REGINA - The Saskatchewan Roughriders have stressed the importance of making the right play at the right time this season.
On Sunday, Tevaughn Campbell did just that.
When the Winnipeg Blue Bombers set up for a two-point conversion that could have tied the game in the final minute, Campbell leapt up and picked off the pass. The defensive back then dashed 112 yards up the field to give the Riders two points — and a 34-30 win.
"I just knew I had to jump it," Campbell said. "Then it was 'Catch it, catch it, catch it.' I think I stumbled a bit, but I just had to get into the end zone."
Saskatchewan head coach Corey Mace said it would have been fine if Campbell had simply batted the pass down.
"(Campbell) is one of the fastest guys on the team, so if he catches the ball with a couple yards lead, I don't believe there's very many people who are going to catch him," he said. "But I wasn't going to say anything until I saw him cross that goal line. Incredible play by him."
The play tied the Riders franchise record for longest interception return. Bruce Bennett set the record with a 112-yard pick six in a 35-3 victory over the Calgary Stampeders on Aug. 27, 1972.
Sunday's victory in front of a sellout crowd of 34,243 at Mosaic Stadium improved Saskatchewan's record to 9-2, good for first place in the CFL's West Division, while Winnipeg dropped to 6-5 for third place in the West.
Riders QB Trevor Harris connected on 17-of-27 pass attempts for 219 yards with a touchdown, while Mario Andersson drove in two rushing majors.
Zach Collaros put up 326 passing yards for the Blue Bombers, making good on 26 of his 37 attempts with three TDs and one interception.
Saskatchewan held an eight-point lead heading into the final minute of the fourth quarter.
With the Bombers facing third and 14 from their own 36-yard line, Collaros attempted a long pass to Nic Demski. The pass fell incomplete but Riders safety Jaxon Ford was penalized for pass interference, giving the Bombers the ball on the Saskatchewan 17-yard line.
Three plays later Collaros hit Dalton Schoen on a six-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 32-30. Campbell's big play came on the ensuing conversion attempt.
The Riders took control of the contest in the fourth quarter when a disastrous offensive series by the Bombers led to a golden opportunity for Saskatchewan. After an offensive pass interference penalty against Demski, the Bombers proceeded to take two additional penalties that left them facing a second and 24 scenario from their own 17-yard line.
Winnipeg resorted to a draw play with tailback Brady Oliveira who fumbled at the 26-yard line with Saskatchewan's Jameer Thurman recovering the loose ball. Four plays later Anderson scored on a five-yard run.
The touchdown, Anderson's second of the game, was followed by a two-point conversion where Harris connected with Ajou Ajou to give the Riders a 31-17 lead with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
That costly series is one Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea wanted back.
"I think we survive that with a punt, or we convert without taking the penalties," he said. "I think it's a difficulty, but they're going to have things they say too, that they would have wanted done differently. It's a four-point game."
Winnipeg made things interesting when Collaros hit Keric Wheatfall on a 33-yard touchdown pass with 4:03 left in regulation to cut the Riders lead to 31-24.
The Riders scored a single on a third-down quick kick by Harris with 1:21 left to make the score 32-24.
The Bombers started the game strong with Oliveira scoring the game's first touchdown on the opening play of the second quarter on a five-yard run. The play was set up by a pair of long completions from Collaros to Demski, for 33 yards, and to Kevens Clercius, for 51 yards.
Clercius made a spectacular twisting grab despite tight coverage from Marcus Sayles. The reception put the Bombers on the Riders eight-yard line and Oliveira scored two plays later.
On Saskatchewan's next play, Harris fumbled deep in the Riders zone with Winnipeg linebacker Tony Jones recovering the ball on the Saskatchewan five-yard line. The Riders defence stiffened on two Winnipeg running plays with the Bombers settling on a 10-yard field goal from Castillo for a 10-0 lead.
With the Saskatchewan offence struggling, the defence came up with another big play as Malik Carney sacked Collaros on the Winnipeg seven-yard line with the tackle forcing a fumble. Carney recovered the ball on his second sack of the game and the Riders took over.
Tailback A.J. Ouellette then scampered seven yards for the touchdown, cutting Winnipeg's lead to 10-7 midway through the quarter.
Harris got the offence rolling late in the half, directing a four-play, 102-yard drive that culminated with a 69-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Nield. The major, coming with 2:36 left in the half, gave Saskatchewan a 14-10 lead.
After the Riders increased their lead to 17-10 midway through the third quarter on a 34-yard field goal by Brett Lauther, the Bombers responded with a five-play, 70-yard drive culminating with a 22-yard touchdown grab by Demski. On the drive Demski had three catches for 47 yards.
Saskatchewan answered Demski's major with a seven-play, 87-yard scoring drive. Anderson finished it with a 26-yard run around the right end, breaking a number of tackles on the way to the end zone with 22 seconds left in the third. Lauther missed the point after attempt and the Riders had a 23-17 lead.
Sunday's game was simply two good teams doing battle, Mace said.
"So inevitably, what was going to happen was adversity. We talked about that this week," the coach said. "But for us, whether the adversity hit or things were in our favour, the work shouldn't look any different, let's just focus on executing each play.
"I thought the guys did that. There was zero panic. There was no finger pointing. It was just, 'Let's get our job done.' Super proud of the guys."
UP NEXT
The teams will meet in the second game of a home-and-home series on Sept. 6 when the Bombers host the Riders in the Banjo Bowl.
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