RIDERS WIN !!!!!

Roughriders Darian Durant (left), Jeremy O’Day and Eddie Davis celebrate their CFL West win over the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday.
Photograph by: David Stobbe, Reuters

REGINA — For the second time in three years, Canada's team is headed to Canada's greatest party.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders clinched a berth in the Grey Cup on Nov. 29 with Sunday's 27-17 victory over the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium.

The Roughriders will now meet the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup in Calgary. Montreal wrapped up its berth with a 56-18 victory over the B.C. Lions.
The Riders won just their third Grey Cup in 2007 with a 23-19 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Riders were unbeaten in four starts against Calgary this year. They have now earned the right to take over Calgary's locker room at McMahon Stadium as the West Division's representative in the Grey Cup.

The Grey Cup game brings together the top two teams in the CFL. Montreal was first in the East Division at 15-3-0. The Riders topped the West at 10-7-1 and have earned the nickname of Canada's team because their country-wide following.

Riders quarterback Darian Durant, who was making his first playoff start, outplayed veteran Calgary quarterback Henry Burris. Durant completed three touchdown passes and guided the Riders back from a 10-0 second-quarter deficit.

Burris, who was the most-valuable player in Calgary's 22-14 victory over the Alouettes in the 2008 Grey Cup game, was intercepted three times and completed one touchdown pass to Jeremaine Copeland late in the fourth quarter.

Burris was sacked three times by Riders linebacker Rey Williams and once by defensive end John Chick, who is the West Division's nominee for the defensive player-of-the-year.
A pair of third-quarter touchdowns propelled the Riders to a 24-11 lead.

Durant hit Andy Fantuz on a nine-yard pass and then connected with Rob Bagg on a 16-yard pass.

The Riders' defence also rose to the occasion by holding Calgary to a single point.
The Riders spotted Calgary a 10-0 lead before rallying in the second quarter. Durant connected

with Chris Getzlaf on a 10-yard pass and Luca Congi hit on an 18-yard field goal as the teams

went into the break tied 10-10.

Sandro DeAngelis opened the scoring with a 47-yard field goal in the first quarter. Joffrey Reynolds, the West Division's nominee for the most outstanding player, scored on a 17-yard run in the second quarter.

Crowd noise was definitely a factor. Before the game, more than 30,000 Thundersticks were handed out to the sell-out crowd. The Thundersticks did their part as the Stampeders were assessed two illegal procedure penalties in the opening half.