Blue Bombers drop Labour Day Classic in overtime battle

Given his connection to Regina and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, it was only fitting that rookie Jaxon Ford made the play that gave the Riders a 32-30 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday.

Ford, who grew up in Regina, is a rookie safety with the Riders, a team that his grandfather Alan Ford played for and served as general manager. With a sellout crowd of 33,350 at Mosaic Stadium for the Labour Day Classic, Jaxon Ford picked the perfect time to come up with the biggest play of his young CFL career.

After the Riders scored a touchdown and two-point convert on the first possession of overtime, the Bombers responded with a touchdown of their own. Ford's heroics came on the ensuing two-point conversion when he deflected a pass from Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros to give Saskatchewan the victory.

It was supposed to be a blitz by (Derrick) Moncrief but we flipped it and I ran off the edge the best I could to make a play," said Ford, who was playing because starting safety Jayden Dalke left the game with an injury.

"It was a rush of energy. I tipped the ball and turned around to see it on the ground and it was a rush of energy."

Riders head coach Craig Dickenson has faith in Ford, who the Riders picked in the second round (11th overall) of the 2023 CFL draft.

"He's a good player and every time we put him out there, he's done what he's needed to do. We know if Dalke is down, we feel he can go in and start and play a game for us," said Dickenson.

The Riders forced overtime when Brett Lauther kicked his fifth field goal of the game, an 18-yarder, with 31 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Riders opened overtime with backup quarterback Antonio Pipkin scoring his second touchdown of the game on a