The Saskatchewan Roughriders are back in the win column, snapping a short two-game skid with a 28-24 win over the Toronto Argonauts Saturday night. Down as much as 13 points in the second quarter, the Riders stormed back with 16 in the second half to take the win. Saskatchewan earned their first lead of the game with under three minutes remaining after a long touchdown drive. Starting on their own 13-yard line, quarterback Trevor Harris and the offense marched 97 yards down the field all the way to Toronto’s four-yard line. It appeared Saskatchewan was going to tie the game on a field goal but instead, the Argos bailed out the offense and jumped offside; giving the Riders a new set of downs from the two. Short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens punched it into the endzone the very next play and a 28-24 Riders’ lead. It was Stevens’ league-leading 12th touchdown of the season. However, the game did not start as well for Saskatchewan. From the very first Argonauts’ possession of the game, Toronto’s pass-first offense took control early. Argos’ pivot Chad Kelly dissected the Riders’ defense in the first half with 99 yards passing in the first quarter and added nearly 200 more in the second quarter. He threw three touchdowns in the first half as Toronto took a 22-12 lead into the break. Saskatchewan’s defense clamped down in the third quarter, allowing Kelly just 120 yards through the air in the second half – 60 of them on the final drive of the game with less than a minute remaining. The defense added two interceptions. James Burgess Jr. got his first CFL pick in his first CFL start in the first quarter. In the third quarter, Nelson Lokombo intercepted Kelly for his first of the season. As a team, Toronto called just four rushing plays for a total of 15 yards. In contrast, they attempted 41 passes. Despite having just 113 passing yards in the first half, Harris was 15/21 for 200 yards and a touchdown in the second half to lead the comeback. Harris targeted KeeSean Johnson 14 times over the game, as he made a game-high 10 catches for 146 yards, adding a touchdown reception. The win improves Saskatchewan to 7-4 after they had dropped each of their previous two games. Since Corey Mace took over as head coach in 2024, Saskatchewan has gone three-plus games without a win only one time. Sitting comfortably in second place in the West Division, Saskatchewan is two points back of Edmonton in first. Toronto falls below .500 with the loss to 5-6. The Riders now prepare for a two-game set with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 61st Labour Day Classic and the Banjo Bowl the week following.
