Many were expecting points to be at a premium Thursday in Ottawa when the REDBLACKS battled the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Instead, they got a shootout.
Quarterbacks Cody Fajardo and Dominique Davis combined to throw for 714 yards and five touchdowns with Davis and the REDBLACKS prevailing by a score of 44-41 to improve their record to 2-0 with the Riders falling to o-2.
On his second possession as a starter, Fajardo gave the Riders a 7-0 lead after delivering a strike to RB Marcus Thigpen on a post for a 19-yard touchdown. The score was aided by a 41-yard pass interference call.
The lead was short-lived though as Dominique Rhymes hauled in a 20 yard pass from Davis to give them the lead after one quarter.
The two teams then marched up and down the field at will in the second quarter with the half ending on a 15 second, two play drive that culminated in Shaq Evans making his first career touchdown catch on a 44 yard pass from Fajardo to make it 31-24 at the half. The 55 points were the highest first half in the CFL since the 2013 season.
Saskatchewan made a game of it late when Fajardo snuck it in from the one and then hit Evans on a two-point convert with seconds to play, but a short kick attempt was unsuccessful preserving the Ottawa win.
The Riders will now get ready for their home opener which goes Canada Day against Toronto starting at 5.
GAME NOTES:
- Cody Fajardo threw for 360 yards in his first career start. That is the highest total for a Rider quarterback making his Saskatchewan debut with the old record being held by Joe (747) Adams
- Brett Lauther kicked a 57 yard field goal. It is the 5th longest field goal in Riders history
- Charleston Hughes had two sacks giving him 117 career sacks
- Fajardo’s first quarter touchdown pass to Marcus Thigpen was the first passing touchdown in seven games for the Riders as they went over 413 minutes between passing touchdowns.
