Sexton sparks Riders in 27-22 win over Redblacks

Matthew Sexton only needed one lane to change the game.

In his first game as Saskatchewan’s primary returner, Sexton fielded a punt near his own goal line and took it 101 yards the other way for a touchdown, helping the Roughriders hold off the Ottawa Redblacks 27-22 Friday night at TD Place Stadium.

The special teams score ended up being the difference in a game that featured a slow start from Saskatchewan, a late push from Ottawa and two former Riders trying to make their mark against their old team.

Quarterback Jake Maier and kicker Brett Lauther both faced Saskatchewan for the first time since leaving the organization.

Maier struck first, taking advantage of an A.J. Allen interception off of Trevor Harris on the Riders’ opening drive. The Redblacks quarterback moved Ottawa down the field before finding Cade McDonald for a 15-yard touchdown.

Lauther added the extra point and later connected on a 32-yard field goal to give Ottawa a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

While Ottawa controlled the opening minutes, Saskatchewan slowly started to find its footing.

The Riders caught a break early in the second quarter when Nick Wiebe forced a fumble on a kickoff return, setting Saskatchewan’s offence up with a short field.

Harris capitalized moments later, finding Dhel Duncan-Busby for a 13-yard touchdown to get the Riders on the board.

After an early interception and some missed opportunities, Harris settled into the game and began leaning on KeeSean Johnson.

Johnson continued to be one of Saskatchewan’s most reliable weapons, hauling in nine of 10 targets and making key catches throughout the night before hauling in a 23-yard touchdown from Harris on the final play of the third quarter.

Harris finished the night with 243 passing yards with 18 completions, while Saskatchewan added 107 yards on the ground. Quali Conley had 57 yards while short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens contributed 38 on the ground.

Johnson finished with 137 yards and a touchdown. Sam Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker had relatively quiet nights as Emilus hauled in three of six targets for 46 yards while Schaffer-Baker had just one catch for nine yards. Both missed time this week during practice due to injury.

However, the Redblacks refused to go away.

Maier put together one of his strongest drives of the night early in the fourth quarter, including a 34-yard completion to Eugene Lewis that helped set up a one-yard rushing touchdown from Bryson Barnes.

Ottawa had a chance to complete the comeback late, with Maier once again moving the Redblacks into Saskatchewan territory.

But with the game on the line, the Riders’ defence came up with one final stand, with safety Jaxon Ford shutting down Ottawa on third-and-one to get the ball back.

From there, Stevens helped put the game away. Stevens picked up multiple first downs on the ground, allowing Saskatchewan to run out the clock.

Maier finished with 23 completions of 30 attempts with 259 passing yards in the loss.

Ottawa outgained Saskatchewan 333-329 in net offence but struggled to keep drives alive, finishing six-for-18 on second-down conversions. Saskatchewan went 12-for-23.

The game also featured some heated moments, with Ottawa head coach Ryan Dinwiddie showing frustration on the sideline following several calls, including a pass interference penalty in the second quarter.

Lauther was perfect against his former team, going three-for-three on field goals, while Alex Hale hit both of his attempts for Saskatchewan.

The win moves Saskatchewan to 3-1 on the season, while Ottawa falls to 0-4.

The Riders will now turn their attention to their next matchup against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.