Roughriders storm past Redblacks in Eastern semifinal

Rudi Schuller

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Roughriders storm past Redblacks in Eastern semifinal image

An all-West Division match-up at the Grey Cup remains a possibility after the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 31-20 in the Eastern Semifinal on Sunday at TD Place Stadium.

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Kevin Glenn threw for 252 yards and one touchdown as the Roughriders rode a hot start to the contest to a thoroughly dominant display in the nation's capital. For Ottawa, quarterback Trevor Harris managed 457 passing yards and two touchdowns, but he couldn't get the Redblacks offence out of first gear — despite making a CFL playoff record 60 pass attempts — as the home team's hopes of a long playoff run culminating in a Grey Cup in the friendly confines of TD Place came crashing down. 

Saskatchewan, taking part in the East Division bracket as the crossover team, will continue its quest with a visit to Toronto in a meeting with the Argonauts in the Eastern final at BMO Field next week.

Fast start

Anyone tuning in to Sunday's game a little late would've missed a pair of teams looking to attack quickly, as each side managed to score a touchdown within the first five minutes of play.

The Roughriders got things started in the first drive of the game, utilizing a mix of rushing and passing to make their way down the field. Glenn eventually found Bakari Grant with a 29-yard touchdown pass to opening the scoring, with Tyler Crapigna stepping up to kick the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Not to be outdone, the Redblacks answered almost immediately through Diontae Spencer. The 25-year-old first gave his team great field position on the kick return following the Saskatchewan scoring drive, then pulled down a Harris pass for a 56-yard touchdown.

Ottawa would then go one better than the Roughriders by successfully completing a two-point conversion to claim a temporary 8-7 lead before five minutes had passed on the clock.

However, Saskatchewan would again take the lead and hold on until the end of the opening quarter, leading 14-8 at the first break.

Spencer, the monster

The Redblacks receiver and return specialist did everything in his power to keep the home team within reach of the game, especially in the first half as the Roughriders began to assert their dominance.

Whether it was through receiving, punt returns or kickoff returns, Spencer was the one constant other than Harris in Ottawa's offence. In all, he put up 292 total yards and scored a touchdown, but perhaps his most impressive play come during a first-quarter possession that amounted to zero points for his team.

Spencer rose high above his defender to haul down a Harris pass near the sidelines, and he contorted his body to make the 33-yard reception before being tackled out of bounds. The play didn't lead to anything as Harris would go on to turn the ball over later in the possession, but it was just a small example of the Herculean effort put in by Spencer in a losing cause.

At least he got to participate in the most creative touchdown celebration of the year.

Thigpen influential

However huge Spencer was for the Redblacks, Marcus Thigpen was just as much for the Roughriders.

The 31-year-old running back made the most of his 15 carries, notching 169 rushing yards on Sunday. His highlight was a 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that came just seconds after Ottawa had pulled to within 10 points with plenty of time remaining.

Thigpen's 75-yard run was the proverbial nail in the coffin for the home team. He eventually went on to rack up 207 total yards (including 38 yards in a pair of kickoff returns).

Rudi Schuller