On a night when Saskatchewan Roughriders placekicker Brett Lauther posted a perfect percentage, his opposite number missed a field-goal attempt on the game’s final play … and proceeded to rejoice.
A rouge was all it took for Lirim Hajrullahu to snap a 19-19 tie and deliver a 20-19 CFL victory for the Toronto Argonauts on Thursday night at BMO Field.
Six days earlier, Lauther had missed four field-goal attempts — with one of the errant kicks being returned for a touchdown — as the Roughriders fell 27-24 to the Montreal Alouettes at Mosaic Stadium.
When the dressing room opened to the media, Lauther was waiting for reporters. He patiently answered every question.
Lauther faced the cameras and microphones once more on Monday, following the Roughriders’ first practice of the week. As was the case two days earlier, he held himself accountable, pointing out that he was enduring a “terrible” season.
How did the most accurate placekicker in Roughriders history respond to the toughest game of his professional football career?
By going 4-for-4 versus Toronto, thereby leapfrogging Jack Abendschan to become the third-leading scorer in franchise history.
“I’m so proud of Brett,” Head Coach Corey Mace said, expressing the hope that “we as a team can do what Brett did this week and be able to bounce back from something that was really tough.
“How he responded was he just came to work every day and put up extra kicks. He put the pressure on himself just to work and had a belief, and the guys had a belief in him.
“I’m so happy that he was able to come out here and perform the way he had.”
In the second quarter, Saskatchewan enjoyed a 13-0 lead thanks to two 43-yard field goals by Lauther and his conversion of a 13-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Harris to KeeSean Johnson.
What happened after that?
“A bunch of things,” Mace began. “We can’t turn the ball over backed up (near the goal line).”
Two second-quarter interception returns gave Toronto first downs on the visitors’ one- and 24-yard lines. Just like that, 13-0 turned into 13-10.
“I probably would have liked that third-down call back,” added Mace, who doubles as the Roughriders’ defensive co-ordinator.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Argonauts were in a third-and-15 predicament. The Roughriders sent three pass rushers and dropped back nine men into coverage.
Even so, David Ungerer III was open near the right sideline. He was spotted by Chad Kelly and a 17-yard gain resulted. Three plays later, Hajrullahu’s 50-yard field goal knotted the game at 19-19.
Mario Alford returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards.
Hold on …
Holding, Saskatchewan.
Needing a field goal — or even a rouge — to win the game, the Roughriders were faced with scrimmaging the ball on their eight-yard line.
“We certainly can’t take a penalty there on the kick return at the end of the game when we’re going to drive to kick a field goal,” Mace lamented.
“These are things that we certainly talk about often. Either they’re not hearing it or we’re not coaching good enough. Right now, I’m going to lean on the coaching’s not good enough.”
In Mace’s case, though, he is the architect of a defence that did some amazing — perhaps unprecedented — things.
The Argonauts were foiled on not one, not two, but three third-down gambles.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that,” Mace mused.
Late in the second quarter, linebacker C.J. Reavis stuffed Argos short-yardage quarterback Cameron Dukes on a third-and-goal gamble from the one-yard line.
Toronto advanced to the two-yard line in the third quarter before Deonta McMahon was stopped for no gain (courtesy of Bryan Cox Jr.) and a third-down pass by Kelly fell incomplete.
Most impressively, the Roughriders repelled Toronto on three consecutive fourth-quarter plays that were scrimmaged from the one-yard line.
Cox Jr. and Reavis took turns repelling quarterback sneaks by Kelly. Then Reavis, en route to posting a career-best 10 defensive tackles, stopped tailback Ka’Deem Carey in his tracks on third down.
“In the CFL, anytime you’re on the one-yard line, the odds aren’t in the defence’s favour,” Mace said.
“I know Cam Dukes has a lot of rushing touchdowns in short-yardage situations in his career. So does Chad Kelly. And they’ve got Ka’Deem Carey running the ball.
“So I’m extremely proud. Three times down there, we shut the door on those guys.”
Now it is time to close out the games.
“Man, it’s got to get done,” Mace asserted. “We’ve got to become a team that has to finish these types of games. We’ve been in enough of them now that we should understand how to do that.”
Twice in the past five games, the Roughriders have relinquished a 13-point lead and lost on the road.
It should be remembered, though, that Saskatchewan opened its season by overcoming 13-point deficits and winning back-to-back road games.
In the second case, Saskatchewan defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-30 on the strength of a walk-off, 43-yard field goal by Lauther.
He provided two more 43-yarders on Thursday night before splitting the uprights from 40 and 37.
“If we can respond the way he did,” Mace said, “I think that’s going to put us in a good situation.”
