Maier praises ‘big team effort’ as Stamps stop losing streak
Greg Fulmes/CFL.ca
CALGARY — Jake Maier and the Calgary Stampeders put forth one of their best efforts of the season to get a 35-31 comeback win against the Edmonton Elks in the final game of the OK Tire Labour Day Weekend.
The Stampeders were outscored 28-13 in the first three quarters of Monday’s matchup against Edmonton before scoring 22-fourth quarter points to win for the first time in the last four games.
It was the kind of victory that required everyone stepping up to stop an Edmonton team coming off two straight wins behind a running game that seemed unstoppable for the first 45 minutes.
“It was a big team effort,” said quarterback Jake Maier to TSN’s Claire Hanna after the game. “There was no quit. I think sometimes our frustration just comes from the things that we can control that we don’t do well. You saw that a little bit in the first half, but we just started communicating better. And we just said, ‘We have to cut this loose and let this go, we can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot.’ We have to be there for each other, and we did it at the end.”
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The visitors scored a field goal to push the lead to 31-20 with under six minutes left before Maier and the Stampeders put together two consecutive touchdown drives that pushed them ahead with only 20 seconds left.
The final scoring campaign was an 86-yard march that had a crucial 19-yard completion from Maier to receiver Markeith Ambles on second down and ended on a four-yard run by running back Dedrick Mills. Calgary’s pivot completed 27-of-34 passes for 317 yards and an interception while also adding a rushing major.
“We started playing with good pace,” added Maier about his team putting together the late comeback effort. “Whenever you get momentum in this league and you start playing with pace, those windows start to get a little bit bigger, slows down the pass rush a little bit.
“Then we just executed when we had to. We had some big third down plays, big catch by Markeith (Ambles) in traffic, that was the big difference on that drive.”
The win stopped a three-game losing streak by the Stampeders (4-8) and gave them a boost in keeping up with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-5) for third place in the West Division while also creating a two game gap over Edmonton (2-10).
The Elks will get a chance to avenge their loss as the series now moves to Edmonton on Saturday, September 9, when the Stampeders visit Commonwealth Stadium.
