REGINA - Darian Durant threw three touchdown passes, including two
in the second half, to power the Saskatchewan Roughriders past the
Calgary Stampeders 27-17 in the West Division final Sunday.
With the win, Saskatchewan will meet the Montreal Alouettes in the
Grey Cup game at Calgary's McMahon Stadium next weekend. The Alouettes
beat B.C. 56-18 in the East Division final earlier Sunday.
It will mark the first time that Montreal and Saskatchewan have met in the CFL title game.
It was the first time in 33 years that Saskatchewan had
finished first in the West Division and earned the right to host the
West Division final. The win completed the Riders' dominance of Calgary
as they finished the season with a 3-0-1 head-to-head record against
the defending Grey Cup champions.
Durant broke a 10-10 half-time tie with two TD strikes in the second
half. His third of the game was a 16-yard toss to Rob Bagg that put the
Riders ahead for good in a game that was dominated by defence early.
Durant finished the game 18-of-25 passing for 204 yards - with 107 yards and two TDs in the second half.
DeAngelis opened the scoring on the game's first possession with a
47-yard field goal at 3:14 of the first quarter before Joffrey
Reynolds, the CFL rushing leader, scampered 17 yards for a Calgary
touchdown at 3:24 of the second.
But the Riders rallied with Durant's eight-yard TD strike to Chris
Getzlaf at 7:54. Luca Congi added an 18-yard field goal at 12:41.
Durant found Andy Fantuz on a nine-yard touchdown pass at 2:19 of
the third to put the Riders ahead 17-10, then Durant hit Bagg at 11:04
to give the home team a 24-11 advantage.
After Congi's 43-yard field goal at 2:04 of the fourth increased the
Riders' lead to 27-11, Henry Burris threw a four-yard touchdown
pass to Jermaine Copeland at 13:47 to cut the Riders' lead to 27-17.
Burris's pass for the two-point convert was intercepted in the end zone.
Burris finished 20-of-32 passing for 250 yards with a touchdown and threw three interceptions.