Saskatchewan 54 - Montreal 51

[gusman]

What a game!!! Saskatchewan beat Montreal in OT 54 - 51.

[gusman]

C & P from cfl.ca Staff

REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders stormed back in the second half for an incredible come from behind 54-51 double overtime victory over the Montreal Alouettes in a rematch of the 2009 Grey Cup.

The Roughrider defence got off to a quick start intercepting Anthony Calvillo on the Alouettes first play from scrimmage. The Riders turned the turnover into three quick points as Luca Congi connected on a 17-yard field goal for the first points of 2010.

After throwing the interception on his first pass of the game Calvillo settled in and rattled off 12 straight completions and finished the first half 14 / 16 for 228 yards with 3 TDs to take the Als into the half with 24-10 lead.

Calvillo’s first TD was a 39-yard throw to Kerry Watkins for the league’s first major of the season. Calvillo also hit Watkins for his third TD pass of the half. His other was a 48-yarder to S.J. Green.

The Riders scored their lone TD of the first half on a nine-yard Darian Durant touchdown run.

A nine-yard Damon Duval field goal rounded out the first half scoring.

After the two teams traded safety concessions to start the second half Alouette return man Tim Maypray had a highlight reel a 122-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown to extend the Als lead.

The Riders answered right back with a touchdown of their own as Durant hooked up with Prechae Rodriguez for a 43-yard score, Rodriguez’s first as a Rider.

The Riders went right back to work on their next series as Durant hit Rob Bagg for an 87-yard touchdown to cut the Als lead to a single touchdown.

The Riders furious comeback continued as Wes Cates scored on a 10-yard run to tie the game at 33-33.

The Alouettes briefly re-took the lead on an Avon Cobourne one-yard score before Andy Fantuz leveled the score once again on an Andy Fantuz TD reception to force overtime in the first game of 2010.

Durant looked to Fantuz again in overtime as the Rider QB found his favourite target of 2009 in the endzone for a touchdown on the Riders first OT possession. In the new CFL overtime rules teams must go for the two point conversion following an OT touchdown. The Riders successfully converted as Durant hit Chris Getzlaf to give the Riders a 48-40 lead heading into the Als first overtime try.

The Riders looked to have won the game as Calvillo sailed a third down pass through the endzone, but in a haunting scene for Riders as the team was flagged for too many men on the field.

Calvillo rallied the Als and hit SJ Green in the endzone to make it 48-46 for the Als. Calvillo again found Green on the two-point conversion attempt as Green had what may go down as the catch of the year with a diving one-handed grab at the back of the endzone.

The Rider defence held during the Als possession in the second overtime mini-game forcing a Duval field goal.

Cue Weston Dressler. Dressler made a highlight reel catch of his own slithering between two Als defenders for a sliding catch to take it down to the Als two-yard line. Durant found Dressler again for a touchdown to give the Riders a thrilling 54-51 victory.

The 105 combined points was the third most in CFL history.

Durant finished the game 30/44 for 478 yards and 5 touchdowns.