You’ve got to hand it to Duron Carter.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders were trailing the Toronto Argonauts 17-10 late in the first half of Saturday’s CFL game at Mosaic Stadium when Carter — a wide receiver with the Roughriders — made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch that brought down the house.
The major, scored with seven seconds left in the first half, and Tyler Crapigna’s subsequent convert pulled the Roughriders even with the Argos. Saskatchewan then pulled away in the second half en route to a 38-27 victory.
“My dad (former NFLer Cris Carter) always told me that I had to make a Pro Bowl first before you can catch one-handed,” Carter told reporters after the game, referring to the NFL’s all-star contest. “I haven’t made a Pro Bowl, so I try not to catch it with one hand. Sometimes I just stick one up there.’’
The Roughriders faced a second-and-10 situation at the Toronto 18-yard line when quarterback Kevin Glenn lofted a pass toward Carter in the end zone.
Argos corner Akwasi Owusu-Ansah had good coverage, but Carter cut inside the defensive back, put up his right hand and stopped the ball’s flight backhanded. He then caught the ball as he landed, never once using his left hand.
“That may rank as one of the top catches that I’ve ever seen in 17 years (in the CFL),” Glenn said after his team improved to 2-3-0. “That was a pretty nice catch, especially with him going up with one hand and controlling it down.”
“That’s one of the best catches I’ve ever seen,” added Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones. “(Owusu-Ansah) had perfect man coverage. To not only to catch it but to go up and catch it backhanded, it’s pretty amazing.”
Carter, who also caught a 14-yard TD pass from Glenn, finished the contest with nine receptions for 131 yards. It was the type of performance CFL fans are used to seeing from Carter, who was one of the most dangerous receivers in the league during his days with the Montreal Alouettes.
The Als released Carter in the off-season and Saskatchewan signed him, but he got off to a slow start. In the Roughriders’ first four games, he had 16 catches for 156 yards and one touchdown.
“He had a really solid game,” Jones said. “You knew it was just a matter of time until it happened for him. Last year when we went over to Montreal, we double-teamed him and he still had seven, eight, nine catches. He’s a great player and he’s a tough out for a defence matching up.”
Slotback Bakari Grant also had a 100-yard receiving game for the Roughriders, gaining 115 yards on five catches. Like Carter, Grant went over the century mark for the first time this season.
Glenn completed 24 of 37 pass attempts for 340 yards, giving him 50,427 passing yards in his career. He’s now just 108 yards behind Ron Lancaster for sixth place on the CFL’s all-time list.
Glenn also threw touchdown passes to Naaman Roosevelt (14 yards) and Caleb Holley (14 yards). Cameron Marshall rushed 18 times for 110 yards as Saskatchewan’s offence rebounded from its showing in a 27-10 loss to the Calgary Stampeders on July 22.
In Calgary, the Roughriders accumulated 13 first downs, 38 yards rushing and 220 yards of net offence. On Saturday, the Roughriders recorded 26 first downs, 110 yards rushing and 435 yards of net offence.
The offence also sealed Saturday’s outcome, driving 75 yards in seven plays for a touchdown after Toronto cut the Roughriders’ lead to 30-27 with 4:03 left in regulation time.
“It was big for us to do that,” Glenn said. “It showed the guys that we can be in these close games but we can come out on top.
“I put a lot of onus on the offence this week. I told the offence, ‘We have to be that offence that stays on the field, keeps our defence off the field and keeps the opponent’s offence off the field.’ We did that tonight.”
Crapigna kicked 22-, 23- and 44-yard field goals as well as three converts. Roosevelt caught a two-point convert from Glenn to round out Saskatchewan’s scoring.
Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray was 28-for-38 passing for 386 yards with three TD passes — a seven-yarder to Llevi Noel, a 14-yarder to S.J. Green and a 29-yarder to Jeff Fuller. Lirim Hajrullahu kicked two field goals, two converts and a single for the Argos (3-3-0).
The Roughriders’ defence sacked Ray five times, getting two sacks from Tobi Antigha and one each from Willie Jefferson, Sam Eguavoen and A.C. Leonard. Glenn was sacked twice, one week after the Stampeders got to the Roughriders’ pivot five times in the first half alone.
“When we protect the quarterback, we’re very dangerous; that’s the whole key,” Jones said. “Not only that, but being able to establish the run and put ourselves in second-and-manageable where (defences) are a little bit more predictable is also something that’s very critical.
“Those two things, we were able to accomplish tonight.”
Next up for the Roughriders is a home-and-home set with the B.C. Lions. Saskatchewan visits Vancouver on Saturday before playing host to the Lions on Aug. 13.
The Roughriders have a bye the following week and then face the Edmonton Eskimos on Aug. 25 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sept. 3 and Sept. 9. The victory Saturday, then, was critical for the Roughriders as they get set for five straight games against division rivals.
“It’s very important to come out with a win going into the back-to-back with B.C.,” Glenn said. “It gives us a lot more confidence and it just puts us in a better frame of mind as far as winning is concerned.”
