By Max Campbell
Stampeders.com

Slotback Marquay McDaniel continued to add to his impressive 2014 numbers on Saturday night, racking up 124 yards on four catches against to Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium, including a crucial 43-yard reception to help squelch any chance of a dramatic Edmonton comeback.

“It was actually a broken play,” McDaniel said of the aforementioned reception. “Bo (Levi Mitchell) did a good job scrambling, saw me down the field, and threw it up. We definitely needed it and I was happy I was the one to make the play.”

In addition, McDaniel felt that the defensive scheme of the Eskimos allowed for the Calgary offence to flourish, as eight different receivers registered at least one reception for the Stamps in this year’s third and final instalment of the Battle of Alberta.

“They were playing a lot of man-to-man coverage and we really like that,” stated McDaniel, after Calgary moved to 9-1 on the season with a 41-34 win. “A lot of big plays can come off teams playing man-to-man, and Bo did a great job of finding guys.”

Although the defence surrendered the most points allowed by the Red and White through 10 games, the CFL all-star appreciated the effort of his teammates on the other side of the ball who generated a pair of turnovers in the victory. 

“In the second half they came out and got that turnover and we went out and scored a touchdown,” McDaniel explained. “We knew we had to get one early and they (Edmonton) wanted to hang around and try to stay in the game. We probably left them out on the field too long and that’s probably why Edmonton came back at the end.” 

The Hampton alum, who began his CFL career as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2009-2011, also had high praise for first-year starting pivot Bo Levi Mitchell. Having won 12 of his first 13 games as a pro behind centre, McDaniel says that he continues to see an abundance of growth and maturity in his young quarterback on a weekly basis.

“I think you’re starting to see Bo’s experience,” explained the veteran pass catcher, who hauled in a touchdown toss from Mitchell in the third quarter. “Each game you can see him getting better. He’s trusting what he’s seeing out there, reading defences, and we’re communicating on the sidelines and making sure we’re all on the same page. The more reps we get with each other, the better offence we’ll be. And with Cornish in the backfield, that’s a good thing too.”