Riders rally past 1st-place Stamps in OT

Ken Miller almost became Public Enemy No. 1 in Saskatchewan.

The Roughriders head coach made an ill-advised decision in regulation that forced overtime. Fortunately for Miller, his team bailed him out to escape the wrath of the Mosaic Stadium faithful.

Andy Fantuz's career-best 255 reception yards and one touchdown guided the Roughriders to a heart-stopping 43-37 victory over the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night in Regina.

With the score tied 37-37, Saskatchewan had a glorious chance to win the game after quarterback Darian Durant's 20-yard run placed the Riders at the Calgary 28.

Instead of attempting a 35-yard field goal, Miller decided to bring out Eddie Johnson in the hope that his punter would drill the ball out of the end zone and give the Riders a game-winning rouge.

The strategy backfired.

Johnson's kick came up short, allowing Calgary time to run the ball out of the end zone.

"There are times when you kick a field goal and it goes off the pipe and no points," said Miller. "We have worked on situations where we punt or kick for a single and we felt like certainly Eddie had the leg to boot that out of the end zone, and he probably would 99 times out of 100.

"He just didn't hit the ball well and it caused us to not get the points to win the game in regulation.

"I was about ready to figure out a way to get out of town before daylight," Miller added with a chuckle.

Deciding score

Running back Wes Cates ran into the end zone from five yards out for the deciding score in OT, his second major of the night.

Calgary's Dwight Anderson knocked down Durant's two-point convert attempt but Stamps quarterback Henry Burris, faced with a must-score third-and-three situation, threw an incompletion into the end zone to end the game.

"It shows that we've got a lot of character for sure," said Fantuz. "We felt like a few of the calls weren't going our way, but we kept fighting and it really shows how resilient we are."

The game featured six lead changes and 848 combined passing yards.

Saskatchewan players didn't let Miller's blunder ruin a great effort by Fantuz, Durant and the rest of the offence.

Aside from Fantuz's 10 catches, Durant overcame a shaky first half, throwing for 500 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Weston Dressler chipped in with three catches for 104 yards and one score.

The victory moves Saskatchewan (7-4) to within four points of the Stampeders (9-2).

Victimized by penalties, injuries and dropped passes, the Roughriders never led at the end of a quarter.

But a series of big plays swung the momentum in their favour starting in the second quarter. With Calgary leading 10-0, Fantuz caught a 36-yard pass from Durant, dropped the ball, and recovered his own fumble deep in Calgary territory. Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel challenged what was deemed an unreviewable play, costing Calgary a 10-yard penalty, and the Stamps' Anderson was then flagged for illegal contact, setting up Cates's eight-yard touchdown run.

Lead for 1st time

The big plays continued on Saskatchewan's next possession when Durant threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Dressler, giving the Roughriders the lead for the first time.

Burris had another solid outing for Calgary, completing 29 of 40 passes for 348 yards and a TD. Ken-Yon Rambo led all Stampeders receivers with 115 yards on six catches.

Trailing 20-16, the Roughriders grabbed a three-point lead with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter after Hugh Charles ripped off a 30-yard run.

The drive was made possible when Jason Clermont extended the drive with a 35-yard reception on the previous play.

The lead lasted exactly 2:07. Feeling the pressure from his right, Burris dumped off a pass to Jon Cornish, who rumbled 30 yards to pay dirt, giving Calgary a 27-23 edge.

Then, Fantuz really made his presence felt. The fifth-year Roughrider closed out the third quarter with a 57-yard catch that set up Luca Congi's first of two field goals from 18 yards early in the fourth.

But Calgary increased its lead to 34-26 on its next drive. Rambo set up his team deep inside enemy territory with a 43-yard catch before running back Joffrey Reynolds finished the scoring with a four-yard run.

Cates was stripped of the ball moments later, giving way to Calgary's third straight scoring drive when Rob Maver drilled home his third field goal of the contest from 30 yards out with 7:57 remaining in regulation and a 37-26 advantage.

With 4:56 to play, Fantuz scored on a 60-yard catch-and-run from Durant to bring the 'Riders within three points of the Stamps following a two-point convert.

Congi then tied the score, nailing a 44-yard kick with 2:08 left.