Roughriders Game 17 v. Hamilton (10/29/11):

The Riders played their final home game of the year against the Tiger-Cats before another big crowd at Mosaic, as the Riders’ 13th Man remains loyal despite this terrible season. Ti-Cats will use this game as a tune-up for the playoffs while the Riders are looking to close out the year on a high note. It was a cold (9°C/42°F), windy and rainy day in Regina to start things off. Michigan’s Chris Graham replaced Barrin Simpson at MLB and Ryan Dinwiddie replaced the injured Darian Durant. After a very short kickoff, the Riders started out at their 51. Jason Clermont grabbed a pass in the right slot and gained 7 to open the game. Brandon West then pushed up the middle for a first down. Dinwiddie then connected with Chris Getzlaf in the left flat for 11. Brandon West then gained 9 on a swing pass to the right. Dinwiddie then took a shot at the end zone but Marcell Young tipped away a pass intended for Weston Dressler. Dinwiddie then scrambled up the middle for 9 and the Riders went for it on third down. West banged ahead for the first down at the 6. The T-Cats defense held and the Riders had to settle for a chip shot from Chris Milo to give the Riders an early 3-0 lead. There was a scrum at the line after Milo’s kick. On Hamilton’s first possession, Quinton Porter hit Aaron Kelly over the middle for a first down. Porter then scrambled right for 8. A rush up the middle came up just short but the Cats elected to go for it on third down. Tearrius George got in a scuffle at the line of scrimmage and was hit with a 15-yard penalty that moved the ball to the Riders’ 45. Marcus Thigpen was then hauled down for a loss by Tristan Jackson and Justin Medlock punted away. The Riders started out their next drive at the 6. On second down, Dinwiddie found Dallas Baker in the right flat at the 20. The drive stalled there and Milo punted away with Milo’s punt rolling 108 yards all the way into the end zone for a single. That punt tied a record for the longest in CFL history. The Ti-Cats went two n’ out on their next drive and Medlock’s punt was deflected with the Riders taking over at the 33. Cole Bergquist took over at quarterback for the Riders. The Riders ended up settling for another field goal by Milo to make it 7-0 Riders. Jackson then leveled Dave Stala on a sideline route that went incomplete. After Medlock punted into a 30 km/h (18.64 mph) wind, the Riders took over at the 47.

Getzlaf dropped a pass on the opening play of the second quarter and Milo punted away. Porter brought out the offense at the 17. Stala picked up a first down on a pass in traffic. Avon Cobourne then pushed ahead for another first down but James Patrick brought down Porter for a three-yard loss on the next play. Porter overthrew his next pass and Medlock punted away with the Riders taking over at their 30. West then bulled ahead for 6. Dinwiddie then found Baker on the left sideline and Baker raced all the way to the 5, a 71-yard gain. On second and goal, Dressler dropped a pass over the middle and the Riders had to settle for another field goal from Milo. It was disappointing that the Riders couldn’t score a touchdown after Baker’s spectacular catch and run. Thigpen returned the short kick back to the 41 but a holding call against the Ti-Cats moved the back 10. Jeremy Kelley then picked up 8 but Cobourne was stopped for no gain and Medlock punted out. The Riders started out again at their 22. The Riders went two n’ out on that drive as Dinwiddie was nearly sacked. Glenn MacKay then returned Milo’s punt to the 45. Thigpen suffered an ankle injury and his return was questionable. Kelley then was able to beg his way into a pass interference call against Patrick for a first down. It was a lousy call against the Riders. Kelley then picked up 7 on a pass in traffic, but Porter’s next pass intended for Cobourne was dropped. Kenny Rowe then broke through the line and tackled Medlock for a huge loss at the 46. Medlock messed up the snap and attempted to pass the ball but Rowe was right in his grill. After Dinwiddie rushed to the right for 6, there was a huge scrum at the sideline as the Riders took exception to a late tackle and a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty was assessed to the Ti-Cats. After the three-minute warning, the Riders had the ball at Hamilton’s 18. After a shot into the end zone was broken up by Bo Smith, Bergquist came in and rushed for a first down. Dressler then gained 15 on a swing pass to the right down to the 2. From there, Neal Hughes (in the Wildcat) banged off left tackle and into the end zone and the Riders went ahead, 17-0. After the Ti-Cats went two n’ out, the Riders moved the ball up to the 42 as West gained 8 in the final seconds of the half and they were able to run out the clock.

Kevin Glenn came in at quarterback for Hamilton to open the second half. A holding call against the Ti-Cats’ DeWit on first down set the ball back 10 yards. On the next play, Glenn hit Leo Mahoney for 23 to the Riders’ 36.Glenn was then sacked by Jerrell Freeman for a big loss. Medlock then kicked a 47-yard field goal to put the Ti-Cats on the board at 17-3. West then carried off right tackle for 22 but was stuffed for a 4-yard loss on the next play. The TiCats were then caught off-sides on two plays in a row but Dinwiddie’s pass was incomplete and Milo punted away. Hamilton started out at their 21. Glenn’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Brackenridge at the 52. Dinwiddie was then sacked by Williams and Milo punted away. On first down, George sacked Glenn for a 4-yard loss. An unnecessary roughness call against the Riders pushed the ball to midfield. Glenn then connected with Stala on the right sideline at the 32. The Ti-Cats moved the ball down to the 5, where Stala dropped a pass in the end zone as he was wide open and he simply dropped a very catchable ball. On the next play, Glenn’s pass was intercepted by Butler in the end zone. Former Rider Stevie Baggs was then shaken up on first down A broken play gained only 1 and then Dinwiddie failed to escape a heavy rush. The Riders then faked the punt and Hughes took the snap and rushed right to pick up the first down on the final play of the quarter.

Dinwiddie threw two long passes that fell incomplete to open the fourth quarter and Milo punted away, with the ball bouncing through the end zone for another single. The Ti-Cats then went two n’ out and Medlock punted away. Dinwiddie then scrambled down to Hamilton’s 45 on first down but was sacked by Baggs at the line of scrimmage on the next play. The drive stalled and Milo’s punt buried the Ti-Cats inside the 10. Cobourne picked up 5 on a screen pass, and then picked up 7 on a pass out of the backfield. Grant then grabbed a pass in the swirling wind at midfield. On the next play, Cobourne picked up another first down after catching a pass in traffic. Glenn then hit Stala with a pass short of the first down but Brackenridge laid down the lumber on Stala. Cobourne then broke several tackles behind the line but kept his legs churning and was brought down at the 5. After Stephenson gained 2 up the middle, Glenn’s pass into the end zone was intercepted by Graham. A fight then broke out between Efrem Hill and Means, who was ejected from the game. Dinwiddie was then sacked by Hickman and Milo punted away with the ball rolling into the end zone to give the Riders a 19-3 lead. Mahoney picked up 9 on a swing pass from Glenn. From the 49, Glenn found Stala over the middle for a first down. On second down, Glenn’s pass over the middle was intercepted by Butler, who returned the ball to midfield. With a minute and change left on the clock, West carried twice for a first down. West picked up another first down with 30 seconds remaining and that enabled the Riders to run out the clock. At least the Riders were able to give the faithful a final home win.