Eskimos advance to West final with 18-10 win over Riders

Edmonton Eskimos Eddie Steele (97), Otha Foster (37) and Mike Dubuisson (27) celebrate the win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders during CFL West semifinal action in Edmonton, on Sunday

EDMONTON -- Kendial Lawrence had an 84-yard punt return touchdown and the Eskimos defense recorded five interceptions as Edmonton beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 18-10 in the CFL's West semifinal on Sunday.

The game was billed as a battle of the backup quarterbacks between Edmonton's Matt Nichols and Saskatchewan's 41-year-old QB Kerry Joseph, but neither lasted past the midmark of the third quarter.

Edmonton's No. 1 quarterback Mike Reilly came into the game six minutes into the third quarter despite nursing a broken bone in his right foot, and Tino Sunseri finishing off the game for the Roughriders.

The loss ended any hopes the Roughriders had of defending their Grey Cup championship from last year.

The Eskimos will now meet the Stampeders in the West final next Sunday in Calgary.

Edmonton took the opening kickoff and got on the board just three minutes in on a 37-yard Hugh O'Neill field goal.

O'Neill added a 42-yarder with four minutes remaining in the first quarter after the Roughriders turned over the ball on an poor throw by Joseph that was picked off by Aaron Grymes without a Saskatchewan receiver in the vicinity.

Joseph was intercepted on his team's next possession as well, with Chris Rwabukamba snagging it on the Edmonton 45-yard-line. O'Neill missed that ensuing three-point attempt, however, getting a single to make it 7-0 at the start of the second quarter.

It was the 13th consecutive quarter without allowing a touchdown at home for the Eskimos.

Saskatchewan was intercepted for the third straight series as a Joseph pass was deflected into the air by a prone Rob Bagg and into the arms of defender Cauchy Muamba at the Roughriders' 44.

Nichols and the Eskimos continued to struggle to take advantage of the gifts from their defence as a short Saskatchewan punt was once again wasted. A 21-yard O'Neill field goal -- to make it 10-0 with eight minutes left in the second frame -- was all Edmonton could make of it.

Edmonton's special teams stepped up instead as Lawrence found a seam and blazed 84 yards for a punt return touchdown less than two minutes later to make it 17-0 for the Esks.

Joseph was picked off for a fourth time by Ryan Hinds, but Nichols gave it right back on the next play when he was intercepted in the end zone by Rider Weldon Brown.

Saskatchewan got on the board with 44 seconds left in the first half. Joseph took a hit to unleash a long bomb to Korey Williams, who reeled in the 54-yard pass while falling backwards into the end zone to make it 17-7.

Edmonton recorded a fifth interception on Joseph eight-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter with Dexter McCoil coming away with the pick at midfield. Reilly came in as quarterback following the play and got the Esks in range for a 39-yard O'Neill field-goal attempt, which ended in another miss and a single point.

Sunseri then came in to replace Joseph as the Riders' QB and marched his team down the field, leading to a 30-yard Chris Milo field goal to make it 18-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

Saskatchewan was pressing late in the game, but the Eskimos defence came up big again to keep them off the scoreboard and allow the offence to run out the clock.