Roughriders Game 12 v. British Columbia Lions (9/24/11):

On a picture-perfect day for football on the prairie, the 4-7 Roughriders played host to the 5-6 BC Lions before another sold-out house at Mosaic Stadium.

NOTE: Due to scheduling conflicts we were unable to pick up the game until late in the first half. It was just as well as the Riders were smoked by BC in this game.

Down 30-0, the Riders were in an intractable hole. Brandon West broke the kick return out to the 45. Durant hit Jason Clermont in the left flat for a first down. Cates then drove off right tackle for another first down and it was down to the three minute warning. The drive stalled at BC’s 40 and Milo’s field goal attempt was no good. BC went two n’ out on the next drive and the Riders took over at the 25 after McCallum’s punt. Durant completed to passes to move the ball to the 40, and then hit Efrem Hill who made a nice run after the catch to BC’s 38. Durant then ran up the middle to the 22. With three seconds left, the Riders settled for a 29-yard field goal by Milo to finally get on the board. At the half, the score was BC 30, Riders 3.

On the Riders’ next drive, Durant hit Koch with a pass but on review, he dropped the pass and the Riders punted out. BC started out at the 32 and went two n’ out. Tristan Jackson had a great return and was hauled down by the kicker at BC’s 40 but a penalty on the return set the ball back all the way to the 15. The drive went nowhere and the Riders punted out. A no yards call on the Riders pushed the ball up to the 35. Lulay hit Simon over the middle at midfield for a first down. Gore then picked up another first down at the right sideline at the 35. Lulay went back to Gore again for another first down at the 15. From there, Lulay hit Simon on a slant route in the end zone for the touchdown to make it 38-3 and the rout was on. West returned the kick out to the 37 and the Riders started there. Durant found Koch on the right sideline for six and Cates rushed for 2. On third and 1, the Riders attempted a rush up the middle and failed.

Moving into the fourth quarter (this game couldn’t end quickly enough), the Lions’ drive went nowhere and they were forced to punt away. Durant was then able to move the ball to midfield before his next pass was intercepted by Reddick at the 45. From there, Arland Bruce picked up a first down at midfield. Jarious Jackson took over for Lulay at quarterback. From the 34, Jackson hit Simon in the right slot for a first down. McCallum kicked a field goal to make it 42-3. On the Riders’ next drive, Dinwiddie replaced Durant and the offense moved the ball inside BC’s 5. On third and goal, Dinwiddie’s pass into the end zone was broken up and they turned the ball over on downs. BC’s McCallum conceded the safety on the ensuing punt to make it 42-5. Brandon West returned the kick back to the 45, where Dressler picked up a first down on a slant route to the left. A roughing the passer call moved the ball to BC’s 45. After two straight incompletions, Dinwiddie fired a ball into the end zone that missed the target, On the play, a BC defender crashed head first into the protective padding on the goal post and was injured. The Riders ended up getting steamrolled by BC in a game that started off on the wrong foot and quickly unraveled from there.