struggle on the ensuing Winnipeg possession, as the Bombers put together a 10-play drive before kicking a 30-yard field goal on the final play of the half, taking a 24-9 lead into the break.
Saskatchewan got things rolling on the first possession of the second half, with Kian Schaffer-Baker hauling in a 37-yard pass to get the Riders into the red zone, Samuel Emilus catching an 11-yard pass to get first-and-goal and A.J. Ouelette finishing off with a one-yard touchdown run.
The eight-play drive took 4:13 and made it a 24-16 contest.
After a pair of short series for each team, Lawler struck again, this time catching a pass from the Winnipeg 50 at the Riders 21 and going the rest of the way for his third major of the game with 5:55 to play in the third quarter.
The Roughriders went into three-down mode to start the fourth quarter, and after the Bombers got a three-and-out, they’d get the ball at the Saskatchewan 24-yard line. A 21-yard run by Brady Oliveira made it first-and-goal, and he’d punch it in from three yards out to make it a 38-16 Winnipeg lead with 11:15 remaining.
Saskatchewan caught a break on their next series, with Rolan Milligan Jr. jumping on a fumbled punt return by Lucky Whitehead, giving the Riders the ball at the Winnipeg 29. They’d get down to the Winnipeg five, but the Bombers defence would get a sack to push the Riders back to the 11 and one play later an incomplete pass to Schaffer-Baker in the endzone would lead to a turnover on downs.
Samuel Emilus picked up the final major of the Roughriders season with 31 seconds to play, capping scoring in the contest.
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