Sure, it was a game-winning kick for me tonight but, at the same time, you have to look at the distance.

It was a 30, pretty good conditions. Both myself and Rene have made that kick a million times and he would have made that one, too.

My tackle tonight? Well, the sun shines on a dog’s you know what every now and then. I just put my head down, I saw where he was going and I felt him go up a little bit so I went up a little bit and I guess he went somewhere. I don’t know. I just heard everybody go ooh and aah when I got up I said, “Hey, I guess I got a tackle.”

The goal in pre-season is to just play well. I didn’t do nearly as well as I could have. Obviously, there were some highlights and some positive things to draw from. I ended the punting game well, I punted well from the end-zone. Aside from that, my punting was nowhere near what it’s been lately. I have to work on that.

I thought I kicked all right. I wasn’t upset about hitting the upright on the first field-goal try because I struck the ball well. That ball almost knocked the upright over. It felt like I really hit it.

I had to be out there a few plays later to hit a 50. This is what I train to do. You have to make that one — you have to make the next one. I had a terrible punt across the field and then my next one was a big one out of the end-zone. It’s just a matter of how you respond and I felt I responded well tonight. I shouldn’t have had to respond that many times tonight.

The cover teams were phenomenal. Mayo made a great open-field tackle. I didn’t put the ball where it should have been. I was all over the field tonight. That’s on me. Our cover team players, you have to tip your hat to them. They did a phenomenal job tonight and it’s going to be fun punting and covering kicks with them this year.

As for what the result means tonight? You play to win. There’s no style card on the scoreboard. I’m looking at it right now and it says Stampeders 20, Eskimos 17.

We came out and we won and all the dudes are fired up. A lot of young guys made plays today. Brad marching down the field and that two-point throw was huge. Bo had some great drives. Matt Walter had some great runs, Curtis Walls . . . a bunch of young guys contributed. That’s the fun part.

Rob Maver, #6
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