By Canadian Press

Stampeders remain in CFL playoff hunt with 26-19 win over Roughriders

Oct 13, 2023 | 10:55 PM

CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders kept their CFL playoff hopes alive with a 26-19 win over the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday.

Calgary (5-11) snapped a three-game losing streak. The Roughriders (6-11) extended theirs to seven in a row. 

Saskatchewan still holds the third and final playoff spot in the West Division, but the Stampeders moved to two points back with a game in hand.

Calgary also took the season series 2-1, and thus would rank higher in the event the two clubs end up tied in points. The Stampeders have been a CFL playoff team 17 straight seasons.

The Stampeders are on the road next week against the B.C. Lions (12-5) and finish the regular season at home against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12-4).

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Saskatchewan hosts the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts (13-2) next week before capping the regular season with a bye week.

Winnipeg, B.C., Toronto, the Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats have five of the CFL’s six playoff spots locked down.

Floyd Allen had a touchdown catch, Cameron Judge scored off an interception and Tommy Stevens rushed for a major for Calgary in front of an announced 24,099 at McMahon Stadium.

Rene Paredes kicked a 44-yard field goal and added three points in converts. Jake Maier surpassed 4,000 passing yards on the season going 17-for-29 for 184 yards and a pair of touchdown throws. 

The Stampeders were minus leading receiver Reggie Begelton (ribs), which activated Allen from the practice roster.

Jamal Morrow scored a rushing touchdown for the Roughriders. Saskatchewan kicker Ryan Meskell, who came off the practice roster for the game because of Brett Lauther’s illness, went 4-for-4 in field goals from 34, 38, 31 and 43 yards. 

Quarterback Jake Dolegala reached 2,000 passing yards in a season by completing 23 of 33 attempts for 272 yards with one interception.

A pair of objectional-misconduct penalties to Calgary fullback Charlie Power, which disqualified him from the game, and another to teammate Silas Stewart after the next play advanced Saskatchewan to Calgary’s 40-yard line early in the fourth quarter. 

The Roughriders opted to punt instead of attempt the field goal, and Calgary scored on the next drive to lead 26-19.

Maier’s 37-yard throw to Luther Hakunavanhu brought the Stampeders to Saskatchewan’s doorstep and backup quarterback Stevens scored on a one-yard plunge at 10:08.

Calgary’s successful challenge for pass interference negated a Saskatchewan first down on Calgary’s 47-yard line with 48 seconds remaining in the game.

When Dolegala was subsequently brought down by Judge for a turnover on downs, Saskatchewan also challenged for pass interference and was denied.

Meskell’s 43-yard field early in third quarter increased Saskatchewan’s lead to 16-5, but a punt-return gaffe and an interception opened the door for the Stampeders.

Mario Alford coughed up the ball on a hard hit by Calgary’s Aaron Crawford. Power recovered for a five-yard return. Allen scrambled into the end zone on a 15-yard pass from Maier and celebrated with a round-off backflip.

Judge then picked off Dolegala and ran the ball back 33 yards to score, with Paredes’ convert giving the Stampeders a 19-16 lead heading into the third quarter. 

Saskatchewan quickly pulled even, however, on Meskell’s 31-yarder in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

Saskatchewan led 13-5 at halftime with 11 first downs and 219 yards of offence to Calgary’s four and 96 respectively.

After zero points in the opening quarter, Meskell’s 34-yard field goal gave the Roughriders a 3-0 lead early in the second.

Saskatchewan’s offence then kicked into a quicker gear with a six-play, 90-yard drive capped by Morrow’s 11-yard carry for a touchdown followed by Meskell’s 38-yard field goal.

Instead of punting out of his own end zone into the wind, Saskatchewan punter Adam Korsak conceded two points to the hosts with just over a minute remaining in the half. Paredes’ kicked a 44-yard field goal on the half’s final play.

UP NEXT

The Roughriders host the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 21 before finishing the regular season on a bye week. The Stampeders are in Vancouver on Oct. 20 to face the B.C. Lions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2023.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press