THE CANADIAN PRESS
REGINA — Arland Bruce III had a record-tying performance for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday night. Too bad it wasn’t enough to knock off the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Ticats receiver had 16 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns but Saskatchewan got seven field goals from Luca Congi in a 37-24 win over Hamilton at Mosaic Stadium.
Bruce’s reception total tied a CFL single-game record previously shared by Terry Greer, Brian Wiggins and Derrell Mitchell.
Still, it was the Roughriders who were smiling at the end.
“We didn’t do a whole lot of great things or play a complete game but we did enough to win,” said Saskatchewan defensive back Lance Frazier.
Saskatchewan trailed 14-13 at the half before seizing control in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Wes Cates.
Cates’ first of two rushing TDs in the game was set up by a 35-yard pass from Darian Durant to Andy Fantuz and gave the ‘Riders a lead they would not relinquish.
The win followed Saskatchewan’s first loss of the season, a 40-20 road defeat at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders.
“We made steps,” said Saskatchewan head coach Ken Miller. “Some of the steps seem to be like baby steps instead of giant steps, but we got better on (special) teams and we got more consistency out of our offence and defence.”
Bruce — who jawed with fans all night — said tying the reception record was nice, but he would gladly give it back in exchange for a win.
“They was talking bad about me so … it was actually giving me energy,” Bruce said of his theatrical interactions with the crowd. “(The record) was a great feeling but I wish we would have won today.”
Highlights for Bruce included a 25-yard TD catch in the first quarter, a reception where he danced around Frazier to set up a Dave Stala touchdown in the second and had a 36-yard catch and run for a TD in the fourth.
Frazier made partial amends in the third when he picked off Hamilton quarterback Kevin Glenn and returned the ball 83 yards to the Ticats two-yard line. Saskatchewan wound up settling for Congi’s fifth field goal.
“We had two turnovers and two interceptions but we got ripped apart by Arland Bruce,” said Frazier. “The secondary members … they’ve got to get better. Another guy had over 200 yards, (Calgary’s) Fred Stamps, (against us) this year so I take that personal and we’ve got to get better, interception or no interception.”
Congi, who tied a career best by going 7-for-7, kicked his longest field goal from 42 yards.
Saskatchewan also got points on a punt single and kickoff single from Eddie Johnson.
Durant completed 21 of his 35 pass attempts for 270 yards with one interception. Glenn was 31-for-45 with 425 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sandro DeAngelis’ 18-yard fourth-quarter field goal rounded out the scoring for Hamilton (1-4), which continues to occupy the bottom of the CFL’s East Division standings.
The Roughriders (4-1) temporarily regained top spot in the West Division and have now won seven straight home games. Their last loss in Regina came on Sept. 20, 2009 against the Edmonton Eskimos.
Notes: Saskatchewan travels to Montreal to face the Alouettes on Friday while the Ticats host Winnipeg in the first of five straight games against East Division opponents.
