By Max Campbell
Stampeders.com

Calgary earned their seventh victory through nine games with a 36-8 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from Investors Group Field on Saturday night. With two of three meetings now complete, the Stamps have clinched the 2015 season-series with their West Division rivals and have the top overall record across the CFL.

The Stampeders first play from scrimmage saw Bo Levi Mitchell connect with Eric Rogers down the sideline for a 38-yard gain. Rookie wideout Greg Wilson, making his second CFL appearance, then made a snag on a shallow crossing route and picked up first-down yardage into red zone territory. However, DB Matt Bucknor would intercept Mitchell in the end zone as Winnipeg forced their sixteenth turnover on the season.

Backup pivot Robert Marve led Winnipeg out for their first series of the game after the change of possession, but was picked off by DB Keon Raymond at midfield. The eight-year veteran returned the ball to the Bombers six-yard line and set up Calgary with prime field position. Mitchell spotted reserve tailback Tory Harrison for six points on the very next play before locating Rogers for a successful two-point conversion as the Red and White took an early 8-0 lead.

After stalling on their second drive, punter Rob Maver entered the action on third down, but Derek Jones blocked the kick before former-Stamp Lin-J Shell recovered the fumble. An eventual Lirim Hajrullahu field goal of 32 yards put the home team on the board before the first quarter expired.

Back-to-back tackles for losses by Stampeders defensive lineman – Brandon Boudreaux on running back Tyler Thomas and a sack from Freddie Bishop – forced a Blue Bombers punt with just over five minutes left until the half, their third of the evening.

Boudreaux continued to disrupt the Bombers backfield by registering a quarterback takedown upon taking the field again, Calgary’s fourth of the opening 30 minutes.

In the early stages of the third quarter, Jamar Wall jumped in front of wideout Justin Veltung and recorded the second pick-six of his career. The 29-yard runback from the Lubbock, Tex., native increased the Stamps lead to 12.

A subsequent six-play drive took 2:56 off the clock before third-string signal caller Bryant Moniz snuck behind the left side of his offensive line for his first rushing major of the year. The visitors scored a second consecutive two-point convert following the two-yard touchdown, with Mitchell locating Jeff Fuller just beyond the goal line.

Winnipeg cut into the Calgary lead with a 36-yard Hajrullahu field goal nearly 11 minutes into the third frame, and the Stampeders entered the fourth quarter with a 23-6 advantage.

A fake-handoff to Anthony Parker set up an end-around to Lemar Durant who scampered for 33 yards down to the Bombers 23 yard line. Fuller then juggled a ball tossed by Mitchell before reeling in the reception for a fourth Stampeder major score, and Rene Paredes added the point-after to claim a commanding lead.

After Paredes knocked through a field goal of 27 yards, Brian Brohm was called in to replace the struggling Marve. Drew Tate also replaced Mitchell shortly thereafter, with the Eastern Washington alum completing 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 314 yards before heading for the sidlines.

Maver conceded a safety rather than punting from the shadows of his own goal post and Paredes later put three more points on the board from 12 yards out to conclude the scoring in the one-sided affair.

“I liked how we came out after halftime and made plays and took control of the game,” says head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “The big play by Jamar Wall – the interception – and at the beginning of the game when Keon got back the one that we threw them. It was good to see that (the defence) did a nice job against the pass, they made the quarterback nervous, they caught the ball when it was in their area, and they stopped the run.”

The Edmonton Eskimos will visit McMahon Stadium in Week 11 while Winnipeg will face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on the road during the upcoming Labour Day weekend.