MILLER GETS SOAKED

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller was doused with water by players after the team's victory on Saturday.
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Leader-Post, The Leader-Post

Darian Durant's list of receivers included Darian Durant.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback was credited with one reception for a loss of five yards during Saturday's 30-14 CFL victory over the Calgary Stampeders on Taylor Field. He caught his own pass after it was deflected by a Stampeders lineman.

The unplanned catch left Durant four yards shy of 300 for the game.
"I'm going to bug him about that one later,'' Roughriders slotback Andy Fantuz said with a laugh. "He should have batted that one down and it would have been over 300, but what are you going to do?
"He had a great game. At the end of the day, a 300-yard game doesn't matter. We got a bye. We're playing in the Western final and we got a home game.''

Durant completed 24 of 36 passes, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, to help Saskatchewan clinch first place in the West Division and a bye to the Nov. 22 division final, to which the Roughriders will play host.

For the record, Durant's reception was his second of the season. In a similar situation, he was tackled for a six-yard loss Sept. 13 during a 55-10 victory over the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The last Roughriders quarterback to catch a pass on a designed play was Kerry Joseph, who caught a 34-yard TD pass from receiver Jason Armstead on July 22, 2006 in a 26-23 home-field victory over the Toronto Argonauts.

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Roughriders head coach Ken Miller was doused with water on the sideline to commemorate Saturday's victory.

Who were the perpetrators?

"I got one face,'' Miller said with a laugh. "I'm not sure I got the other one. Jeremy O'Day was one of the culprits.''

The other culprit was O'Day's offensive line cohort, Marc Parenteau.
Miller was a second-time victim. Roughriders players also emptied a water container on Miller on June 28, 2008, following a 34-13 conquest of the visiting Edmonton Eskimos. That was Miller's first victory as the Roughriders' field boss.

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Miller does not expect slotback Weston Dressler to return for the West final.
Dressler missed the final four regular-season games with a broken right fibula and a dislocated right ankle. When he was hurt Oct. 10 during a 32-22 victory over the visiting Argonauts, the Riders cited Nov. 22 as the earliest possible return date.

"I think it's very, very slim,'' Miller said. "From a coaching perspective, we have to prepare as though we won't have him.''

Miller does expect defensive halfback Eddie Davis, who missed the final two regular-season games with a torn meniscus in his left knee, to be ready for the West final.

The news is not as good, or anything close, for wide receiver Johnny Quinn. He suffered a torn meniscus Saturday and is lost for the season. Surgery will likely be required.

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EXTRA POINTS: Defensive end Stevie Baggs and Riders linebacker Mike McCullough are this year's recipients of the Mosaic Community Award. The award is presented annually to the Rider who contributes the most to their community. Mosaic made a $2,500 donation on McCullough's behalf to Jesse's Journey, a charity raising funds for research in gene- and cell-based therapies focusing on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Mosaic also donated $2,500 on Baggs' behalf to Creating Empowerment Through Autonomy (CETA), a foundation directed towards assisting at-risk communities and children ... Approximately 500 pennants featuring Chick were sold before Saturday's game. Proceeds from the minimum donation of $10 were directed towards the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

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