ROUGHRIDERS NIP LIONS IN TURNOVER FILLED GAME

Even the expression ‘winning ugly’ doesn’t quite convey the sloppiness of the opening week CFL game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the BC Lions.  In a game where neither team could be happy with their play, the Roughriders at least got the victory as they outlasted the visiting Lions 28-24 before 30,000 fans in Regina, Saskatchewan.

The Roughriders also got the money for sports bettors, winning outright as +2 home underdogs.  The OVER/UNDER result was a ‘sweat’ however as the 52 combined points just barely exceeded the 51’ total.  Unfortunately, there was no total posted on total turnovers committed by both teams as the combined 15 giveaways would have easy gone OVER.

BC fumbled the ball five times, losing three and throwing three interceptions.  Saskatchewan also fumbled five times losing three and gave up three interceptions.  Roughriders QB Darian Durant completed 18-of-32 passes for 313 yards while throwing three interceptions and fumbling once. His BC counterpart Buck Pierce was 17-of-33 for 186 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions, and four fumbles.  Pierce’s backup, Jarious Jackson also got into the game throwing an interception on his only pass attempt.  Roughriders’ head coach Ken Miller summed up the season opening botch-fest:

“It's ugly. It's a win. We'll work on pretty next week.”

Lions coach Wally Buono suggested that the Roughriders’ more opportunistic defense and superior pass rush proved to be the difference in the game:

"Their defence did more to our quarterback than we did to theirs and how you control the quarterback usually determines who wins the game.”

It was a disappointing BC debut for linebacker Anton McKenzie, the team’s big offseason free agent.  McKenzie had one sack, and admitted that he had hoped to make more of a splash in his first game in the Lions’ uniform:

"You always want to make more of an impact. I always feel like if I'm going to make a play I should make it. I made a few mistakes out there and I'm going to learn from it. We made a few mistakes out there on defence, and we're going to have to learn from it. It was just another Lions-Riders battle down to last play of the game. We've just got to play a lot better. We know we can play a lot better. We just got to do it and prove it now."

The Lions will host Hamilton on Friday night in their home opener.  BC has been established as a -12’ point favorite, with the total set at 50.  On Saturday night, Saskatchewan travels to Toronto to face the Argonauts with the home team a -2 choice and the total set at 51’.