Game Summary

It was a cloudy day in Edmonton as the Eskimos took the field against the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders in a key West Division match-up. The ’Riders entered the game on a five game losing streak, their worst of the season. The Eskimos on the other hand, were coming off a 25-16 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 8 action. Edmonton got off to the start they wanted when RB C.J. Williams hauled in a 25-yard pass from QB Jimmy Kemp who was making his second start in a row in place of an injured Dave Archer. K Sean Fleming’s convert at 3:05 of the first quarter was good giving Edmonton an early 7-0 lead. At 4:44 Edmonton’s perennially strong defence did their part to help the Eskimo cause when DB Kavis Reed intercepted Saskatchewan pivot Heath Rylance’s first pass of the game and returned it 56 yards for the major giving Edmonton a 14-point lead after Fleming’s convert. Edmonton continued the offensive fireworks when wide-out Myron Wise was on the receiving end of a 15-yard TD toss by Kemp at 9:14. Then with no time remaining on the clock Kemp threw his third TD pass of the quarter, a 15-yard strike to WR Shannon Myers. Fleming was perfect on both converts making the score 28-0 after the first period. In the second quarter, RB Mike Saunders got Saskatchewan on the board when he powered into the end zone from 2 yards out at 5:40. K Paul McCallum’s convert was good, as was his 48-yard FG at 9:25. McCallum also hoofed a 49-yard FG that sailed wide scoring a single, cutting the lead to 28-11 for the home team at 10:37. At 12:40 Fleming also missed a FG from 41 yards out scoring only a single point, but he made up for his mistake 1:21 later when his 40-yard FG rounded out the scoring in the first half of play with Edmonton leading 32-11. Both defences tightened up in the second half of play with the only scoring in the third quarter coming off the foot of McCallum when his 54-yard punt sailed into the end zone and was conceded for a single point at 7:36. In the fourth quarter, McCallum added another single when his 43-yard FG attempt was wide at 2:51. At 7:10 Fleming added a 32-yard FG to make the final score from Commonwealth Stadium Edmonton 35, Saskatchewan 13. Edmonton’s win upped their record to 6-3 on the season and guarantees them a tie for first place in the West Division. Saskatchewan’s loss dropped their record to 3-6, worst in the West Division.