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REGINA – The Saskatchewan Roughriders booked their ticket to the West Division semifinals with a 16-9 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday.
The win moves Saskatchewan (10-8) into third place in the West Division, meaning the fourth-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers will cross over and face the Toronto Argonauts in the East semifinals on Oct. 31.
The defending Gray Cup champion Riders will visit the BC Lions on October 31.
The first-place Elks (13-5) will host the winner of Saskatchewan-BC in the West final on Nov. 7 in Edmonton.
After allowing a one-yard touchdown run to Edmonton quarterback Cole Snyder early in the first quarter, Saskatchewan responded with 16 unanswered points. Brett Lauther scored from 32 yards out in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 6-3.
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Rider quarterback Tommy Stevens then added a pair of one-yard touchdown runs, one in the second quarter and another in the fourth, to give Saskatchewan a 15-6 lead. Stevens now has 17 rushing touchdowns, breaking the CFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a season. Caleb Evans holds the previous record of 16, set with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022.
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Saskatchewan’s Oscar Chapman hit a 58-yard single with 3:31 remaining to make the score 16-6.
Vincent Blanchard ended the streak of unanswered points with a 24-yard field goal to narrow the Elks’ deficit to 16-9 with 27 seconds remaining. The Riders recovered the Elks’ ensuing onside kick.
An undisciplined first half made it difficult for both teams in the penalty shootout. The Elks had seven penalties for 73 yards while the Riders had seven penalties for 70 yards.
The only goal in the first half came on a penalty kick for the Riders. The five-play, 67-yard drive ended with a one-yard major by Stevens to give the Riders a 9-6 lead with 2:53 left in the first half. Of the 67 yards, 62 came from Edmonton penalties, including a 42-yard pass interference call on Elks defensive back Royce Metchie.
Playing in challenging weather conditions — at kickoff wind speeds reached 46 km/h with gusts up to 5 km/h — the team relied on their running game in the first half. Shunderrick Powell gained 47 yards on six carries for the Elks while Deon Jackson, making his Riders debut, totaled 45 yards on eight carries.
The wind also wreaked havoc on the kicking game. Lauther and Edmonton’s Vincent Lauther missed the conversion attempt. The Riders also missed a two-point conversion attempt after Stevens’ second touchdown.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.
© 2026 Canadian Press
