The Ottawa REDBLACKS snapped their seven-game losing streak on home field, Friday night, on the back of a solid performance in all three phases of the game.
While the Saskatchewan Roughriders made them sweat with a late comeback effort, an electric 35-yard touchdown run by Dustin Crum proved to be the difference, in a 36-28 victory. Ottawa’s rookie pivot threw for 243 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. Devonte Williams was again marvellous on the ground, with a 136-yard rushing effort.
Ottawa’s defence did it all; notching two interceptions, a pair of fumble recoveries, and sacking Jake Dolegala five times.
Three of the sacks belonged to Bryce Carter, and DeAndre Lamont recorded the first two interceptions of his CFL career.
The Riders struck first on a touchdown catch by Kian Schaffer-Baker, but Ottawa responded with a long drive, capped off by a Tyrrell Pigrome sneak touchdown to tie the game.
Dolegala hit Samuel Emilus for a 54-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive, and after missing the extra point a Richie Leone punt single made it a 13-8 game in the second quarter.
With 42 seconds to go in the half, Lamont picked off Dolegala, and ran the ball back to the Saskatchewan six-yard line. The REDBLACKS offence converted on the next play, when Crum found Bralon Addison in the back corner of the endzone for his first touchdown with the team, and a two-point conversion to Justin Hardy gave them a 16-13 lead.
The REDBLACKS weren’t done there. On the Riders’ next play from scrimmage, Lorenzo Mauldin stripped Dolegala of the ball, and Adam Auclair jumped on it to give Ottawa time to get the field goal unit out. Michael Domagala was perfect from 42 yards, and the REDBLACKS took a six-point lead into the intermission.
They wouldn’t trail again, from there. Domagala again converted from 32 yards with 3:32 to play in the third quarter. At the beginning of the fourth, one of Carter’s three sacks on the day knocked the ball loose again, and this time it was Cleyon Laing making the recovery, to put the offence back on the field.
Crum quickly hit Siaosi Mariner on a short route, and the sophomore receiver broke off a 34-yard touchdown run, for a 29-14 Ottawa lead.
On the Rider’s next possession, a thunderous hit by Justin Howell popped the ball out of the hands of Tevin Jones, and Brandin Dandridge caught it in mid-air, for what was ruled a fumble recovery. An extended drive by the REDBLACKS was sealed by Crum pulling the ball on the option, and knifing through the Saskatchewan defence for the long running score, as the crowd at TD Place erupted.
Saskatchewan gave Ottawa a scare with shades of last week. A punt return touchdown by Mario Alford, followed by the Riders recovering the subsequent onside kick, set up two scores to bring the game to 38-26, but with a minute remaining on the clock, Williams iced the game with a first down run, giving the REDBLACKS the victory.
Ottawa will look to make it two in a row next week, hosting the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, September 30, at 4:00pm ET.
