Roughriders' Andy Fantuz, left, and Weston Dressler celebrate Fantuz's second-half touchdown. (Troy Fleece/Canadian Press)

Head coach Danny Maciocia stood in Regina Friday and stressed to reporters it was important his Edmonton Eskimos finish the regular season "on a high."

Well, the Eskimos are down to one game to achieve that goal after the Saskatchewan Roughriders lit up the scoreboard at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday night in a 55-9 rout.

The 55 points was just three shy of the club record, established against the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1989.

"We're just plain dumb right now," Maciocia said. "We're dumb. Collectively … as players and coaches that's as dumb of a football game as I've seen."

Saskatchewan scored seven touchdowns, including a 54-yard fumble return by linebacker Kitwana Jones, to move into second place in the Canadian Football League's West Division ahead of B.C., which hosted Toronto later on Saturday.

Renauld Williams also ran back a Ricky Ray pickoff 42 yards for a major, while Wes Cates led the way with a pair of touchdown runs to help the Riders improve their record to 11-6.

Receivers Corey Grant, Weston Dressler and Andy Fantuz, back in the lineup after missing 11 games with a broken leg, also found the end zone, while Luca Congi booted a 41-yard field goal.

Fantuz wasted no time making his presence felt. Saskatchewan's leading receiver at the time he was injured, Fantuz caught a 16-yard pass on his team's first play from scrimmage. He finished the game with four catches for 62 yards, including a six-yarder in the final frame for a touchdown.

Fantuz's return followed that of fellow receiver Matt Dominguez a week earlier from a serious knee injury.

"It's just one game but we're going to build off this and try to keep the ball rolling for next week and then going into the playoffs," said Fantuz, who added his leg held up better than expected. "I was expecting to play and see how the leg felt, and if it felt good to keep playing and it did … so I was happy."

Saskatchewan would host its second consecutive West semifinal with a win next weekend at Toronto combined with a B.C. loss to Calgary.

The Eskimos dropped to 9-8 and will finish fourth in the division. They'll play as the crossover team, meaning a trip to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers in the East semifinal Nov. 8.

West teams are winless in four crossover playoff matchups against East opponents.

Saturday's triumph gives the Roughriders 23 regular-season victories over the past two seasons, matching their performance in the 1970 and '71 campaigns.

But Saskatchewan isn't without its problems. First and foremost, head coach Ken Miller is probably no closer to deciding on a starting quarterback for the post-season.

Steven Jyles, who relieved a struggling Darian Durant in last week's 30-29 win over Hamilton, got the nod against Edmonton — the Riders' third starting pivot in as many weeks.

But he gave way to Michael Bishop after completing seven of 13 passes for 99 yards and throwing two interceptions. Bishop connected on nine of 10 passes for 148 yards with two completions for majors.

Bishop likely to get start

Miller said after the game that Bishop will likely get the start in their regular-season finale Thursday against Toronto and that the No. 1 job is Bishop's to lose.

"I've kind of been saying that for a week and people have kind of been embroiled in the controversy instead of listening to what I've said," Miller said. "To be perfectly honest with you … right now my plan would be to start Michael Bishop next week in Toronto and, if he's able to generate momentum there, go with him into the playoffs."

Ray went 10-for-18 for 99 yards with two picks of his own and was replaced by Jason Maas midway through the third quarter. Maas wasn't much better, completing six of 16 passes for 57 yards in relief.

Edmonton's points came on a field goal and two singles from Noel Prefontaine, and two safeties given up by Saskatchewan punter Jamie Boreham.

Dressler's 41-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter put the rookie Roughriders receiver over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Trailing just 7-6 after the first quarter, the Eskimos were repeatedly stuffed by a rock-solid Saskatchewan defence that gave up just one safety and a single the rest of the way.

Saturday's game also marked the returns for Saskatchewan's Anton McKenzie, John Chick and Belton Johnson from the injured list.

Former Roughrider Fred Perry returned for Edmonton after suffering what was then believed to be a season-ending broken leg on July 20.

With files from the Canadian Press