Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly runs the ball against Saskatchewan Roughriders' Rakim Cox during first half CFL football action at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Saturday, November 4, 2017.Mark Taylor/The Canadian Press
Mike Reilly led the way as the Edmonton Eskimos beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-13 on Saturday for their fifth consecutive victory heading into the playoffs.
Reilly engineered a scoring drive early in the fourth quarter of a one-point game, and capped it with a one-yard touchdown rush. That score swelled the Edmonton lead to eight at 21-13.
The two-time Grey Cup champion and Grey Cup MVP also rushed for a touchdown early in the first half as the visitors built an 11-0 lead. They led 11-7 at halftime.
With the win, the Eskimos (12-6) will remain in the West Division for the playoffs and travel to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West semifinal.
The Riders (10-8) are the crossover team and will travel further east to visit either the Toronto Argonauts or the Ottawa Redblacks in the East semifinal, pending the outcome of Saturday's late contest in Vancouver between the Lions and the Argos.
Edmonton's special teams allowed the offence to add insurance to Reilly's second rushing touchdown. They forced and recovered a fumble at the Saskatchewan 27-yard line on the ensuing kickoff.
Five plays later, Reilly had his third rushing touchdown of the night, a one-yard plunge that gave the Eskimos a 28-13 advantage with six minutes remaining. He also had 294 yards passing on 21-of-27 attempts.
Brandon Bridge and Marcus Thigpen were the bright spots for the Riders on offence. Bridge relieved starter Kevin Glenn and promptly threw a touchdown strike to Thigpen that cut into Edmonton's 11-0 lead in the second quarter.
With running backs Trent Richardson and Cameron Marshall not dressed, Thigpen led Saskatchewan in rushing (32 yards), which included an eight-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter. He also had 31 receiving yards.
22:01ET 04-11-17