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Tate leads Stampeders over Roughriders

Oct 22, 2011 - 6:02 AM Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Drew Tate started over Henry Burris and passed for 251 yards and one touchdown, leading the Calgary Stampeders to a 25-13 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday.

Jon Cornish rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown and the playoff-bound Stampeders (9-7) scored 17 points in the second quarter on the way to snapping the two-game losing streak that landed regular starter Burris on the bench.

Darian Durant passed for 209 yards and scored Saskatchewan's only touchdown on a run before leaving with an injury. The last place Roughriders (4-12) dropped their fifth straight game.

Durant was hurt on a hard hit early in the fourth, but head coach Ken Miller said he was "fine."

"He's talking normally, walking normally, feeling normally and is feeling good," said Miller.

Despite winning the CFL's Most Oustanding Player award after throwing for close to 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns last season, Burris was asked to step aside for Tate as starting quarterback this week.

The transition started in earnest last week, when Burris was just 6-of-11 for 65 yards against East Division punching bag Toronto before he was benched in favor of Tate.

In relief, Tate passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns, but the Stampeders lost in a nailbiter.

Still, head coach John Hufnagel stuck with the backup this week and Calgary was able to snap its losing streak.

Tate graded his performance as "pretty good" in an on-field interview with TSN Canada after the game, saying he had good rhythm in the first half but slowed down in the third quarter. Asked if his confidence ever wavered, he delivered a two-word answer.

"So confident," Tate said, throwing up his hands and dashing away from the camera.

Christopher Milo kicked a 26-yard field goal to give Saskatchewan a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, but Romby Bryant scored on his only run of the game early in the second, a four-yard scamper that put Calgary ahead.

Durant's five-yard TD run moved the Roughriders back on top before the Stampeders scored 10 unanswered points to end the first half.

Tate avoided a sack and connected with Landan Talley on a 13-yard touchdown pass and Rene Paredes kicked a 37-yard field goal as time ran out to make it 17-10 Calgary at the break.

Milo booted a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter for Saskatchewan's last points, while Cornish scored on a five-yard run after Tate and Durant were both intercepted in a span of five plays. Charleston Hughes returned his pick of Durant 67 yards to set up the TD.

A single in the fourth quarter ended the scoring.

Game Notes

Durant took his last snap early in the fourth quarter, taking a hard hit from Demetrice Morley and fumbling the ball. Ryan Dinwiddie took over and passed for 86 yards the rest of the way.