Magical Roughriders turn defeat into victory

Linebacker C.J. Avery snags another fourth-quarter interception to secure comeback

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Somehow the Saskatchewan Roughriders are still undefeated.

How?

Maybe we should instead describe how the Great Pyramid was built. Explain crop circles or black holes. Find D.B. Cooper.

Our world’s greatest mysteries have nothing on the 2-0 Roughriders, who sit alone atop the CFL’s West Division after magically defeating the hometown Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-30 on Sunday night. With 2:11 remaining, the Tabbies led Saskatchewan 30-23 and the Roughriders, after taking possession on their own 22-yard line, let quarterback Trevor Harris get sacked for a fourth time.

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There are statistics somewhere showing that CFL teams surrendering quarterback sacks rarely score touchdowns on those drives. The Roughriders defy statistics.

Making it worse, the Roughriders defence had been repeatedly torched by broken coverages and the team committed 11 penalties for 115 yards. Their immobile quarterback still hasn’t run with the football, prized running back A.J. Ouellette averages only 2.3 yards per carry and injured guard Philip Blake and receiver Shawn Bane Jr. were about to be joined on the sideline by slotback Jerreth Sterns, who absorbed a ferocious hit on his left knee while courageously catching an 18-yard pass that kick-started the Miracle Drive.

Kian Schaffer-Baker capped the mind-boggling, eight-play, 88-yard scoring drive — which included a video reversal that allowed a crucial reception by returner-turned-emergency receiver Mario Alford — with his second touchdown catch of the game. Brett Lauther kicked the convert for a 30-30 tie with 36 seconds remaining.

Overtime loomed, although veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell appeared capable of moving the Ti-Cats within field-goal range. One offensive play later, Hamilton’s highly-paid and drop-afflicted receiver Tim White volleyed a pass to Riders linebacker C.J. Avery, setting up Lauther’s last-play, 43-yard, game-winning field goal. No crystal ball could have predicted that.

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“That’s a little bit what (Riders assistant coach Kent Maugeri) talks about,” said Avery, who also intercepted a pass in the dying seconds of their season opener. “You have to show up when your best is needed.”

It was the second straight road game in which the Roughriders rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter. Eight days earlier they outscored the Edmonton Elks 21-3 in the final frame to win 29-21. Having barely beaten two winless teams, the Roughriders could just as easily be 0-2. But they’re not.

“I think this is gonna be a cut-and-paste interview here,” Roughriders head coach Corey Mace said to open his postgame media conference.

It was a funny line, but Mace wasn’t laughing.

“We’ve got a lot of things we gotta handle. We’ve got a penalty problem. We had some busts on defence that were costly. The injuries, these are all things that are on my mind. But at the end of it I just try to keep reminding myself that we finished one-and-oh this week in an adverse situation on the road.”

Even one of the weirdest penalties ever couldn’t deter the Roughriders from their karmic path.

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After losing his helmet and recovering a Hamilton fumble, via video review Riders linebacker C.J. Reavis was penalized 10 yards for illegal participation. A logical rule to protect helmet-less players was enforced correctly but irrationally, letting the Tiger-Cats keep possession and score a touchdown two plays later, putting the hosts ahead 27-17 and seemingly in control.

The teams meet again Sunday, 5 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium, in Saskatchewan’s home opener. The Roughriders will need some injury replacements, they may want to bump newly-arrived cornerback Marcus Sayles out of the starting lineup, they will certainly talk about reducing the bad penalties they take and they may want to play better in the first, second and third quarters.

“We’re two-and-oh but it doesn’t feel (that way) in my heart,” said Mace. “As a coach we wanna find ways to be better and there’s just so many clear things to be done.

“But the silver lining again is, if we can clean that up, what do we look like?”

It’s certainly a mystery. Or maybe the resiliency being displayed by a first-year head coach and his squad is plain, old magic. The tricks work best when their secret isn’t revealed.

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