Saskatchewan had to go beyond regulation to finish off its fiercest rival, but the Roughriders came through with a 32-26 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium.
A sellout crowd of 34,352, the largest ever for a CFL game at the stadium, watched Winnipeg force an extra period with the final snap of regulation. Zach Collaros found Dorian Singer for a five-yard touchdown as time expired, dragging the game into overtime and setting up a dramatic finish.
Stevens Delivers the Final Punch
The Roughriders wasted little time once overtime began. Tommy Stevens powered in from one yard out for his third touchdown of the game, giving Saskatchewan the edge and pushing his season total to 15 rushing touchdowns.
The two-point conversion attempt failed, which briefly left the door open for Winnipeg. Saskatchewan’s defense quickly shut it before the Bombers could capitalize.
On third-and-six from the Riders’ 31-yard line, Winnipeg could not move the chains. Jameer Thurman finished the stop by dropping the receiver behind the line, ending the game on the spot.
Harris Guides the Offense While Duncan-Busby Breaks Out
Trevor Harris handled the passing game for Saskatchewan and finished 23 of 33 for 362 yards and one touchdown. He said the offense took some time to settle in, but found its rhythm after an uneven start.
“It’s obviously huge. It’s important for us to get these wins at this point in the year,” Harris said. “We’re down some prominent guys, and so the fact that we’re able to kind of grind through it and get these wins is huge for us. We didn’t start out tremendous offensively but thought we really found a rhythm in the middle of the second quarter on.”
With Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker unavailable, Dhel Duncan-Busby took on a much larger role and delivered the best game of his career. The third-year receiver caught 10 passes for 140 yards, and several of those gains came on high-pressure downs late in the fourth quarter.
His production established new personal highs and lifted his season totals to 35 receptions for 504 yards. Duncan-Busby said patience paid off when the opportunity finally arrived.
“I just knew that I had to be patient. Obviously, we have a great receiving corps. We’ve got a lot of different guys and, unfortunately, with all the injuries and stuff like that, people have had to step up, and I’m just glad that today was my time,” Duncan-Busby said.
The Defense Set the Tone and Closed the Door
Saskatchewan’s defensive unit backed up the offense with a strong finish of its own. Aubrey Miller Jr., starting at linebacker for the first time in his career, said the group could feel the momentum after the offense got rolling.
“The offence set the tone. The offence did that. The offence got us going. They got in the end zone and put points on the board. Only thing we had to do is finish,” Miller said.
Miller joined Derick Roberson and Seyi Oladipo in collecting sacks, giving the Roughriders a disruptive pass rush throughout the contest. The run defense was just as sharp, holding Brady Oliveira to 28 yards on nine carries even though he entered the night with 956 rushing yards.
Milestones Add More Weight to the Win
The victory also came with a notable career milestone for Harris. His 72-yard pass to Daniel Wiebe in the second quarter moved him past Doug Flutie and into 10th place on the CFL’s all-time passing yardage list.
Harris entered the game 127 yards behind Flutie’s mark of 41,355 and now sits at 41,590 career passing yards. He trails Matt Dunigan’s 43,857 for ninth place, while Anthony Calvillo remains the league standard at 79,816 yards.
Harris said the moment felt appropriate given the support around him.
“That’s honestly poetic because it’s the turtle on a fence post sort of a situation where if you see a turtle on a fence post, he didn’t get there on his own. Somebody placed him there, and it’s exactly what this is for me,” Harris said. “I’ve had teammates that have done nothing but support me and love me, and coaches that have done nothing but teach me the game and I’m really grateful for the opportunities that presented themselves.”
KeeSean Johnson also reached a meaningful mark, catching four passes for 32 yards to top 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight year. He has 81 catches for 1,022 yards this season, which leaves him just shy of his 2025 totals of 86 receptions and 1,159 yards.
Scoreline Details and What Comes Next
- Collaros finished 27 of 40 for 279 yards and two touchdown passes, with scoring throws to Kevens Clercius and Dorian Singer.
- Tommy Stevens scored three rushing touchdowns for Saskatchewan, while Quali Conley added another offensive touchdown.
- Derick Roberson recorded a safety for the Roughriders.
- Sergio Castillo was perfect on four field-goal attempts for Winnipeg.
- Alex Hale made one of three field-goal tries for Saskatchewan.
The rivals do it all again on Saturday, September 12, when the series shifts back to Winnipeg.