Sat Jul 12 20:58:26 2008

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Cates' late TD lifts Saskatchewan over Hamilton

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Hamilton, ON (Sports Network) - Wes Cates ran the ball 15 times for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner with less than a minute remaining, in the Saskatchewan Roughriders' 33-28 come-from-behind victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Trailing 28-27, the Roughriders got the ball back with 1:21 remaining and took just four plays to score what appeared to be the go-ahead touchdown. Hamilton challenged the play, however, arguing that Weston Dressler fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line on his 67-yard reception. The play was overturned and Saskatchewan got the ball on the 1-yard-line as the last team to touch the ball.

Cates punched it in for the eventual game-winning touchdown one play later with 29 seconds left. The Roughriders failed on their two-point attempt before forcing Hamilton into an interception with 14 seconds remaining.

Darian Durant completed 23-of-32 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Dressler was his top target, catching six passes for 122 yards and a touchdown for Saskatchewan (3-0), which won its ninth straight game against the Tiger- Cats (1-2).

Neal Hughes scored on his only reception, a three-yard pass from Durant, to round out the Roughriders' touchdown tally.

Jesse Lumsden had 19 carries for 137 yards and two touchdowns for Hamilton. Casey Printers completed 17-of-31 passes for 261 yards while Chris Bauman hauled in eight passes for 90 yards. Printers also ran the ball four times, scoring once.

Hamilton grabbed its final lead on a Quinton Porter 41-yard field goal with nearly four minutes left in the fourth quarter to make it 28-27. Nick Setta finished 1-for-2 three on the day with a long of 48 yards. Quinton Porter also hit a field goal for Hamilton. Luca Congi was 2-for-2 for the Roughriders, hitting from as far as 47.

The Roughriders led from the onset up until Setta's go-ahead field goal. He hit another one from 41 yards with 8:18 remaining to bring Hamilton within two.

After an early field goal from Congi and a single by the Tiger-Cats, Durant hooked up with Hughes for a short TD pass and a 10-1 advantage. The lead grew to as much as nine twice at 17-8 and 24-15.

Cates' first touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the first half accounted for the first nine-point lead while a 30-yard scoring reception by Dressler capped the third quarter scoring to match Saskatchewan's biggest lead.

Game Notes

The East was 0-4 in this week's slate of all intra-division games against the West...This was the first game of the season in which Hamilton failed to score at least 32 points.