Game Summary

25,751 ’Rider Priders filed into Taylor Field last Friday night in hopes that their unbeaten Roughriders would capture their second consecutive win. However, their opposition, the 1-0 Edmonton Eskimos, showed up and spoiled the party. It was the Eskimos who got the ball rolling at 3:44 of the opening frame when K Sean Fleming connected on a 31-yard FG. The potent ’Rider defence showed why it will be a force all season long as LB Lamar McGriggs stepped in front of an errant Danny McManus pass and returned it 20 yards before sending a lateral to DB Dale Joseph who took it another 75 for the major score. Saskatchewan K Paul McCallum added the convert putting them up by a 7-3 score. However the see-saw battle continued as Edmonton SB Darren Flutie teamed up with McManus for a 9-yard TD. The Fleming convert closed out the first quarter scoring with Edmonton on top by a 10-7 score. The Eskimos added to their lead 6:05 into the second period when a bad snap sailed over McCallum’s head causing him to give up a safety touch. Six minutes later however the ’Riders countered back as RB Shawn Daniels plunged over the goal line from 1-yard out. McCallum’s convert made the score 14-12 in favour of the Green ’Riders. Fleming closed out the first half scoring at 13:53 with a 28-yard FG giving the Eskimos a slim 15-14 half-time lead. McCallum put the ’Riders up once again at 3:36 into the third quarter when he booted a 42-yard FG. Defence however was the name of the game on this night as Edmonton DB Kavis Reed picked off a Kevin Mason pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. Flemings convert put the Esks up by a 22-17 margin, a lead they would not relinquish. Two Fleming singles and a McCallum single rounded out the scoring as the Eskimos left Taylor Field with a 24-18 win running their record to 2-0, while the ’Riders fell to 1-1.