Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
Rolling with Dyce: Riders handle Bombers, notch first win
Posted: September 6,2015 07:00PM
Updated: September 6,2015 07:06PM
CFL.ca Staff
REGINA -- Nic Demski provided the spark and Jerome Messam laid the hammer, leading the Riders to their first win of 2015, a 37-19 win over the Bombers on Mark’s Labour Day Weekend.
Demski, a Winnipeg native and former Manitoba Bison, scored his first career touchdown on a 60-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game at 10-apiece. The Riders never looked back from there, powering their way to win number one in 2015 and staying in the playoff race.
Brett Smith, 23, threw for 211 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-25 passing to earn his first career win.
Brian Brohm made his second career start for the Bombers and scored on a quarterback sneak in the first quarter, but failed to respond to the Riders’ second-half surge.
An early miscue put the Riders in a hole early. Already down 3-0 on a 50-yard Lirim Hajrullahu field goal, a direct snap got over the head of Jerome Messam and was recovered by the Bombers at the 20-yard-line.
Cameron Marshall moved the sticks on second down and Nick Moore picked up nine yards on first and goal, setting up a one-yard touchdown by Brohm to open up a 10-0 lead for the visiting Bombers.
But before a sold out Mosaic crowd could grow too weary of what seemed like a start all too familiar for the Riders, the Green and White surged back on their first possession of the second quarter. After a 32-yard field goal by McCallum got the Riders on the board, lightning struck just a minute and a half later.
Former Manitoba Bison and sixth overall pick Demski made his move and then burned the Bomber special teams coverage to the outside for a 60-yard punt return touchdown, igniting a crowd of Green and White and knotting the game at 10 apiece.
The sudden outburst seemingly tilted the field heavily in the Riders’ favour, even though the score was still tied. A quick two-and-out by the Bombers and a 43-yard field goal by McCallum gave Saskatchewan a 13-10 lead, one that would hold up heading into halftime.
Leading at halftime and eyeing their first victory of the season, the Riders came out firing to start the third quarter. Anthony Allen and quarterback Smith got the drive started by combining for a first down with their legs, then an 18-yard hookup along the sideline for Naaman Roosevelt in just his second career start put the offence at the Winnipeg 20.
The Riders appeared to have the game broken wide open on a second-down play shortly after, when Demski took a hitch pass to the left outside and beat the defence for what appeared to be his second touchdown of the game. But the score was called back on a holding penalty, eventually forcing McCallum’s third field goal of the day from 25 yards out to make it 16-10.
The Bombers had a chance to settle down the storm the next time out on offence, but after moving into Rider territory again failed to sustain the drive.
With momentum on his side, Smith and the Rider offence responded exactly the way they needed to. First, the rookie 23-year-old hit Rob Bagg for a 14-yard pickup to move the chains on a second-down play. It was then a key penalty keeping the drive alive. The Riders were forced to punt on third down, but a running into the kicker penalty gave them new life.
Messam would pick up steam, as he does, as the game wore on. A 14-yard run by him moved the sticks again, then an illegal contact extended the drive after a second-down play.
After an unnecessary roughness penalty against Johnny Adams, the Riders had no choice to take advantage of the penalty-aided drive – and they did. On first down at the Bomber 27, Smith threw as nice a pass as you will see a young quarterback throw, threading the needle to Ryan Smith to add to the third-quarter lead.
The 27-yard score marked the Riders’ first offensive touchdown of the game, capping off a 10-play, 105-yard drive with time running out in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter with the wind in their faces and a lead at their back, the Riders new exactly what they needed to do to cap off their first win of the season: Unleash the ground game.
Three runs by Messam gave the Riders a pair of first downs to start
off the drive, followed by a nine-yard pickup on a catch by Dressler. On
second down Messam continues his downhill momentum, powering through
the Bomber defence for a gain of 15 across midfield to the Winnipeg 44.
An unnecessry roughness penalty against Lin-J Shell moved the Riders inside the 30, then again on second down Messam moved the chains with a seven-yard pickup.
After moving down the field mostly on the ground, the Riders then took their act to the air. Smith connected with Bagg down to the one-yard-line on a tight rope catch along the sideline, while from there Bagg finished off the drive with a rush around the right end to give the Riders a 19-point lead.
Bagg’s third touchdown of the season and second on the ground made it 29-10 Riders, capping off another long drive nearly halfway through the fourth quarter.
The Bombers added a late touchdown with 1:27 remaining on a one-yard run by Marshall, the rookies fifth touchdown of the season and third on the ground, but it was too little too late for the Bombers, who have now lost four in a row and sit a game out of the playoffs in the West.
Salt in the wound was provided with 44 seconds left when LB Tyron Brackenridge posted a 24-yard fumble return touchdown.
With the win, the Riders move to within two games of the Bombers and three of the Lions for a playoff spot in the West Division. They’ll take on the same Bombers next Saturday in the annual Banjo Bowl in Winnipeg.
REGINA -- Nic Demski provided the spark and Jerome Messam laid the hammer, leading the Riders to their first win of 2015, a 37-19 win over the Bombers on Mark’s Labour Day Weekend.
Demski, a Winnipeg native and former Manitoba Bison, scored his first career touchdown on a 60-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game at 10-apiece. The Riders never looked back from there, powering their way to win number one in 2015 and staying in the playoff race.
Brett Smith, 23, threw for 211 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-25 passing to earn his first career win.
Brian Brohm made his second career start for the Bombers and scored on a quarterback sneak in the first quarter, but failed to respond to the Riders’ second-half surge.
An early miscue put the Riders in a hole early. Already down 3-0 on a 50-yard Lirim Hajrullahu field goal, a direct snap got over the head of Jerome Messam and was recovered by the Bombers at the 20-yard-line.
Cameron Marshall moved the sticks on second down and Nick Moore picked up nine yards on first and goal, setting up a one-yard touchdown by Brohm to open up a 10-0 lead for the visiting Bombers.
But before a sold out Mosaic crowd could grow too weary of what seemed like a start all too familiar for the Riders, the Green and White surged back on their first possession of the second quarter. After a 32-yard field goal by McCallum got the Riders on the board, lightning struck just a minute and a half later.
Former Manitoba Bison and sixth overall pick Demski made his move and then burned the Bomber special teams coverage to the outside for a 60-yard punt return touchdown, igniting a crowd of Green and White and knotting the game at 10 apiece.
The sudden outburst seemingly tilted the field heavily in the Riders’ favour, even though the score was still tied. A quick two-and-out by the Bombers and a 43-yard field goal by McCallum gave Saskatchewan a 13-10 lead, one that would hold up heading into halftime.
Leading at halftime and eyeing their first victory of the season, the Riders came out firing to start the third quarter. Anthony Allen and quarterback Smith got the drive started by combining for a first down with their legs, then an 18-yard hookup along the sideline for Naaman Roosevelt in just his second career start put the offence at the Winnipeg 20.
The Riders appeared to have the game broken wide open on a second-down play shortly after, when Demski took a hitch pass to the left outside and beat the defence for what appeared to be his second touchdown of the game. But the score was called back on a holding penalty, eventually forcing McCallum’s third field goal of the day from 25 yards out to make it 16-10.
The Bombers had a chance to settle down the storm the next time out on offence, but after moving into Rider territory again failed to sustain the drive.
| Smith connection puts Riders in control |
|---|
 With the game still in the balance, a 27-yard touchdown pass from Brett Smith to Ryan Smith put the Riders in control and they did not look back from there ... View Game Stats. |
With momentum on his side, Smith and the Rider offence responded exactly the way they needed to. First, the rookie 23-year-old hit Rob Bagg for a 14-yard pickup to move the chains on a second-down play. It was then a key penalty keeping the drive alive. The Riders were forced to punt on third down, but a running into the kicker penalty gave them new life.
Messam would pick up steam, as he does, as the game wore on. A 14-yard run by him moved the sticks again, then an illegal contact extended the drive after a second-down play.
After an unnecessary roughness penalty against Johnny Adams, the Riders had no choice to take advantage of the penalty-aided drive – and they did. On first down at the Bomber 27, Smith threw as nice a pass as you will see a young quarterback throw, threading the needle to Ryan Smith to add to the third-quarter lead.
The 27-yard score marked the Riders’ first offensive touchdown of the game, capping off a 10-play, 105-yard drive with time running out in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter with the wind in their faces and a lead at their back, the Riders new exactly what they needed to do to cap off their first win of the season: Unleash the ground game.
Video
Demski Punt Return TD Ignites Mosaic
An unnecessry roughness penalty against Lin-J Shell moved the Riders inside the 30, then again on second down Messam moved the chains with a seven-yard pickup.
After moving down the field mostly on the ground, the Riders then took their act to the air. Smith connected with Bagg down to the one-yard-line on a tight rope catch along the sideline, while from there Bagg finished off the drive with a rush around the right end to give the Riders a 19-point lead.
Bagg’s third touchdown of the season and second on the ground made it 29-10 Riders, capping off another long drive nearly halfway through the fourth quarter.
The Bombers added a late touchdown with 1:27 remaining on a one-yard run by Marshall, the rookies fifth touchdown of the season and third on the ground, but it was too little too late for the Bombers, who have now lost four in a row and sit a game out of the playoffs in the West.
Salt in the wound was provided with 44 seconds left when LB Tyron Brackenridge posted a 24-yard fumble return touchdown.
With the win, the Riders move to within two games of the Bombers and three of the Lions for a playoff spot in the West Division. They’ll take on the same Bombers next Saturday in the annual Banjo Bowl in Winnipeg.
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