{"id":127302,"date":"2025-09-07T20:37:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T20:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/127302\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T20:37:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T20:37:07","slug":"roughriders-survive-alfords-blunder-another-missed-convert-and-god-centres-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/127302\/","title":{"rendered":"Roughriders survive Alford’s blunder, another missed convert and God Centre’s ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"

We need a meme, gif or jpeg of Saskatchewan Roughriders<\/a> head coach Corey Mace doing a calming head roll after watching return specialist Mario Alford against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.<\/p>\n

There may have never been a worse missed field goal return in CFL history.<\/p>\n

Yet Mace showed remarkable composure as Alford \u2014 who had fumbled away a fourth-quarter return in Saskatchewan\u2019s previous game \u2014 lollygagged around and nearly backtracked enough to surrender a game-tying safety during the fourth quarter of Saturday\u2019s Banjo Bowl inside Winnipeg\u2019s sold-out Princess Auto Stadium. One play later, working from Saskatchewan\u2019s one-yard line, Riders quarterback Trevor Harris threw a long pass to Joe Robustelli and the crisis had been averted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we love Muelles,\u201d said Mace, referring to the surprisingly effective play call from offensive co-ordinator Marc Mueller that helped Saskatchewan defeat Winnipeg 21-13<\/a>, giving the Roughriders their first sweep of the home-and-home, Labour Day Classic\/Banjo Bowl set since 2018.<\/p>\n

That game-saving drive ended with Brett Lauther, who has struggled mightily this season<\/a>, kicking one of his field goals in a 5-for-5 outing that did include a missed convert.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about the team winning,\u201d said Lauther. \u201cIt\u2019s not about me. I go out and do my job, for the most part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauther\u2019s missed convert left Winnipeg ahead 13-12 midway through the third quarter. But disaster was about to befall the Blue Bombers.<\/p>\n

While tackling Zach Collaros during one of Saskatchewan\u2019s nearly unstoppable blitzes, linebacker C.J. Reavis smacked his facemask into the helmet of the Blue Bombers quarterback. No penalty was initially called as Collaros, while fumbling away the football, crumpled to the ground and stayed motionless for a few seconds.<\/p>\n

Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea waited for the Replay Centre to confirm the turnover before formally requesting a review for a roughing-the-passer penalty.<\/p>\n

This is where the Replay Centre once again became the CFL\u2019s all-powerful God Centre,<\/a> ultimately overturning the on-field decision and assessing a 15-yard penalty. With Collaros\u2019 history of concussions to consider, it\u2019s tough to argue the logic behind the God Centre\u2019s ruling \u2014 the CFL certainly doesn\u2019t want a legendary quarterback to leave a game, finish his season or end his career on a headshot that wasn\u2019t penalized. And Reavis\u2019 hit met the league\u2019s criteria for a penalty by \u201cdelivering a blow to the neck or head of the passer.\u201d<\/p>\n

A penalty had to be assessed.<\/p>\n

After receiving medical attention, Collaros jogged off and didn\u2019t return to the sideline while the Blue Bombers retained possession of the football and replaced their leader with backup QB Chris Streveler. Reporters saw Collaros after the game, walking around inside his team\u2019s locker room.<\/p>\n

\u201cZach is their guy for a reason,\u201d said Mace. \u201cWe hope he\u2019s OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blue Bombers, Grey Cup qualifiers for five straight seasons,<\/a> simply aren\u2019t the same team without Collaros. Unable to score a second-half point against Saskatchewan\u2019s steadfast defence, they dropped to 6-6 and sit third in the West. Saskatchewan holds top spot with a CFL-best 10-2 record.<\/p>\n

The Roughriders haven\u2019t mathematically clinched a home playoff game, but their chances were helped later Saturday when the fifth-place Edmonton Elks upended the second-place Calgary Stampeders 31-19. Calgary is the only team to beat the Roughriders this season \u2014 twice<\/a> \u2014 but Winnipeg has been their postseason nemesis, eliminating Saskatchewan in last year\u2019s West final and three previous playoff appearances.<\/p>\n

So there was some trepidation after the Roughriders staved off a late Bombers challenge six days earlier in the Labour Day Classic, with Tevaughn Campbell intercepting a game-tying two-point convert and returning it 112 yards for the final points of Saskatchewan\u2019s 34-30 victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Campbell, with two, Marcus Sayles and DaMarcus Fields intercepted Banjo Bowl passes for the Roughriders, whose offence was again a little sluggish against the Blue Bombers. Saskatchewan\u2019s lone touchdown came on a five-yard run by A.J. Ouellette.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a gritty win,\u201d said Harris, who completed 18 of 31 passes for 239 yards with one interception. \u201cIt\u2019s not always gonna be sunshine and rainbows, with four touchdowns or five touchdowns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed. With one third of their 18-game regular season remaining, the Roughriders will need to survive those occasional backtracks to be a Grey Cup challenger. As they showed in Winnipeg, it requires composure. And maybe a head roll.<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

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