In the long and storied history of the Labour Day Classic, fans had seen virtually every kind of suspenseful ending — a notable exception being an overtime game.
That box was finally checked off on Sunday, when the Saskatchewan Roughriders outlasted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32-30 before a sellout crowd of 33,350 at Mosaic Stadium.
“I think that was everything that everybody asked for,” Roughriders quarterback Jake Dolegala said.
“It actually came down to the wire … overtime. I couldn’t have dreamt it up any better.”
Saskatchewan has improved its record to 6-5 by recording back-to-back home-field victories over the CFL West Division’s two top-seeded teams — Winnipeg (now 9-3) and the B.C. Lions (8-4).
“We knew what kind of potential we had,” Roughriders running back Jamal Morrow said. “We’ve got to continue to build and chase excellence each and every day.”
The Labour Day Classic was the 58th between Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, dating back to 1949.
The two rivals have met in Regina on every Labour Day weekend since 1982. The Roughriders have a 29-12 record over those 41 games.
Since overtime was introduced by the CFL in 1986, seven Labour Day weekend games between the Roughriders and Blue Bombers have been decided by a field goal or a touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
Two of those nail-biters — in 2016 and 2019 — went down to the final play before a game-winning field goal was kicked.
In the 2019 game, Brett Lauther nailed a 26-yarder with no time left to give Saskatchewan a 19-17 victory.
The Roughriders led 19-17 at one point on Sunday, during a game in which Lauther once again delivered in the clutch.
By going five-for-five on field-goal attempts, he extended his streak of successful three-pointers to 18. Sunday’s fifth field goal, from 18 yards, created a 24-24 tie with 31 seconds left in regulation time.
On the first overtime series, Saskatchewan capped the opening possession with a one-yard TD run by short-yardage quarterback Antonio Pipkin. Dolegala then hit Shawn Bane Jr. for a two-point convert to give the Roughriders a 32-24 lead.
Winnipeg answered immediately with a 35-yard TD pass from Zach Collaros to Kenny Lawler. On the two-point convert attempt, a blitzing Jaxon Ford deflected a Collaros pass, giving Saskatchewan the win.
“I just ran off the edge the best I could and made a play,’’ Ford said after his first Labour Day Classic.
“It was just a rush of energy.”
The Roughriders opened Sunday’s scoring when Lauther kicked a 43-yard field goal at 7:15 of the first quarter.
Saskatchewan went ahead 10-0 when Lauther converted a one-yard TD run by Pipkin.
The Roughriders began that possession on their eight-yard line and, after a penalty, were backed up to their four. Dolegala proceeded to find Tevin Jones for 64 yards and Mitch Picton for 37.
Winnipeg answered with a three-play, 100-yard march that culminated in a 34-yard TD pass from Collaros to Drew Wolitarsky. Sergio Castillo added the convert.
Lauther hit back-to-back field goals, from 27 and 30 yards, to increase Saskatchewan’s lead to 16-7.
Winnipeg responded with a seven-play, 81-yard drive that ended with Brady Oliveira’s three-yard TD run. Castillo’s convert made it 16-14, Roughriders, at 13:39 of the third frame.
Cue Brett Lauther, who nailed a 53-yarder on the final play of the third quarter.
A 14-yard field goal by Castillo at 3:50 of the fourth quarter pared the Roughriders’ lead to 19-17.
Adam Korsak’s 61-yard punt single gave Saskatchewan a 20-17 advantage at 6:04.
Oliveira gave Winnipeg its first lead of the game by rushing for a two-yard TD at 10:55. Castillo’s convert put the Bombers up 24-20.
Another punt single by Korsak, a 65-yarder at 12:08, made it a three-point game.
That rouge proved to be crucial, as Lauther provided the Roughriders’ next three points to force overtime.
Dolegala completed 22 of 39 passes for 326 yards to improve his record as a starter this season to 2-0.
Collaros, who entered Sunday’s game with a 6-0 career record as a starter on Labour Day weekend, was 13-for-26 for 279 yards. He threw one interception, to Nic Marshall.
Jones caught five passes for 96 yards. Bane Jr. also caught five passes, for 33 yards.
Morrow had four receptions for 76 yards in addition to rushing nine times for 37 yards. Morrow’s 21-yard reception in OT was followed by Pipkin’s second TD run as a Roughriders.
“Labour Day is always going to be an emotional game,” Morrow said. “A game like that, we know it’s going to be slugfest. They’re going to punch and we’ve got to punch back.
“We were able to make one more play and get the win.”
The Roughriders are to return to action Saturday in Winnipeg (2 p.m., TSN, CKRM).
