Canadian Press
CALGARY – In a matchup that’s quickly developing into one of the greatest rivalries in the CFL, the REDBLACKS and Stampeders served up another classic on Thursday Night Football, as Calgary notched its first victory of the 2017 season with a 43-39 win.
Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns without an interception on 19-of-31 passing for the Stamps, including two touchdown passes to Kamar Jorden, while Trever Harris finished with 425 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 27-of-35 passing for the REDBLACKS.
The REDBLACKS became already the second team to feature three 100-yard receivers, with Greg Ellingson (133), Brad Sinopoli (111) and Diontae Spencer (107) all going over the century mark.
Meanwhile, third-year Canadian pass-catcher Lamar Durant had a team-high six catches for 126 yards for the Stampeders.
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Harris showed no ill effects of a lingering hand injury from Week 1, opening the game with a bomb to WR Greg Ellingson down the left sideline. Though Ellingson turned on the jets and raced 80 yards to the end zone, a blocking foul negated the score and the REDBLACKS would settle for a field goal to open the game’s scoring.
After a penalty-plagued first drive, Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stampeders found their groove midway through the first quarter. After picking apart the REDBLACKS defence with passes to Lemar Durant and Marquay McDaniel, Mitchell found Kamar Jorden down the middle of the field, who plunged into the end zone for the game’s first major. A rare miss on the extra point by Rene Parades put the Stamps up by three.
Again Trevor Harris seemed to be in cruise control on the following REDBLACKS drive, calmly leading his team down the field and into the red zone. But Ottawa’s offence struggled again to find the end zone, settling for another three points and a tie game.
Following a stout defensive stand from the Stamps defence, including a big sack of Harris by DL Kashawn Fraser, Mitchell and the offence went back to work. After a defensive pass interference call moved the Stamps deep into REDBLACKS territory, rookie WR Marken Michel looked off two Ottawa defenders to score his first career CFL touchdown. Mitchell then found McDaniel with ease on the two-point conversion to give Calgary its first lead of the game.
Chaos ensued on the following REDBLACKS drive. After an apparent Trevor Harris fumble was recovered for a touchdown by the Stampeders, Ottawa successfully challenged the play, resulting in an incomplete pass. The REDBLACKS’ relief would be short-lived however, as Brett Maher’s punt was blocked on the following play.
Despite strong field position, Mitchell couldn’t find the end zone, and the Stamps settled for a Parades field goal.
The REDBLACKS answered with a field goal of their own, narrowing the deficit to eight points.
Ottawa got a game-breaking play from SB Diontae Spencer, who found a seam on a punt return, taking it to the house for a 96-yard touchdown. RB Mossis Madu plunged up the middle on the convert, and the game was once again tied headed to halftime.
A routine play on the Stampeders’ first drive of the half resulted in something spectacular, as back-up QB Andrew Buckley bounced a third-down QB sneak to the outside and dashed 60 yards to the end zone.
The Calgary defence got in on the fun on the following drive, as a fumble forced by DL Alex Singleton was recovered by Maleki Harris and returned 46 yards for a score.
After a Maher field goal cut into the Stamps lead, Harris went back to work. The REDBLACKS pivot completed four consecutive passes, the final to WR Brad Sinopoli, which he took 34 yards to the house for the score.
The back-and-forth continued into the fourth quarter, as Stamps rookie DB Tunde Adeleke took a Maher punt 57-yards for a touchdown; the second punt return TD of the game.
The REDBLACKS battled back once again, capping a drive with a 14-yard Madu scamper for a touchdown. But as was the case for much of the game, Calgary’s offence was too much for the REDBLACKS defence to handle, and the following Stamps drive saw Mitchell throw his third touchdown of the game, his second to Jorden.
Despite the long odds facing the REDBLACKS, their offence kept clicking, and it took Harris just one play to find Spencer down the left sideline, racing 65 yards for his second touchdown of the game.
In the end, though, it was too little too late, as some hard-nosed running by Jerome Messam helped the Stampeders melt away the final two minutes of the game.
After the two sides combined for 853 yards in a 31-31 tie a week ago, Thursday night’s rematch featured even more game-breaking plays and a combined 870 yards to go with 82 total points. Thus concludes the regular season series between these clubs following three straight competitive matchups dating back to the 104th Grey Cup last November.
The Stampeders take a 1-0-1 record into Winnipeg next weekend for a duel with the Bombers. The REDBLACKS, still seeking their first victory of 2017, will head back to Ontario where they’ll host the new-look Toronto Argonauts.
