CALGARY — Bo Levi Mitchell‘s Hamilton Tiger-Cats pushed until the end, but it was Jake Maier and his Calgary Stampeders who held on for a season-opening win on Friday night.
Six field goals from Rene Paredes combined with a couple of snags in the end zone by Cam Echols and Clark Barnes gave the Stamps a 32-24 victory over the Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium.
Here are three key stats from Calgary’s Week 1 win over Hamilton.
RELATED
» Game Recap: Stamps spoil Mitchell’s homecoming in win over Ticats
» Depth Chart: HAM | CGY
» Images: Hamilton at Calgary
» Stats: Ticats, Stamps by the numbers
On a night all about Mitchell’s return to McMahon Stadium, Calgary’s Maier certainly held his own, putting together an efficient showing from inside the pocket to lead his team to a win in front of their fans. Maier hit on 21 of 26 pass attempts, landing two into the end zone, and avoiding any turnovers.
Maier’s favourite target was receiver Barnes, who hauled in six catches for 61 yards, including a crucial 12-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter.
It was certainly a debut to remember for Calgary’s Demerio Houston.
The cornerback picked off Mitchell late in the second quarter to limit Hamilton to seven points of first-half offence. He made seven tackles altogether to lead the way for the Stamps’ secondary.
When the Ticats’ defence came up with important stops, the Stamps could lean on the reliability of Paredes.
Calgary’s kicker went a perfect 6-6 with his boot on Friday, with a 52-yard attempt in the first quarter being his longest make of the night.