Riders top Elks to book West semi with Lions
ROUGHRIDERS 16 ELKS 9
REGINA — Tommy Stevens admits landing in the CFL record book is a bit surreal for him.
Stevens, the short-yardage specialist for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, scored two rushing touchdowns in Saturday’s 16-9 victory over the Edmonton Elks to break the league’s single-season mark for rushing majors.
In his second season with the Riders, the 6-4, 245-pound Stevens tied the league record on a one-yard plunge in the second quarter and then grabbed the record for himself with another one-yard run in the fourth quarter.
After the game, Stevens was still trying to come to terms with topping the previous mark that was held by Saskatchewan legend George Reed and former Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Caleb Evans.
“It hasn’t really set in yet, but I’m not going to sit here and act like I didn’t want it. I knew what was at stake. I knew that it was a possibility. Maybe it was selfish, I don’t know,” said Stevens, who has scored 47 rushing touchdowns in 86 games.
“Obviously, with what George meant to this team, this province, it’s surreal to have your name mentioned alongside his and I’m so incredibly thankful. But like I told guys in the locker room, it’s not just my name, this is our award. It’s not about me but I’m so thankful to have my role and try to bring as much value as I can.”
Reed, who was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1979, set the initial record of 16 rushing touchdowns in 1968. Evans tied the record in 2022.
After struggling in the latter stages of the season, the Riders have now won their last two games. The victory, which improves the squad to 10-8, lifted Saskatchewan into third place in the West. The defending Grey Cup champions will travel to Vancouver to take on the B.C. Lions on Oct. 31.
The first-place Elks, who dropped to 13-5 with the setback, will host the Saskatchewan-B.C. winner in the West Division final on Nov. 7.
The Riders and the 10-8 Lions played three times during the regular season. The Riders won the first game in Regina 31-27 with the Lions winning the next two games in Vancouver by scores of 30-16 and 31-24.
— The Canadian Press