The Calgary Stampeders took a firmer grip on first place in the Canadian Football League’s West Division by defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 34-26 on Sunday afternoon at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium.
The Stamps (11-4) now lead the Roughriders by four points in the battle for top spot and also hold the tie-breaker edge by virtue of having won the season series against Saskatchewan.
“It was a very good win,” said Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “I’m very satisfied. Obviously, with the implications this game had, this means a lot.
“I thought our football team played very physical. They played fast and they kept their confidence. Anytime you can play in Saksatchewan — as noisy a stadium as this is and with as much pressure as this game had — and keep your poise, that’s a very good sign. I’m very pleased.”
A strong third quarter turned the game in the Red and White’s favour as the Stamps twice marched the ball 80 yards for touchdowns in the process of turning a 19-10 deficit into a 24-19 lead.
The first of the time-consuming drives was capped by a two-yard run by Joffrey Reynolds and the second was punctuated by a 17-yard Romby Bryant touchdown catch.
The Stamps picked up some much-needed insurance in the fourth period when Milt Collins forced a fumble on a hard hit of Saskatchewan pivot Darian Durant. Corey Mace picked up the loose ball and ran it back 60 yards for his first professional touchdown.
That score proved critical because the Riders scored on a 65-yard touchdown reception by Chris Getzlaf with a little less than five minutes remaining in the contest.
Rob Maver’s field goal with 1:35 remaining closed out the scoring.
The Stamps fell into an early 14-0 hole as the Roughriders found the end-zone on their first two possessions of the game.
Saskatchewan opened the scoring on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Durant to Weston Dressler.
The next time they had the ball, the Roughriders needed only two plays to go 96 yards as Durant connected with Getzlaf for gains of 85 and 11 yards to produce a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
“The message to the team at that point was the same as the message all week long,” said Hufnagel. “We knew this was going to be a game of momentum change. You just have to fight and keep the faith and gain back the momentum. That’s what happened.”
It wasn’t until the Stamps’ third possession that the offence got going and it was the running game that keyed a drive that culminated with Reynolds’ 11-yard touchdown run.
The second-quarter scoring consisted of an exchange of field goals — Maver from 39 yards and Saskatchewan’s Eddie Johnson from 35 — and a safety conceded by Stamps punter Burke Dales.
During the first half, Reynolds surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for the sixth time in his career. In the second half, Stamps slotback Nik Lewis surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau for a seventh time in his career.
The Stamps return home on Friday, Oct. 22 to face the BC Lions. It’ll be a big night as the club’s Wall of Fame Class of 2010 — including Will Johnson, Alondra Johnson, Bernie Morrison and Jim Finks — will be honoured. It’s also Fan Appreciation Night with a draw for spectators to win the jerseys off the Stampeders players’ backs.
More coverage
>> Video highlights
>> Audio: Coach Huff’s post-game comments
>> Locker-Room Blog by Joffrey Reynolds
>> Locker-Room Blog by Corey Mace
>> Updated standings
>> Photo gallery
INDIVIDUAL STATS
PASSING
Cgy: Burris 19-26-254-1-1; Ssk: Durant 15-28-341-3-1
RUSHING
Cgy: Reynolds 17-124-2, Cornish 6-53, Burris 6-36, Tate 3-5, Rambo 1-3; Ssk: Durant 4-62, Cates 10-45, Charles 3-10
RECEIVING
Cgy: Bryant 6-85-1, Lewis 4-60, Reynolds 3-47, Franklin 2-32, Rambo 3-16, Arthur 1-14; Ssk: Getzlaf 5-201-2, Dressler 5-71-1, Clermont 4-49, Cates 1-20
NOTABLES
Cgy: Mace 1 TKL 1 FR 1 TD, Collins 1 TKL 1 STT 1 FF 1 KD, Johnson 3 TKL 1 STT 1 SK, Raymond 1 TKL 1 INT, Murphy 4-120 KOR 3-6 PR; Ssk: Lucas 7 TKL Jones 1 TKL 1 STT 1 SK, Byrd 1 TKL 1 FF, Francis 4 TKL 1 FR, Hawkins 6 TKL