The Calgary Stampeders failed to capitalize on home-field advantage in the Western Final as they dropped a 20-16 decision to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday afternoon at McMahon Stadium.
The results sets up a second consecutive Saskatchewan-Montreal Grey Cup matchup next Sunday at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium and ends Calgary’s season after the Stamps finished a league-best 13-5.
“Very disappointing,” said Stamps head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “In the first half, we had too many penalties that really killed us on both sides of the football. In the second half, we moved the ball but once we got across (midfield), we couldn’t establish much more than that. Defensively, we didn’t really create anything in the second half. The one bright spot was Landan Talley on returns.”
Talley returned six punts for 66 yards and two kickoffs for 81 yards to consistently give the Stamps good field position.
Calgary had a great chance to take the lead with less than three minutes to play when the Riders’ Ryan Grice-Mullen muffed a punt return but Saskatchewan recovered the ball in its own end-zone and maintained possession.
The Stamps outgained the Roughriders in offensive yardage but 13 penalties played a large part in Calgary’s undoing.
The Roughriders went ahead to stay on a four-yard touchdown run by Wes Cates in the third quarter. The Riders’ score came after a favourable replay ruling on a challenge allowed Saskatchewan to get the ball back after an apparent Cates fumble.
Calgary had taken a 15-14 lead earlier in the period thanks to Rob Maver’s 25-yard field goal.
The Stamps led for most of the first half but two late touchdowns gave the Roughriders a 14-11 advantage at the midway point.
Both of Saskatchewan’s scores came as a result of six-yard touchdown receptions, the first by Chris Getzlaf and the second by Cary Koch.
The go-ahead score was set up by James Patrick’s interception and 50-yard return.
Calgary held an 11-0 lead after one quarter.
After a 77-yard punt single by Burke Dales and a 15-yard field goal by Maver, the Stamps marched 80 yards on 11 plays for the first touchdown of the day. The drive was capped by a 22-yard reception by Arjei Franklin.
A Malik Jackson interception set the stage for the Franklin score.
STATISTICS
PASSING
Cgy: Burris 19-28-229-1-1; Ssk: Durant 20-36-180-2-1, Kean 0-1-0-0-0
RUSHING
Cgy: Reynolds 10-52, Cornish 3-31, Tate 1-2, Burris 1-1; Ssk: Cates 12-60-1, Durant 6-51
RECEIVING
Cgy: Franklin 3-60-1, Bryant 3-56, Lewis 6-55, Rambo 4-34, Arthur 1-18, Reynolds 1-5, Cornish 1-1; Ssk: Getzlaf 8-109-1, Koch 3-24-1, Cates 2-15, Dressler 3-13, Clermont 3-12, Szarka 1-7
NOTABLES
Cgy: Talley 6-66 PR 2-81 KOR, Simpson 8 TKL, Raymond 5 TKL, Johnson 4 TKL 3 KD, Jackson 2 TKL 1 INT, Browner 1 TKL 1 SK 1 KD; Ssk: Freeman 9 TKL 1 SK, Kornegay 2 TKL 1 SK 1 FF, Patrick 2 TKL 1 INT, Simpson 4 TKL