Stampeders.com
Max Campbell | Stampeders.com Staff
CALGARY — Bo Levi Mitchell led the way for the Stamps on Saturday afternoon, passing for 313 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 29-8 victory over the visiting Montreal Alouettes in the 2014 season opener.
“We came out and we created momentum for the season and that’s huge,” Mitchell noted following the win.
“Especially with a team like Montreal that’s going to come out and try to confuse you. But the coaches put together a great game plan and guys prepared for it, studied it, and we came out and executed.”
| Related: Alouettes at Stampeders |
|---|
» View Game Stats |
MitcheThe third-year pivot capitalized on his opportunity behind centre and was anxious to get the regular season under way after wrapping up the pre-season schedule with a loss in Vancouver against the Lions.
“It’s just about getting back into the game and getting hit again,” he said. “It feels good to finally get out there and get the real, full-speed hits. Feeling the plays and the game at live speed again, it’s just great to get out there and compete with those guys and make sure we go out there and get the win.”
Now heading into an early bye week, Mitchell acknowledged the unfamiliarity of having a Week 2 break before Calgary’s July 12 contest on the road against the Argonauts.
“It’s different to have one (bye week) so early in the season and it is kind of unfortunate since we just built momentum from that game, but it gives time for guys to heal,” he said. “We had some personnel changes going into that game, and also in the game things happen. So just letting those guys heal gives us more time to prepare for a good team in Toronto.”
The game-winning points came off a 102-yard touchdown toss to WR Maurice Price as the first quarter came to an end, and Mitchell knew he could rely on his receiver to make the most of the blown coverage in the Alouettes secondary.
“That’s what Mo Price is,” said Mitchell. “He’s electrifying and he’s one of those guys that I can just drop back and throw the ball as far as I can and he’ll go catch it. He’s a very hard receiver to out-throw. It’s huge to have a guy like that on your roster that makes plays.”
After being named the Stampeders’ starting quarterback earlier this week, Mitchell felt confident as a result of his extensive preparation leading up to kickoff.
“There weren’t very many nerves,” he said. “I was just more or less ready to get hit and once I finally did, I felt great.”
