The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers vie for control of a loose ball during second half CFL action in Regina on Sunday, September 3, 2017.Mark Taylor/The Canadian Press
Kevin Glenn threw three touchdown passes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders' offensive juggernaut rolled on, downing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 38-24 on Sunday.
It was the Riders' third consecutive victory and moved the team into a tie with the idle B.C. Lions for fourth place in the West Division. The loss snapped the Bombers' five-game winning streak and dropped their record to 7-3.
The Riders (5-4) have scored 133 points over the past three games, all of which were against divisional opponents.
Naaman Roosevelt and Rob Bagg caught touchdown passes from Glenn in the Riders' explosive 24-point first quarter. Glenn finished the game 26 of 36 for 386 yards.
A third Saskatchewan touchdown — a one-yard run from Vernon Adams — was set up by an Ed Gainey interception return to the Winnipeg four-yard line.
Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols completed 35-of-47 passes for 364 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Tyler Crapigna kicked a 50-yard field goal that opened the scoring in the first quarter for Saskatchewan. The 24 points scored in the first was a season-high for the Riders.
The Blue Bombers found some traction on offence early in the second quarter. Timothy Flanders caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Nichols to cut into the Saskatchewan lead.
After a Justin Medlock field goal that made it 24-13, the Riders responded with a 17-yard touchdown strike from Glenn to Duron Carter, who leads the Riders with seven major scores.
The Riders led 34-16 at halftime.
Winnipeg's defence held the Riders in check in the third quarter and limited the home team to a Crapigna field goal, his third of the game.
An Andrew Harris 10-yard touchdown reception midway through the fourth quarter helped close the gap to two scores at 37-23. Harris led the Blue Bombers with 10 receptions for 72 yards.
Gainey's second interception of the game snuffed a Winnipeg drive late in the fourth quarter where a touchdown would have pulled the Blue Bombers to within six points.
The Riders had three receivers —Bakari Grant (139 yards) and Roosevelt (119 yards) and Carter (101 yards) — eclipse the 100-yard mark.
The same two teams will meet next week in Winnipeg.