Music: {allcanada} Riders fall to Eskimos in home opener

Sunday, July 3, 2011

{allcanada} Riders fall to Eskimos in home opener

REGINA -- Jason Barnes hauled in a two of Ricky Ray's three touchdown passes Sunday as the Edmonton Eskimos opened their 2011 CFL season with a 42-28 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Barnes finished the game with five catches for 104 yards, while fellow Edmonton receiver Adarius Bowman caught seven passes for 103 yards and a TD. Ray went 21-of-27 for 294 yards.

Ray found Barnes for 35-yard score on the Eskimos' second possession of the game.

After allowing a 14-yard touchdown pass from Darian Durant to Efrem Hill, Ray found Barnes again from 14 yards to give Edmonton a 14-7 lead.

Edmonton's defence stepped up by stopping the Riders on their next possession and recovering a Durant fumble, setting up a pair of Damon Duval field goals.

Saskatchewan responded with a 43-yard Eddie Johnson field goal.

Edmonton scored for a fifth straight possession when Daniel Porter found the end zone on a five-yard run, giving the Eskimos a 27-10 lead.

Johnson added a 22-yard field goal before Saskatchewan running back Wes Cates found the end zone from 24 yards out to cut the deficit to 27-20 at halftime.

Neither team could get the offence rolling in the third quarter until Weldon Brown intercepted a Durant pass that was tipped by Terrence Nunn. Ray found Bowman five plays later for a four-yard touchdown pass.

Edmonton put the game out of reach when Kerry Joseph scored on a quarterback sneak from one yard out. That play was set up by a 31-yard catch by Bowman, who fumbled the ball on the one-yard line. The officials judged that the ball rolled out of bounds at the one yard-line, allowing the Eskimos to keep possession.

Durant tried to lead Saskatchewan back in the fourth quarter when he found Jason Clermont for a 22-yard touchdown, but it wasn't enough.

Johnson and Duval added punt singles to round out the scoring.

Saskatchewan's Weston Dressler led all receivers with seven catches for 109 yards. Durant, who completed 15 straight passes before throwing his first of three interceptions in the game, completed 27-of-37 passes for 339 yards.

Cates led all rushers with 56 yards.

Edmonton and Saskatchewan both return to action July 9. The Eskimos host Hamilton, while the Riders have a Grey Cup rematch when they host Montreal.