With first place in the West Division assured, the Saskatchewan Roughriders extended another playoff-bound opponent to the limit on Saturday before losing a 27-21 nailbiter to the visiting B.C. Lions in the CFL\u2019s 2025 regular-season finale.<\/p>\n
Saskatchewan (12-6) is now idle until the Western Final on Nov. 8 (5:30 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe put in the work all season to make sure that we were in the position we\u2019re in right now,\u201d Roughriders middle linebacker Jameer Thurman said.<\/p>\n With Saturday\u2019s win, the Lions clinched second place and will play host to the Calgary Stampeders (also 11-7) in a first-round playoff game in one week\u2019s time.<\/p>\n After securing first place on Oct. 10, the Roughriders lost 17-16 to the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers eight days ago. Winnipeg (10-8), which finished fourth in the West, will be a crossover participant in the East Division playoffs. Winnipeg will visit the Montreal Alouettes on Nov. 1.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last two weeks, with the way our team went out there and scrapped, I\u2019m proud of that,\u201d Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace said. \u201cWe know each other.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to win. It sucks (to lose) but I know for sure, no matter what, this team will scrap. That\u2019s truthfully some of the DNA that you\u2019re going to have going into these playoffs. It certainly solidified what I figured I knew about this team.\u201d<\/p>\n Before 25,416 spectators on Saturday, B.C. scored on the opening play from scrimmage when Nathan Rourke hit Ayden Eberhardt down the right sideline for a 63-yard pass-and-run touchdown. The convert attempt was wide.<\/p>\n Saskatchewan answered with a 14-play, 72-yard march that consumed 7:33 and concluded with short-yardage quarterback Jack Coan\u2019s one-yard TD run. Michael Hughes, making his debut with the Roughriders, added the convert.<\/p>\n Coan\u2019s TD increased the Roughriders\u2019 streak of consecutive opening-possession majors to four games.<\/p>\n B.C. responded with a 49-yard field goal by Sean Whyte, who gave his team a 9-7 lead.<\/p>\n Hughes answered with a 28-yard field goal that put Saskatchewan ahead 10-9 early in the second quarter.<\/p>\n Carl Meyer\u2019s 73-yard punt single created a 10-10 tie at 3:06 of the second frame.<\/p>\n Coan\u2019s second TD of the game, also on a one-yard run, restored the Roughriders\u2019 lead at 7:21 of the second quarter. Hughes added the convert and followed up with a 90-yard kickoff single to put the Riders ahead 18-10.<\/p>\n At that point, the decision was made to remove Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris from the game, which did not have a bearing on the team\u2019s playoff placing.<\/p>\n On three possessions with Harris in the game, Saskatchewan produced two touchdowns and a field goal.<\/p>\n \u201cI was really happy with the way he played,\u201d Mace said. \u201cI thought he was super decisive with the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n The Roughriders\u2019 nominee for the CFL\u2019s George Reed Most Outstanding Player award was 10-for-11 for 112 yards and added a one-yard TD run before being replaced by Jake Maier with six minutes left in the second quarter.<\/p>\n Saskatchewan\u2019s second touchdown drive was extended when Harris scrambled for 13 yards \u2014 his longest run of the season \u2014 on second-and-six.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just screaming, \u2018Get down!\u2019 \u201d Mace said. \u201cHe gave the \u2018T-Mobile\u2019 (gesture). I said, \u2018Well, you called \u2026 I answered. We\u2019re going to pull you.\u2019 We got him out of there.<\/p>\n \u201cI was super-happy with his performance. He looked like he was having fun and you want that.\u201d<\/p>\n Whyte\u2019s subsequent 14-yard field goal made it 18-13, Saskatchewan, and concluded the first-half scoring.<\/p>\n The Lions went ahead 19-18 at 4:40 of the third quarter when Rourke and Eberhardt connected for a 22-yard score. The two-point convert attempt failed.<\/p>\n A 42-yard field goal by Hughes at 2:51 of the third quarter gave the Roughriders a 21-19 lead.<\/p>\n The Lions went ahead at 10:55 of the fourth quarter when Rourke found Keon Hatcher for a seven-yard TD. The same duo collaborated on a two-point convert that ultimately concluded the scoring.<\/p>\n JAKE\u2019S TAKE<\/p>\n In relief of Harris, Maier completed 16 of 24 passes for 154 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought we came out humming,\u201d Maier said<\/a>. \u201cI thought Trevor played awesome. I thought in the first half, we played really well.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought the group in the second half, starting with me, needed to do a better job of putting one touchdown drive together to win us that game. That\u2019s something I\u2019m going to think about it a lot tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n