Hamilton Tiger-Cat's quarterback Zach Collaros (L) runs the ball past Saskatchewan Roughriders' John Chick (97) and Brian Peters (27) during the second half of their CFL football game in Hamilton, September 14, 2014.MARK BLINCH/Reuters
Sunday's game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was nothing like the previous two, in which the green and white blistered the Ticats in the Grey Cup before delirious fans in Riderville, and again on Canada Day weekend when they opened the season brimming with promise to return to the championship game.
This game, on a brisk September afternoon before a capacity crowd at brand-new Tim Hortons Field, was all Hamilton, and it ended a seven-game Riders winning streak. This game didn't feature Grey Cup-winning quarterback Darian Durant, and it cast some big doubts on the defending champs.
With backup Tino Sunseri starting in place of the injured Durant, the Roughriders mustered just a single field goal, as the Ticats dominated 28-3 behind young starting quarterback Zach Collaros, who completed 29 of 36 passes for 287 yards, including a pair of touchdown strikes to Luke Tasker. Former Rider Andy Fantuz was the game's leading receiver, with 11 catches for 108 yards.
Panic had permeated Rider-crazy Regina after Durant left last week's game with a torn elbow tendon. Then it was determined that the long-time starter needed surgery and likely won't return this season. Suddenly, 25-year-old Sunseri, a second-year player out of the University of Pittsburgh, was thrust into the most scrutinized pivot's job in the league.
The team also quickly signed Keith Price, a 23-year-old from the University of Washington, who they may need to call on soon.
Making his first CFL start Sunday, Sunseri completed nine of 21 passes for 88 yards and an interception. The Ticats sacked him five times.
"They came and did something totally different from what we thought they would do … playing a lot more zone, they weren't blitzing us like they (were) on tape before," Sunseri said. "It's not up to my standard or my coaches' standards. … we weren't able to make plays today … it wasn't up to the standard of this locker room."
The Riders, who went into the game with a CFL-best average of 150 rushing yards a game, weren't able to project nearly the same unpredictability with an inexperienced pivot in place of dual-threat Durant.
"You know there will be a higher percentage of runs because you have a young quarterback in there, and they did a good job, they had some penetration there and were very dominant up front," said Saskatchewan coach Corey Chamblin.
The gap now widens atop the West division, where the Calgary Stampeders sit in first at 10-1, and the Roughriders are second at 8-3, knotted with the Edmonton Eskimos. Hamilton improves to 3-7 to move into first place in the East, ahead of the 3-8 Toronto Argonauts. Through 12 weeks of football, this is just the fifth game in which a team from the Eastern Division beat a team from the West.
The Ticats took a quick lead as kicker Justin Medlock rocked a pair of long field goals through the uprights on the first two drives from 50 and 51 yards out.
Sunseri tossed one deep into enemy territory early in the first quarter, but was picked off by Hamilton cornerback Courtney Stephen.
Collaros then connected with Tasker for a touchdown pass of 14 yards and a 13-0 lead.
Saskatchewan couldn't earn touchdowns out of two red-zone opportunities they earned as a result of Ticat penalties. They couldn't convert after Riders defensive lineman Derek Walker intercepted a Collaros pass.
Hamilton receiver Terrell Sinkfield rumbled through the Riders, returning a punt 58 yards for a touchdown. Collaros also hit Tasker again for another 14-yard touchdown pass, and Hamilton added a single in the game's dying moments.
"We didn't have the lulls in this game that we've had before," said Ticats coach Kent Austin, specifically noting momentum-killing penalties that have cost his team in recent weeks. "Guys are growing up a little bit."
Rachel Brady