Roughriders slotback Chris Getzlaf, left, outruns Calgary defender Ronnie Amadi for the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

Talk about making the most of an opportunity.

Chris Getzlaf's 65-yard touchdown catch — the understudy's second of the night — with 1:17 left gave the Saskatchewan Roughriders a thrilling 24-23 road win over the Calgary Stampders on Saturday night.

After Sandro DeAngelis hooked a long field-goal try that would've put Calgary up by an all-but-insurmountable nine points, Weston Dressler returned the miss nearly to midfield and Getzlaf and Darian Durant hooked up for the decisive catch-and-run.

"Me and double D were on the same page," said Getzlaf. "He threw it up, so I just ran a post to the middle of the field. This is definitely the biggest touchdown I've ever got in the CFL."

The victory halted a two-game losing skid for Saskatchewan (3-2), while snapping a two-game winning streak for Calgary (2-3).

Getzlaf, a Regina native who was starting at slotback only because of an injury to Andy Fantuz, also scored on the game's opening drive and finished with a game-high 101 yards receiving on five catches.

"You have to set the bar really high in order to replace him," Getzlaf said of Fantuz, who missed the game with a bad hamstring.

Durant's three touchdowns and 282 yards through the air at windy McMahon Stadium quashed, at least for now, a budding quarterback controversy in Saskatchewan.

Riders coach Ken Miller, as promised, mixed in backup Steven Jyles in an effort to jumpstart the attack. Jyles threw for 35 yards on seven attempts and added 18 yards rushing.

Calgary's Henry Burris threw a touchdown pass to Jon Cornish and ran for another. Joffrey Reynolds rushed for a game-high 112 yards.

"We had ample opportunities," said Burris. "We played poorly enough to give the game away and that's what happened."

Durant answers

Durant wasted no time quieting his critics. The embattled passer marched the Riders 75 yards to the end zone on the game's opening series, reaching pay dirt with his second nine-yard completion to Getzlaf, who's the older brother of Anaheim Ducks all-star Ryan Getzlaf.

"He managed the ball well," Miller said of Durant. "You have to give the offensive line credit as they gave him great protection."

Two possessions later, the Riders were threatening again inside the Stampeders' 25 until Durant was picked off by Dwight Anderson. Calgary capitalized, with a 24-yard run by Reynolds helping set up Burris's 10-yard touchdown strike to Cornish.

Tack on a pair of DeAngelis field goals, and the Stamps enjoyed a 13-7 lead.

Miller had designs on retaking the lead before halftime, electing to go for it on third-and-one from the Calgary 18. Wes Cates jumped over the pile for the first down, but the Stamps defence held and the Riders settled for a Luca Congi field goal that made it a three-point game at the break.

The guys in green jumped back ahead with five minutes left in the third quarter. After Durant found an open Johnny Quinn downfield for a 38-yard gain, the quarterback got a short pass off to Dressler on the left side, and Dressler took it in for a 19-yard TD.

The lead could've been bigger, but an apparent touchdown strike from Durant to Gerran Walker was called back because Durant delivered his shovel pass from beyond the line of scrimmage. Congi also missed a pair of field goals into the wind — one an unreasonable 53-yarder, the other a more makeable 26-yarder that bounced off the right upright.

Burris used his legs to restore the upper hand to the Stamps. When the Riders defence bit hard on a play fake to Reynolds, the veteran quarterback scooted virtually untouched for an 18-yard score that made it 20-17 Calgary.

DeAngelis increased the lead to six by converting his 13th consecutive field goal to start the season.

The Calgary kicker had a chance to ice it with his 51-yard attempt inside two minutes, but his boot with the wind at his back sailed wide left. Dressler caught it and returned it to his own 45 — excellent position for one final drive.

"I pride myself on making that kick and I've got to step up to the plate and make it," said DeAngelis. "I let the guys down."