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| Saskatchewan Roughriders players, left to right, Joel Lipinski, Kye Stewart, Stevie Baggs, and Daniel Francis, pile on Calgary Stampeders’ Titus Ryan, second from left, after he caught a punt during first half CFL football action in Calgary, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh |
CALGARY - An injury to Andy Fantuz forced Chris Getzlaf into the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starting lineup.
He made the most of his opportunity.
Getzlaf caught two touchdown passes to lead the Roughriders to a 24-23 win over the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday.
Getzlaf knew he would have to be on top of his game to fill in for Fantuz, who missed the game with a hamstring injury.
"You have to set the bar really high in order to replace him," Getzlaf said.
Getzlaf caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant late in the fourth quarter to give the Riders the win.
"Me and double D were on the same page," said Getzlaf. "He threw it up, so I just ran a post to the middle of the field. This is definitely the biggest touchdown I’ve ever got in the CFL."
The older brother of all-star Anaheim Ducks’ forward Ryan Getzlaf also caught a nine-yard TD strike in the first quarter.
Weston Dressler had a touchdown reception for the Roughriders (3-2), while Luca Congi kicked a field goal.
"This is a huge win for us after two losses," said Durant. "This team showed character."
Calgary quarterback Henry Burris threw a touchdown pass to Jon Cornish and ran for one himself, while Sandro DeAngelis kicked three field goals for the Stamps (2-3).
Calgary built a 23-17 lead on home turf but couldn’t put away the Riders.
"We had ample opportunities," said Burris. "We played poorly enough to give the game away and that’s what happened."
Calgary could have gone up by nine points late in the game, but DeAngelis missed a 49-yard field goal to give the Riders an opportunity to rally for the win.
"I pride myself on making that kick and I’ve got to step up to the plate and make it," said DeAngelis, who had made all 13 field goals he attempted this season up to that point. "I let the guys down. Hopefully I can get a chance to redeem myself next week (at home against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers next Saturday).
Saskatchewan started off strongly as Wes Cates broke off a 17-yard run to give the Riders great field position.
Five plays later, Durant hit a wide-open Getzlaf in the end zone with a perfect pass.
With the Riders threatening again later in the first quarter, Dwight Anderson picked off an errant pass by Durant at the Calgary 21-yard line.
Burris then started off a five-play, 89-yard scoring drive with an impressive 45-yard bomb to receiver Ryan Thelwell. Cornish capped off the drive with a 10-yard TD reception to tie the score at 7-7.
In the second quarter, Burris drove Calgary 99 yards downfield to the Saskatchewan five-yard line before the Stamps settled for a 12-yard field goal by DeAngelis. The Calgary kicker then added a 35-yarder a short time later to put the Stamps up 13-7.
Saskatchewan coach Ken Miller gave Steven Jyles some playing time in the second quarter, and the backup pivot responded by driving the Riders on a late first-half drive that covered 74 yards over 14 plays. Congi then kicked an 18-yard field goal as the second quarter expired to pull the visitors within three points.
With Durant back in the game in the third quarter, the Saskatchewan quarterback completed three straight passes to march the Riders 63 yards into the end zone. Durant finished off the drive with a 19-yard TD pass to Dressler to give Saskatchewan a 17-13 lead.
"He managed the ball well," Miller said of Durant, who completed 16 of 27 passes for 257 yards to go with three touchdowns and an interception. "You have to give the offensive line credit as they gave him great protection." The Riders missed an opportunity to extend their lead when Congi’s 33-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright early in the fourth quarter.
The Stamps took advantage of their good fortune on their next drive when Burris capped off a nine-play, 85-yard drive when he ran for an 18-yard score.
DeAngelis then kicked a 26-yard field goal to put Calgary up 23-17.
Notes: Cornish’s TD catch was his first receiving catch of his career. The Canadian running back, who hails from New Westminster, B.C., also had a rushing TD last season. The Stamps now have an all-time regular season record of 111-85-8 against Saskatchewan, including a 65-34-4 mark at home.
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