REGINA -- The road to Calgary now goes through the Queen City.
For the first time since 1976, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are West Division champions.
They will host the West final at Mosaic Stadium Nov. 22.
For the first time since 2005, the Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders are meeting in the playoffs, with kickoff next Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at McMahon Stadium.
The Riders jumped out to a 17-point lead and held on for a 30-14 win last night over the Stamps in front of 30,925 fans at Mosaic Stadium.
"It's been a while for the fans here," said Stamps quarterback Henry Burris, who played with the Riders in 2000, 2003-04.
"So kudos to them. Their team went out and did a good job. We didn't help our case as far as making plays. It's not the Grey Cup. We will do whatever we can to get back here in two weeks.
"We will be alright. We're still defending Grey Cup champions. Nobody is the new champ until the old one goes down. We will keep fighting until the end. We will be back here in two weeks and will settle the score then."
The Stamps had a chance to cut into a seven-point deficit with six minutes left, but Sandro DeAngelis, who made two field goals in the third quarter, had his 41-yard attempt go off the bar.
When the Stamps got the ball back, Roughriders defensive end John Chick, who had his hands on Burris and running back Joffrey Reynolds all game, dropped Burris for a sack that put the Stamps on their own five-yard line.
A hail-mary bomb to Jeremaine Copeland fell incomplete, and the Stamps conceded a safety to give the Riders a 23-14 lead with 2:43 to play.
DeVone Claybrooks went offside on an onside kick attempt that was recovered by the Stamps, and the Riders came back with a Chris Szarka TD to put the game out of reach.
"I knew if I punted, they have a great returner and they would be in field-goal position," said Stamps head coach John Hufnagel.
"I felt confident we could complete the onside kick.
"You have to be able to rise up from a defeat. We will see what kind of character this team has. I believe in this football team. We will be ready to play next Sunday."
The Stamps took control in the third quarter, although they couldn't get into the endzone.
After the defence forced a punt, Burris hooked up with Jeremaine Copeland for a 37-yard gain to set up a 22-yard DeAngelis field goal.
On the ensuing kickoff, DeAngelis dribbled the ball 10 yards and then pounced on it for the successful onside kick.
Burris then found Romby Bryant alone for a 27-yard gain and the Stamps cut the deficit to 21-14 after three quarters.
"When we're down there, we have to score touchdowns," Hufnagel said. "The two field goals put us within a touchdown, but it's a lot better if you score down there.
"We tried different things to get the ball back, and the guys played hard, but the Roughriders made more plays than we did."
The Roughriders owned the first 20 minutes, building an 18-1 lead on the back of Durant touchdown passes to Chris Getzlaf and Rob Bagg.
The first-quarter major was Getzlaf's fourth against the Stamps this season in just three games.
Bagg, the Riders nominee for top Canadian, got wide open for a 25-yard touchdown with nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, and that finally woke up the slumbering Stamps offence.
On the ensuing possession, Burris put together an eight-play, 85-yard drive and capped it off with his 10th rushing major of the season.
But the Riders managed another field goal before the half was up and took a 21-8 advantage into the locker-room at halftime.
For Reynolds, who finished with his ninth 100-yard game to take a stranglehold on a second straight rushing title, said the Stamps will put this loss behind them before getting home today.
"It's done," Reynolds said. "Worrying about this won't do us any good. We feel confident enough that we're a good enough team. We just have to line up and do it again."
IAN.BUSBY@SUNMEDIA.CA
