By Max Campbell
Stampeders.com Staff
Bo Levi Mitchell suffered his first loss on the road as a starter in a disappointing 29-11 defeat to the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night. The loss dropped the Stamps to 1-1 as the defending Grey Cup champions have now lost two straight games at Percival Molson Stadium.
“We’ve just gotta all look at ourselves in the mirror and make sure we check it out on film and just talk it out,” says Mitchell. “We’re all professionals. We came into somebody else’s stadium and we didn’t steal one on the road when we should have.”
Calgary got things going with a 21-yard strike on second down to WR Eric Rogers from deep in their own territory. A pair of receptions by WR Simon Charbonneau-Campeau then moved the ball across the midfield stripe, but the drive stalled soon thereafter.
Quarterback Rakeem Cato, making his first career start due to Jonathan Crompton and Dan LeFevour injuries, took the field following the Rob Maver punt. The Marshall alum would connect with WR Samuel Giguere for his first CFL completion before finding former Stampeder slotback Nik Lewis over the middle for a pickup of 23 yards. Two plays later, the rookie pivot rolled to his right and found Giguere beyond the goal line for a 6-yard score and an eventual 7-0 lead.
A full-extension catch by SB Marquay McDaniel on a bullet from Mitchell preceded a pass interference penalty on the Montreal defence. Jerald Brown was not charged with an infraction until head coach John Hufnagel successfully challenged the play.
Failing to consistently move the chains, Maver came on once again to boot the ball away to veteran return man Stefan Logan. Catching the punt near the sideline before reversing field and following his blocks, Logan gained 24 yards before being chopped down by a desperate Maver.
K Boris Bede extended their lead by three points with a 23-yard chip shot after the Calgary defence held the Als to 11 yards on the possession and prevented a major score.
A short toss to Lewis was hauled in and turned up field for a scamper of 36 yards with under five minutes remaining before the half which set up a one-handed snag from Giguere. Lofted over an outstretched Fred Bennett before gathered in by the Quebec product, the ball was then placed at the Stampeders’ six-yard line where Cato went back to Lewis once again. The bulky 33-year-old bounced off DB Brandon Smith and crossed the goal line for a 16-0 advantage including the subsequent convert.
The visitors concluded a promising series with a 36-yard field goal attempt from K Rene Paredes, but the kick sailed left of the uprights.
The Stamps’ offence struggled mightily throughout the opening two quarters as the unit allowed two sacks, took seven penalties, and generated a mere 120 yards. For the first time since September 2010, the Red and White headed to the locker room without anything to show on the scoreboard.
The Alouettes received the opening kickoff of the third quarter and promptly orchestrated a 12-play, 65-yard drive while taking nearly eight minutes off the clock. Scoring his first touchdown as a pro, WR Cody Hoffman was left uncovered from 15 yards out as Montreal upped their lead – and point total – to 22.
The Stamps finally cut into the Als’ point differential with field goal of 28 yards from Paredes at the 3:39 mark of the third quarter. WR Joe West registered receptions of four, 18 and 21 yards prior Paredes taking the field.
Responding in immediate fashion was Bede, as the native of France knocked through a 49-yarder to begin the final frame.
Showing their resiliency in an effort to stage a second consecutive comeback victory, Mitchell located McDaniel downfield with a 63-yard toss before No. 16 was wrestled to the turf by LB Chip Cox. After the Stampeders were denied from the one-yard line on a Drew Tate plunge, the backup signal caller stayed in to hand the ball off to RB Jon Cornish on third down. The rushing major and two-point conversion via McDaniel narrowed the lead to 14 points.
Fred Stamps’ 500th catch of his career after a turnover on downs by Calgary enabled Bede to try his third field goal of the evening, this time at the 17-yard line. The Alouettes 28-15 cushion remained until a punt single from Bede with 1:22 to go.
A Marc-Olivier Brouillette interception of Tate in the red zone haulted a last-minute scoring threat as the Als recorded their first home win in 2015.
The ground game was a one-sided affair in the Week 2 matchup, as Tyrell Sutton gained 134 yards versus 59 from Cornish.
“Offensively we were our own worst enemies again,” says Hufnagel. “We knew they were a zone blitz type of team and you can’t go backwards. We had way too may penalties and our special teams had way too many penalties to start the ball on the minus-10 yard line.
“We hurt ourselves a lot in the first half and you’ve got to give credit to Montreal. They played a solid football game and they beat us.”
Next up, the Stamps host the Toronto Argonauts for some Monday Night Football action on July 13. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.