On Friday night at Mosaic Stadium, the Saskatchewan Roughriders improved to 4-1 with a 28-13 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. The Redblacks remained winless at 0-4 and were dealt a massive blow by losing one of their star players.
Both teams traded field goals in the first quarter when Roughriders’ kicker Brett Lauther made a 50-yard field goal and Redblacks’ kicker Lewis Ward made a 21-yard field goal, tying the game 3-3 with 4:31 left. Saskatchewan had the ball to start the second quarter.
The Roughriders’ offense was at the Redblacks’ nine-yard line when quarterback Cody Fajardo was sacked by Tre Hornbuckle, backing them up to the 20-yard line where Brett Lauther made a 28-yard field goal for a 6-3 lead with 14:12 left. Ottawa’s defense allowed 412 yards, with 52 tackles, five sacks, and one pass breakup.
On the next Roughriders possession, Cody Fajardo threw two long passes to get to the Redblacks’ 19-yard line. Then, he faked a handoff before finding Duke Williams for the touchdown that extended their lead 13-3. Cody Fajardo was 17/22 for 231 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and four carries for 12 yards. Meanwhile, Duke Williams led the receivers with four catches for 76 yards and one touchdown.
Ottawa added another field goal with three minutes left when Lewis Ward made a 42-yarder, cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to 13-6. On the Roughriders’ next drive, Frankie Hickson went up the middle and cut to his left for a 63-yard touchdown.
However, Brett Lauther missed the extra point, and it was 19-6 with 2:06 left. Frankie Hickson led the Roughriders rushers with five carries for 92 yards and one touchdown. Just before halftime, Brett Lauther made an 18-yard field goal for a 22-6 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Redblacks finally got on the board. It took a while to get there before Jeremiah Masoli scrambled out of the pocket to find an open Nathaniel Behar for a 22-yard touchdown, cutting Saskatchewan’s lead 22-13 with 9:19 left. Redblacks’ quarterback Jeremiah Masoli went 19/27 for 210 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and two carries for eight yards.
On the next Saskatchewan drive, Cody Fajardo and Jamal Morrow led the Roughriders down to Ottawa’s 18-yard line. Then, from the shotgun, Fajardo found Kian Schaffer-Baker for the touchdown, making it 28-13 with 4:33 left in the third quarter. Schaffer-Baker had three catches for 48 yards and one touchdown. The score remained 28-13 after three quarters.
The game turned ugly in the fourth quarter with 5:15 left. Redblacks’ quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed a pass to Jaelon Acklin. After throwing the ball to Acklin, Roughriders’ defensive end Garrett Marino hit him late on his injured ankle, causing the Redblacks to respond. It was uncalled for, and the CFL officials disqualified Marino. While on his way to the locker room, Marino celebrated as Masoli was being carried off the field by two teammates.
It was a disgusting display of actions by Marino, and Saskatchewan showed they have no leadership, including the head coach. As of this writing, there is no update on Masoli’s condition.
Redblacks’ backup quarterback Caleb Evans played the rest of the game, and the Roughriders won 28-13. Evans went 2/6 for 58 yards and one interception. Saskatchewan’s defense allowed 340 yards, with 43 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, three pass breakups, and two interceptions.
With Masoli injured, Caleb Evans might be starting in future games, depending on Masoli’s injury and how long he will be out. Ottawa plays the Hamilton Tiger-Cats next Saturday from Tim Hortons Field to see who will get their first win of the season at 5 pm on ESPN+.
For the Roughriders, the win keeps them in pace with the West Division. They will be tied for second place with either the Winnipeg Blue Bombers or the BC Lions, who play each other tonight at 7 pm on ESPNEWS.
