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The Saskatchewan Roughriders secured their place in the CFL playoffs with a 16-9 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday in Regina. The result moved Saskatchewan to third place in the West Division and set up a West semifinal clash with the B.C. Lions on October 31.
As a result of the standings shift, the fourth-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers will cross over to the East and face the Toronto Argonauts in their semifinal, also on October 31. Meanwhile, the first-place Elks, who finished the regular season at 13-5, will host the winner of the Saskatchewan-B.C. game in the West final on November 7 in Edmonton.
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Stevens Breaks CFL Rushing Touchdown Record
Riders quarterback Tommy Stevens was the standout performer on the day. He scored a pair of one-yard touchdown runs — one in the second quarter and one in the fourth — to push Saskatchewan to a 15-6 lead. His second score gave him 17 rushing touchdowns on the season, breaking the CFL single-season record. Caleb Evans previously held the record with 16, set while playing for the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022.
Edmonton struck first, however, with quarterback Cole Snyder scoring on a one-yard run early in the first quarter. After that, Saskatchewan took control and outscored the Elks 16-0 over the remainder of the game. Brett Lauther kicked a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 6-3 before Stevens took over.
Punter Oscar Chapman also contributed, adding a 58-yard single with 3:31 remaining to extend the lead to 16-6. Vincent Blanchard then closed the gap slightly with a 24-yard field goal for Edmonton with 27 seconds left, making it 16-9. The Riders recovered the Elks’ ensuing onside kick to seal the victory.
Penalties and Wind Dominated the First Half
Both teams struggled with discipline throughout an untidy first half. Edmonton committed seven penalties for 73 yards, while Saskatchewan also drew seven flags totalling 70 yards.
Saskatchewan’s only first-half touchdown came largely because of Edmonton’s penalties. A five-play, 67-yard drive ended with Stevens’s first one-yard score, giving the Riders a 9-6 lead with 2:53 left in the half. Of those 67 yards, 62 came directly from Edmonton penalties. A 42-yard pass interference call against Elks defensive back Royce Metchie was the most costly.
Strong winds also made the game difficult to manage. At kickoff, winds reached 46 km/h with gusts to 55 km/h, forcing both teams to rely heavily on their running games. Shunderrick Powell carried the ball six times for 47 yards for Edmonton. Deon Jackson, making his debut for Saskatchewan, gained 45 yards on eight carries.
Kicking Game Suffers in Difficult Conditions
The wind caused problems in the kicking game as well. Both Brett Lauther for Saskatchewan and Vincent Blanchard for Edmonton missed convert attempts. The Riders also failed on a two-point convert attempt following Stevens’s second touchdown. Despite those setbacks, Saskatchewan did enough to earn the win and advance to the West semifinal against the Lions.
