They fought until the final whistle, but ultimately the Ottawa REDBLACKS came up just short against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, in a back-and-forth tilt at Mosaic Stadium.
The REDBLACKS only gave up one defensive touchdown, but it was five field goals by Riders kicker Brett Lauther that propelled his team to a 23-10 victory. Offensively, REDBLACKS quarterback Matt Nichols threw for 176 yards, and the team was led by receiver R.J. Harris, who made some spectacular catches en route to a game-high 101-yard day. Running back DeVonte Dedmon – filling in for Timothy Flanders, who was injured in the second quarter – punched in Ottawa’s first offensive touchdown of the season on a three-yard play in the third quarter, but it wasn’t quite enough to rally his crew on this night.
REDBLACKS head coach Paul LaPolice told the media that while he wasn’t happy with the result, he was proud of his team’s defensive performance, and his offensive unit’s resilience in the face of injury.
“Devonte Dedmon went in and did an outstanding job, with very limited reps at tailback,” said LaPolice, “He’s a heck of a football player.”
The game began as a defensive battle, with the Riders taking an early lead on a Lauther field goal. On the ensuing drive, though, the REDBLACKS flipped the field with a sensational diving catch by Harris, on a deep shot from Nichols. The possession was capped off by Ottawa kicker Lewis Ward pushing through a field goal of his own, tying the game at 3-3.
A couple of quick field goals before the end of the first half would increase the Saskatchewan lead to six, before a rouge early in the third quarter made it a 10-3 deficit for the REDBLACKS. Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo capped off an extended drive with a rushing touchdown for the game’s first major, 36:30 into the contest, putting the Riders up 17-3.
Not to be outdone, the REDBLACKS took advantage of a few Rider penalties to drive down the field, and another deep pass from Nichols to Harris situated Ottawa at the four-yard line. On second and goal, backup quarterback Dominique Davis handed off to Dedmon, who rushed up the gut for a three-yard touchdown, and an extra point by Ward cut the Saskatchewan lead to 17-10.
Following a Rider interception, another pair of field goals from Lauther put the Riders up by 13, and the game would ultimately end with a final score of 23-10.
Despite the tough loss, Nichols expressed confidence in his team going forward.
“[Saskatchewan] aside from a late charge by [the BC Lions in Week 1] has kind of been putting it on people, and we felt like we went toe to toe with them. We were in the game all the way towards the end,” said the REDBLACKS quarterback.
“We know we have a good football team, we just need to take that next little step.”
The REDBLACKS will look to take that next step in their home opener, next Saturday, August 28, when the Lions come to town for a 7pm EDT kickoff.
GAME NOTES
The REDBLACKS came into tonight’s game shorthanded; missing OL Nolan MacMillan (calf) and DB Abdul Kanneh (hamstring).
The Roughriders had a handful of former REDBLACKS in the lineup on Saturday, including DL A.C. Leonard, RB Kienan LaFrance, RB William Powell, OL Evan Johnson, DB Loucheiz Purifoy and WR Jake Harty. Former Ottawa offensive coordinator Jason Maas is serving in the same role with the Riders, as is receivers coach Travis Moore.
LB Avery Williams led the REDBLACKS in tackles for the second week in a row, recording nine on the evening.
LaPolice said there was no update on the status of the injured Flanders: “I just know he’s in street clothes. We’ll get an evaluation.”
Dedmon not only rushed for 31 yards on five carries from scrimmage, but also chipped in a total of 93 return yards on eight attempts.
The REDBLACKS’ home opener next week will be their first game at TD Place since November 1, 2019.
For stats from tonight, click here.
