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Roughriders seek return to win column in clash with Tiger-Cats

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07/28/2010 - Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - No longer the last undefeated team in the CFL this season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders try to continue their recent dominance over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when the two squads clash at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Saturday.

The Roughriders, who erupted for 54 points during a season-opening, overtime win over Montreal, were limited to a season-low 20 points last weekend in their 20-point loss to Calgary on the road. For the first time this season, Saskatchewan failed to score the first points of the game and the team's defense completely broke down in the second half as it allowed 33 points.

Quarterback Darian Durant was held in check for much of the game, throwing his lone touchdown of the event late in the fourth quarter, once the outcome had already been decided. Durant finished the night 22-of-37 for 354 yards, but he was picked off three times and sacked twice.

Weston Dressler accounted for nine receptions for 125 yards, both of which were game highs. Running back Wes Cates added another 83 yards and a score on 16 rushing attempts.

As for the Tiger-Cats, they kept things close against Montreal in the first half last Thursday, but then Hamilton allowed the Alouettes into the end zone in the second half and that was too much to take in the 37-14 final at McGill Stadium. Quarterback Kevin Glenn hit 16-of-32 passes for 201 yards, but late in the meeting he was taken out in favor of Quinton Porter who converted 5- of-7 passes for 70 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while suffering a pair of sacks along the way.

The so-called rushing attack of the Ti-Cats was limited to only 49 yards on 14 attempts, with DeAndre Cobb gaining a team-best 25 yards on eight tries. Cobb has had some serious trouble gaining his footing early in the season, amassing a combined 137 yards on 39 attempts which means, of the league's top 30 runners after four games, Cobb has the worst average per carry (3.5 yards) by far.

As a group, Hamilton is the weakest rushing team in the league with only 71.5 ypg, gaining a full yard less per attempt than any other team in the CFL at the moment.

Needing Glenn to bounce back in order to give them a fighting chance this time around, the Tiger-Cats understand that their best offensive threat stems from Glenn in the pocket. The signal-caller has completed better than 65 percent of his attempts for close to 1,100 yards and has five touchdowns and just a single interception to his credit, the fewest miscues of any starter in the league right now.

Even though he had a sub-par game judging by his own standards, Durant is still the quarterback by which the rest of the league is measured through four games, at least in terms of his overall yardage which stands at 1,325 yards. Having completed close to 61 percent of his attempts thus far, Durant is tied for second in the league with eight touchdown throws.

Now in his fifth CFL season, Cates is on pace to have his most successful campaign now that he has 400 yards and three touchdowns through four games. Perhaps most impressive is his average of seven yards per attempt, although that's not an average that will stand up through all the bumps and bruises of an entire regular season. Nevertheless, the Roughriders as a team have been taking it to the rest of the league with their running game, averaging a CFL- best 178 ypg and an explosive 8.1 yards per attempt. Again, those numbers will not stand up over time, but at least for the moment opponents like Hamilton will have to guard against them.

Saskatchewan has won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Ti-Cats, although it was Hamilton that posted a 24-6 triumph in the most recent encounter last October 31 at home. As a result of that outcome, the all-time regular-season series is knotted at 36-36-4 dating back to 1950.

The Roughriders have won both of their home dates thus far in 2010, while Hamilton has come up empty in two road dates. The Tiger-Cats will serve as hosts for the only other meeting this year between the two clubs, slated for September 25.

Durant and Cates are as scary a one-two punch as there is in the league entering the fifth week of the season and if Hamilton eases up on one, expect the other to take advantage.