Saskatchewan had to go beyond regulation to finish off its oldest rival, but the Roughriders delivered exactly the kind of Labor Day Classic ending their fans wanted, defeating Winnipeg 32-26 at Mosaic Stadium.
A crowd of 34,352, the largest ever for a CFL game at the stadium, watched the Blue Bombers force overtime with the clock at zero. Zach Collaros found Dorian Singer on a five-yard touchdown pass on the final snap of regulation to pull Winnipeg even.
Stevens Delivers the Winning Score
The extra period belonged to Saskatchewan. Tommy Stevens powered in from one yard out for his third touchdown of the game and his 15th rushing score of the season, putting the Roughriders in front.
Saskatchewan missed the two-point conversion, which left the door open for Winnipeg to respond. Instead, the Roughriders defense shut the game down on third-and-six from the 31-yard line, with Jameer Thurman making the stop behind the line to seal the victory.
Key Moments That Shaped the Game
- Tommy Stevens scored three times and supplied the overtime winner.
- Zach Collaros tied the game with a last-play touchdown pass to Dorian Singer.
- Saskatchewan’s defense ended Winnipeg’s final possession in overtime.
- Dhel Duncan-Busby turned a bigger role into a career-best outing.
- Trevor Harris moved higher on the CFL’s all-time passing list.
Harris Keeps the Offense Moving
Trevor Harris handled the passing attack for Saskatchewan, going 23-for-33 with 362 yards and one touchdown. He said the offense needed time to find its rhythm, especially with key players missing.
“It’s obviously huge. It’s important for us to get these wins at this point in the year,” Harris said. “We’re down some prominent guys, and so the fact that we’re able to kind of grind through it and get these wins is huge for us. We didn’t start out tremendous offensively but thought we really found a rhythm in the middle of the second quarter on.”
The result lifted Saskatchewan to 8-4 and kept it in second place in the West Division behind Edmonton, which entered Monday at 8-3 before facing Calgary. Winnipeg dropped to 6-6.
Duncan-Busby and the Defense Answer the Call
With Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker sidelined, Dhel Duncan-Busby took on a larger share of the workload and made it count. He caught 10 passes for 140 yards, both career highs, and several of his grabs came on important late-game downs. The performance raised his season totals to 35 receptions for 504 yards.
“I just knew that I had to be patient. Obviously, we have a great receiving corps. We’ve got a lot of different guys and, unfortunately, with all the injuries and stuff like that, people have had to step up, and I’m just glad that today was my time,” Duncan-Busby said.
Aubrey Miller Jr., making his first career start at linebacker, said the offense helped set the tone before the defense finished the job. Saskatchewan’s front also produced pressure, with Miller, Derick Roberson, and Seyi Oladipo each recording a sack. The unit also limited Brady Oliveira to 28 rushing yards on nine carries after he came in with 956 yards on the season.
| Player | Team | Notable Result |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Harris | Saskatchewan | 23 completions, 362 yards, 1 touchdown |
| Tommy Stevens | Saskatchewan | 3 rushing touchdowns, including the winner |
| Zach Collaros | Winnipeg | 27 completions, 279 yards, 2 touchdown passes |
| Dhel Duncan-Busby | Saskatchewan | 10 catches, 140 yards, career highs |
Milestones, Numbers, and the Rematch Ahead
Harris added a personal milestone to the win when a 72-yard pass to Daniel Wiebe in the second quarter pushed him past Doug Flutie and into 10th place on the CFL’s all-time passing yardage list. Harris entered the night 127 yards shy of Flutie’s 41,355, and he now sits at 41,590 career yards. Matt Dunigan is ninth at 43,857, while Anthony Calvillo leads the league with 79,816.
Harris said the achievement felt fitting because of the support around him. “That’s honestly poetic because it’s the turtle on a fence post sort of a situation where if you see a turtle on a fence post, he didn’t get there on his own. Somebody placed him there, and it’s exactly what this is for me,” Harris said. “I’ve had teammates that have done nothing but support me and love me, and coaches that have done nothing but teach me the game and I’m really grateful for the opportunities that presented themselves.”
KeeSean Johnson also crossed a major threshold, finishing with four catches for 32 yards to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight season. He has 81 receptions for 1,022 yards this year, just behind his 2025 totals of 86 catches and 1,159 yards.
Winnipeg’s Collaros completed 27 of 40 passes for 279 yards with touchdown throws to Kevens Clercius and Singer. Quali Conley caught a Saskatchewan touchdown, Roberson added a safety, Sergio Castillo made all four of his field goal attempts, and Alex Hale went one for three for the Roughriders.
The rivalry picks up again on Saturday, September 12, when the teams meet in Winnipeg.