Cats still winless in Canadian Football League season
Omarr Morgan turned the tide, but he couldn't do it alone. Morgan and Davin Bush teamed up for a 105-yard interception return touchdown to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 32-13 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Sunday.
Hamilton was on the verge of cutting into the Roughriders' 12-point lead with five minutes remaining when Morgan intercepted a Danny McManus pass on the Saskatchewan five-yard line. Morgan returned the ball 46 yards before flipping to Bush, who covered the last 59 yards to the end zone.
"Davin's the fastest player on the field," said Morgan, who threaded his way through several Tiger-Cats and actually covered about 90 yards of real estate before his lateral to Bush on the Riders' 51. "When you get the ball in his hands, you might as well strike up the band. It's a touchdown.
"I always tell him and LaDouphyous (McCalla), if I get a pick, be looking up because I'm coming your way."
The Taylor Field crowd of 23,412 feared another late defensive collapse. Saskatchewan blew a 12-point edge in an away loss to Toronto last weekend and almost gave the game away in Hamilton two weeks ago.
"We practised last-second drives all week," Morgan said. "You think about those things, but you have to make a play and we did."
Saskatchewan (3-1) maintained its share of first place in the West Division with the B.C. Lions (3-0) and Edmonton Eskimos (3-1). Hamilton remained in the East Division basement at 0-3.
Roughriders head coach Danny Barrett gambled heavily on the Roughriders' go-ahead drive late in the third quarter. Trailing 13-12, he took McCallum's successful 29-yard field goal off the board to accept an offside penalty that set up third-one at the Hamilton 15. Corey Holmes ran for the necessary yard and, two plays later, Greene scrambled 14 yards for the major.
"We held them well in the third quarter but we jumped offside that one time on the field goal and you can't do that," Hamilton head coach Greg Marshall said. "You cannot give Nealon Greene a fresh set of downs. Winning football teams don't make those mistakes."
A wind blowing from 39 to 56 kilometres per hour dictated the scoring in the first half. Hamilton scored eight points in the first quarter on Julian Radlein's one-yard run, Jamie Boreham's convert and Boreham's 54-yard punt single.
Radlein's touchdown was set up when Roughriders quarterback Nealon Greene dropped the football while rolling out and Tiger-Cats tackle Adriano Bellli recovered the fumble on the Roughriders' 21-yard line.
Saskatchewan rallied with 12 second-quarter points as Greene sandwiched a one-yard scoring run between a pair of Paul McCallum field goals from 15 and 35 yards. The touchdown - set up by Dominique Dorsey's 65-yard punt return to the Hamilton one-yard line - was unconverted after the snap went high. But because McCallum did not put his foot to the ball his record of never having missed a convert in his career remained intact.
Hamilton scored the first points against the wind early in the third quarter when Roughriders centre Jocelyn Frenette snapped the ball over McCallum's head in punt formation from the Saskatchewan 53. McCallum caught up to the ball near his 25-yard line and kicked it backwards through his end zone, giving the Tiger-Cats a safety touch.
Subsequently taking the ball on their own 35, the Tiger-Cats marched 53 yards to set up Boreham's 30-yard field goal and take a 13-12 lead.
Saskatchewan padded its 19-13 lead with Chris Szarka's one-yard touchdown plunge midway through the fourth quarter. Corey Holmes did everything to set it up with a 28-yard punt return, an eight-yard reception and runs of eight and three yards. A two-point convert attempt failed.
Greene completed 15 of 31 passes for 186 yards. McManus was 23-for-46 for 262 yards. Both quarterbacks threw one interception.
Holmes, the league's leading rusher, gained 71 yards on 21 carries while the entire Tiger-Cat team was held to nine yards on 11 attempts.
Notes: Seven Saskatchewan starters sat out: running back Kenton Keith (bruised sternum), receivers Matt Dominguez (torn knee ligament) and Karsten Bailey (sprained ankle), centre Jeremy O'Day (torn knee ligament), defensive tackle Nate Davis (sore back), linebacker Jackie Mitchell (groin pull) and cornerback McCalla (hamstring). . . . Hamilton has lost its last six games at Taylor Field. . . . Saskatchewan returns to action Saturday in Calgary against the Stampeders. Hamilton is at home against the B.C. Lions the same day.
Hamilton was on the verge of cutting into the Roughriders' 12-point lead with five minutes remaining when Morgan intercepted a Danny McManus pass on the Saskatchewan five-yard line. Morgan returned the ball 46 yards before flipping to Bush, who covered the last 59 yards to the end zone.
"Davin's the fastest player on the field," said Morgan, who threaded his way through several Tiger-Cats and actually covered about 90 yards of real estate before his lateral to Bush on the Riders' 51. "When you get the ball in his hands, you might as well strike up the band. It's a touchdown.
"I always tell him and LaDouphyous (McCalla), if I get a pick, be looking up because I'm coming your way."
The Taylor Field crowd of 23,412 feared another late defensive collapse. Saskatchewan blew a 12-point edge in an away loss to Toronto last weekend and almost gave the game away in Hamilton two weeks ago.
"We practised last-second drives all week," Morgan said. "You think about those things, but you have to make a play and we did."
Saskatchewan (3-1) maintained its share of first place in the West Division with the B.C. Lions (3-0) and Edmonton Eskimos (3-1). Hamilton remained in the East Division basement at 0-3.
Roughriders head coach Danny Barrett gambled heavily on the Roughriders' go-ahead drive late in the third quarter. Trailing 13-12, he took McCallum's successful 29-yard field goal off the board to accept an offside penalty that set up third-one at the Hamilton 15. Corey Holmes ran for the necessary yard and, two plays later, Greene scrambled 14 yards for the major.
"We held them well in the third quarter but we jumped offside that one time on the field goal and you can't do that," Hamilton head coach Greg Marshall said. "You cannot give Nealon Greene a fresh set of downs. Winning football teams don't make those mistakes."
A wind blowing from 39 to 56 kilometres per hour dictated the scoring in the first half. Hamilton scored eight points in the first quarter on Julian Radlein's one-yard run, Jamie Boreham's convert and Boreham's 54-yard punt single.
Radlein's touchdown was set up when Roughriders quarterback Nealon Greene dropped the football while rolling out and Tiger-Cats tackle Adriano Bellli recovered the fumble on the Roughriders' 21-yard line.
Saskatchewan rallied with 12 second-quarter points as Greene sandwiched a one-yard scoring run between a pair of Paul McCallum field goals from 15 and 35 yards. The touchdown - set up by Dominique Dorsey's 65-yard punt return to the Hamilton one-yard line - was unconverted after the snap went high. But because McCallum did not put his foot to the ball his record of never having missed a convert in his career remained intact.
Hamilton scored the first points against the wind early in the third quarter when Roughriders centre Jocelyn Frenette snapped the ball over McCallum's head in punt formation from the Saskatchewan 53. McCallum caught up to the ball near his 25-yard line and kicked it backwards through his end zone, giving the Tiger-Cats a safety touch.
Subsequently taking the ball on their own 35, the Tiger-Cats marched 53 yards to set up Boreham's 30-yard field goal and take a 13-12 lead.
Saskatchewan padded its 19-13 lead with Chris Szarka's one-yard touchdown plunge midway through the fourth quarter. Corey Holmes did everything to set it up with a 28-yard punt return, an eight-yard reception and runs of eight and three yards. A two-point convert attempt failed.
Greene completed 15 of 31 passes for 186 yards. McManus was 23-for-46 for 262 yards. Both quarterbacks threw one interception.
Holmes, the league's leading rusher, gained 71 yards on 21 carries while the entire Tiger-Cat team was held to nine yards on 11 attempts.
Notes: Seven Saskatchewan starters sat out: running back Kenton Keith (bruised sternum), receivers Matt Dominguez (torn knee ligament) and Karsten Bailey (sprained ankle), centre Jeremy O'Day (torn knee ligament), defensive tackle Nate Davis (sore back), linebacker Jackie Mitchell (groin pull) and cornerback McCalla (hamstring). . . . Hamilton has lost its last six games at Taylor Field. . . . Saskatchewan returns to action Saturday in Calgary against the Stampeders. Hamilton is at home against the B.C. Lions the same day.
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