REGINA – It wasn’t perfect, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders reached the final of the CFL Western Division with a 33-30 overtime win over the Calgary Stampeders in the West semi-final on Sunday.
Both teams kicked field goals on their opening overtime possessions to make the score 30-30.
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Calgary had the ball first in the second overtime and kicker Rene Paredes missed a 44-yard field goal, giving the Riders a chance to win the game on their possession.
After two runs by William Powell, Brett Lauther kicked a 34-yard field goal to give the Riders (9-5 in the regular season) victory over the Stampeders (8-6).
The Riders advance to the West final in Winnipeg on December 5 against the Blue Bombers, who finished the regular season with an 11-3 record.
The Stamps and Riders combined for eight turnovers, six of which came in a sloppy first half.
Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo was intercepted four times while Bo Levi Mitchell was intercepted twice. The Stampeders also flipped the ball once on downs and fumbled.
Paredes forced overtime when he hit a 47-yard field goal with 59 seconds left in regulation time. He made 44 of 48 field goal attempts in the regular season, but struggled Sunday, converting five of his eight field goal attempts.
Lauther was good on four of five field goal attempts.
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Fajardo was 22 of 33 for 189 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. His biggest contribution was with his legs, as he gained 82 yards on 10 carries.
Mitchell was 26 of 36 for 285 yards and two interceptions. Tailback Ka’Deem Carey had a strong game, gaining 117 yards on 22 carries and scoring two touchdowns for Calgary.
This Canadian Press report was first published on November 28, 2021.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca