Roughriders' Michael Bishop, Neal Hughes and Weston Dressler celebrate one of Hughes's two touchdowns Friday. (Troy Fleece/Canadian Press)The Calgary Stampeders will compete in the Canadian Football League playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, but gaining a bye to the West final is far from a sure thing.
Alone in first place when they awoke Friday, the Stampeders found themselves in a three-way tie for top spot at the end of the day with division rivals B.C. and Saskatchewan, which pulled out a 37-34 win over Calgary.
However, the Stampeders managed to clinch a playoff berth by virtue of the Toronto Argonauts' 24-20 loss at the hands of the Lions.
Luca Congi connected on a 34-yard field goal with two minutes left in the fourth quarter for the winning score as the Roughriders snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 9-5. Calgary and B.C. also boast 9-5 marks.
Running back Neal Hughes, playing in place of the injured Wes Cates, ran for two touchdowns before a sold-out crowd of 30,945 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
"We definitely loosened up and we just played ball," said quarterback Michael Bishop. "A lot of times you tend to tense up but tonight everyone was loose. In the huddle guys [were] smiling and we had fun. We made it fun."
Along with Hughes, Chris Getzlaf scored a touchdown after he hauled in a nine-yard pass, becoming the 19th different Roughrider to record a reception this season. Defensive end Kitwana Jones picked up a fumble and rumbled 15 yards to cross the goal-line.
Calgary receivers Ken-Yon Rambo and Ryan Thelwell caught passes for touchdowns, while quarterback Henry Burris scored on a three-yard naked bootleg.
Stampeders kicker Sandro DeAngelis scored the game's first points with a field goal from 25 yards out. He finished the game 4-for-4, with his longest from 39 yards.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter before Saskatchewan's Hugh Charles conceded a single point to make the score 11-7 to close out the first quarter.
Congi opened the second quarter with a 47-yard field goal, his longest of the game, to pull Saskatchewan behind by one 11-10. He finished the game 3-for-4, missing his last at 52 yards, and has made good on 33 of 37 attempts this season.
Calgary maintained the lead heading into half time 21-17 after the squads traded touchdowns and field goals.
Within the first 30 seconds of the third quarter, Riders defensive end Stevie Baggs knocked the ball from Burris's hands.
Jones picked up the loose ball and ran 15 yards into the end zone to take the lead 27-21 after the successful convert.
Calgary would add two more field goals but Saskatchewan would respond with a touchdown and field goal of its own.
Despite a touchdown with less than two minutes to play, Calgary couldn't come back.
CFL leading rusher Joffrey Reynolds was limited to 25 yards on five carries.
"When we needed to move the ball, get back in their territory and score some points, we didn't get it done," said Reynolds. "Credit to their defence, they stopped us."
The two teams will square off again on Oct. 13 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
With files from the Canadian Press
