Edmonton's Tristan Jackson is grabbed by Renauld Williams of Saskatchewan during action at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday. (John Woods/Canadian Press)

The Edmonton Eskimos ran for four touchdowns — one on a punt return — to fight back from a 22-point deficit on Saturday afternoon in a 38-33 road win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Calvin McCarty rushed for two of the scores, with Arkee Whitlock putting Edmonton up to stay in the fourth. Tristan Jackson rumbled 75 yards on a punt return in the third quarter to provide huge momentum in the comeback.

Defensive back Lance Frazier helped Saskatchewan jump out to a 22-0 lead, intercepting Ricky Ray's pass and taking it back 70 yards for a score.

Riders quarterback Darian Durant was again inconsistent. He was brilliant in leading his team on a 92-yard scoring drive in the first half, but the offensive unit was grounded for long stretches as the game wore on.

Coach Ken Miller was happy to apportion the blame.

"We make games too long for our defence, but there are times when our defence needs to go two and out as well, and we didn't do that very well in the middle stretch of that game," Miller said.

Tight race

The two clubs, along with the Calgary Stampeders, are 2-2 in the CFL West division. The B.C. Lions are 1-3.

Edmonton's defence took heat after allowing 107 points in the first three games this season, but the unit received no favours in the early going against Saskatchewan.

The Riders were given great field position early in the first when Tad Kornegay forced and recovered a Jackson fumble on a punt return.

Durant had only 31 yards to go to the end zone, and he ultimately got the job done with a four-yard pass to Wes Cates.

Frazier made his stellar defensive play on the next drive, and fans at Mosaic Field relished a 14-0 Saskatchewan lead just under six minutes into the contest.

Durant flashed his best attributes on a long scoring drive that carried into the second quarter. He found Rob Bagg for three completions and then capped it off with an 18-yard jaunt for the major.

Noel Prefontaine got Edmonton on the board with a field goal, and Jackson gave the Eskimos the necessary jolt to make the score 22-10. He set up his team with great field position on a 32-yard punt return, and McCarty followed by scooting 37 yards between the hash marks and over the goal line.

Crowd responds

Riders running back Stu Foord got a rise out of the crowd by fighting off three tacklers and plugging forward later in the frame, even as his helmet was dislodged due to a face-mask infraction.

The teams exchanged field goals for a 25-13 Saskatchewan advantage at the half.

After another field goal from Prefontaine, Jackson took off on a 74-yard punt return to bring the Eskimos to within two points.

The Riders, meanwhile, weren't getting any traction on offence due to a few penalties and a big sack of Durant from Edmonton's Greg Peach.

Linebacker Maurice Lloyd, a former Rider, contributed two tackles and a sack.

"It was very emotional, man, especially when the other guys jump ahead by two or three scores because we know we're a better team than that," Lloyd said.

Ray found receiver Jamaica Rector on a big 31-yard play to set up a short McCarty rushing touchdown. The Eskimos took the lead for the first time, 30-25.

Riders awake

Saskatchewan's offence awoke from its fugue state late in the third. Durant completed passes to Bagg, Gerran Walker and Jason Clermont, with an Edmonton pass interference penalty putting the ball on the one-yard line.

Chris Szarka punched it in, and a successful two-point convert had the Riders back on top, 33-30.

After Saskatchewan conceded a safety, Edmonton took the lead for good. Jackson again helped spark his team on a punt return, taking a short Jamie Boreham kick and returning it 12 yards and into Saskatchewan territory.

Ray completed six passes on the 47-yard drive, which was completed when Whitlock dashed 18 yards into the end zone.

Saskatchewan had a third down play deep in Edmonton territory late in the game, but video review upheld a call on the field that declared a Stephen Jyles sneak just short of the chain.

The Riders lost the game and also suffered in the injury department. Kornegay left the contest midway through, and Carlos Armour fractured his leg in the third quarter.

With files from The Canadian Press