The Calgary Stampeders’ seven-game winning streak was snapped Friday as they dropped a 43-37 overtime decision to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium.
Wes Cates’ second touchdown of the night was the difference as Saskatchewan scored on its overtime possession while Calgary came up empty. With the result, the Stamps’ record falls to 9-2 and Calgary’s lead over the Riders for first place in the West Division is now four points.
“There were a lot of plays made by both football teams,” said Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “Both teams had the momentum at different times of the game but they made a couple of more plays than we did to enable themselves to win this football game.
“You win as a team and you lose a team. Offensively, we were able to score some points but there also some opportunities when we could have stayed on the field and we were two plays and out and we had to punt and give Saskatchewan the ball back. It was a tough game.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. It’s a long season and we’ll move on from this.”
Calgary got on the scoreboard even before the offence took the field as Milt Collins picked off a Darian Durant pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.
Before the first quarter was over, the Stamps had extended their lead to 10 points thanks to a 25-yard Rob Maver field goal.
The Roughriders rallied with 16 consecutive points including a couple of rouges and two touchdowns. The majors came on an eight-yard run by Cates on a direct snap and a 77-yard pass-and-run from Durant to Weston Dressler.
The Stamps reclaimed the lead on a one-yard sneak into the end-zone by Drew Tate and Maver’s 22-yard field goal on the final play of the half made the score 20-16 in favour of the visitors at the midway point.
The teams traded 30-yard touchdowns in the third quarter.
First, it was the Roughriders’ Hugh Charles scoring on a 30-yard rush that gave Saskatchewan a 23-20 lead. Then the Stampeders answered with a drive that was capped by a catch-and-run play by Jon Cornish that covered 30 yards and put Calgary back ahead.
Luca Congi kicked an 18-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the Stamps’ lead to a single point.
Calgary scored the next 10 points thanks to a four-yard Joffrey Reynolds touchdown run and a 30-yard Maver field goal.
A 60-yard touchdown catch by Andy Fantuz and a successful two-point conversion cut Calgary’s lead to 37-34 and Congi’s second field goal of the night with 2:08 to play in the four quarter made it a tie game.
The Stamps return home on Saturday, Sept. 25 to face the BC Lions. It’s the annual PinkPower game with special Stamps merchandise for sale to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society.
The game will also feature a special halftime ceremony to honour new all-time Stampeders rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds, with former rushing king Kelvin Anderson on hand as a special guest.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
PASSING
Cgy: Burris 29-40-348-1-0; Ssk: Durant 23-39-500-2-1
RUSHING
Cgy: Cornish 9-47, Reynolds 6-30-1, Tate 1-1-1, Burris 2-1; Ssk: Durant 5-69, Cates 10-35-2, Charles 1-30-1, Szarka 1-2
RECEIVING
Cgy: Rambo 6-115, Lewis 9-84, Bryant 4-40, Franklin 3-32, Cornish 1-30-1, Murphy 1-20, Reynolds 4-20, Arthur 1-7; Ssk: Fantuz 10-255-1, Dressler 3-104-1, Clermont 3-66, Bagg 1-28, Cates 3-23, Koch 2-15, Getzlaf 1-9
NOTABLES
Cgy: McCune 6 TKL, Simpson 4 TKL 1 STT 1 SK, Collins 3 TKL 1 INT 1 TD, Mace 2 TKL 1 SK, Hughes 1 TKL 1 SK, Isaac 1 TKL 1 FF 1 FR; Ssk: Simpson 5 TKL, Kornegay 5 TKL 1 STT, McKenzie 5 TKL, Lucas 5 TKL 1 STT