Recap: Calgary 25, Winnipeg 23
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Stamps survive late surge for league-leading 10th win
Posted: September 25,2015 11:30PM
Updated: September 26,2015 08:49AM
CFL.ca Staff
#FNF | #CFLGameDay
WINNIPEG -- Marquay McDaniel couldn't be stopped while the Stampeders avoided a late-game charge, earning a 25-23 win over the Bombers on Friday night in Winnipeg.
Lirim Hajrullahu's potential game-tying field goal sailed wide right with just over 40 seconds left, ending a furious late surge by the Bombers that nearly saw them come back from two scores down inside three minutes remaining.
McDaniel finished with a game-high 159 yards on nine receptions and Jon Cornish rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries in just his second start back from injury, while Bo Levi Mitchell finished with 333 yards on 27-of-35 passing with a touchdown each on the ground and through the air.
Rookie receiver Lemar Durant scored his first
career touchdown for the Stamps, who earned their league-leading 10th of
the season and their 10th win in the last 11 tries against the Bombers
to build on their lead atop the CFL West Division.
Cornish gouged the Bomber defence on multiple big gains and while the Bombers limited star receivers Eric Rogers and Jeff Fuller, it was McDaniel coming through with his best game of the season to power a consistent Stamps’ offence.
The Bombers almost pulled off a dramatic comeback in front of an energetic Investors Group Field crowd, scoring on a Rory Kohlert touchdown then getting the ball back just 11 seconds later. But their late rally was stumped on a penalty following a third-down conversion, forcing Hajrullahu to try a long field goal that he couldn't connect on.
The Bombers put up a valiant effort led by Matt Nichols in just his third start as a Bomber, but in the end couldn’t sustain their attack after being shut out in the third quarter and throughout most of the fourth. Nichols finished with 234 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-24 passing while Darvin Adams finished with 63 yards and a touchdown on four catches.
A heavy underdog entering Friday night against the league-leading Stampeders, the Bombers exuded no shortage of confidence leading up to game time. They showed exactly why in the game’s opening minutes, starting with a Troy Stoudermire interception of Mitchell on the inaugural drive.
Nichols went to work quickly after the interception, connecting with Adams for a pair of first-down pickups and then going back to Adams for a third straight time on the next play. Adams beat Joe Burnett on a post pattern and hauled in the pass from Nichols for a 42-yard touchdown, giving the Bombers a 7-0 lead in front of the home crowd.
The Stamps responded with a punt single before getting the ball back again, going straight to Cornish for a gain of 17. A 30-yard pickup by McDaniel on second-and-long kept the drive alive, eventually leading the Stamps’ offence inside the 10-yard-line.
There, on a second down play, Mitchell hit the rookie Durant on a quick slant from the right side for his first career touchdown, giving Calgary its first lead of the game, 8-7. That score capped off a seven-play, 79-yard scoring drive and silenced the Investors Group Field gathering.
Some more downhill running by Cornish and the fourth catch of the half from McDaniel set up a Rene Paredes field goal to put Calgary ahead 11-7, but after that the back-and-forth affair continued as the Bombers looked to respond.
Nick Moore set the wheels in motion on a catch-and-run to move up to midfield, then Nichols connected with an open Clarence Denmark over the middle for another first down. A completion to Moore moved the drive inside the 30 while the fullback Michel-Pierre Pontbriand kept things moving with a catch on first down.
From there it was Cameron Marshall taking over. The rookie running back plowed through the pile to move the sticks on second down, then on first and goal from the three made a man miss out of the backfield and bumped the play outside, running for his sixth touchdown of the season to put the Bombers ahead 14-11.
Paredes hit his 20th straight successful field goal in response for the Stamps to tie the game at 14 heading into halftime, and from that point on they would not look back.
A two-and-out on the third quarter’s opening drive set the tone, and on the ensuing drive Mitchell got the Stamps driving. He hit Rogers along the sideline on a catch that was ruled complete by virtue of a push-out, then Mitchell found a wide open McDaniel over the middle to move the sticks again.
After moving the offence down the field with his arm, Mitchell converted the major with his legs. He waited, then evaded pressure and took off up the middle for the score, putting the Stamps back in front 21-14.
They’d add a single and Parades’ third field goal of the night to make it 25-14 in the fourth, while the defence continued to bend against Nichols and the Bomber offence but not break. Yet with three minutes remaining, the Bombers got a key stop from their defence and one last crack at a late-game comeback.
Stoudermire provided the spark with a punt return deep into Stamps territory, then Nichols went straight to Kohlert on first down as the Bombers turned to their hurry-up offence knowing they needed two scores to tie it. Kohlert finished the drive with the Bombers' third major of night and Marshall scored on the two-point convert, cutting Winnipeg's deficit to 25-22 with 1:54 remaining.
Electing not to go for the onside kick, the Bombers sent the ball deep and the decision paid off. They stuffed Cornish twice and got the ball back within 11 seconds, getting the ball back near midfield with a chance to either tie or win the ball game.
A completion to Moore got the drive moving and the crowd roaring, but
from there things went awry for the Bombers. On a third and less than a
yard, Nichols picked up the first down on a quarterback keeper -- but
the play was called back on an illegal formation penalty.
The Bombers tried a 54-yard field goal for the tie, but it went off Hajrullahu's foot and wide right, preserving the win for the Stampeders.
Moore led the Bombers with 97 yards on seven catches while Jamaal Westerman had two sacks, his league-leading 10th and 11th of the season.
The victory is Calgary's league-leading 10th of the season, marking the seventh win in the last eight games for the Stamps and extending their lead atop the CFL West Division. The Stamps also move to 3-3 on the road this season.
The Bombers, meanwhile, fall to 4-9 on the season and are in danger of slipping further back in the playoff race. They'll keep a close eye on the Alouettes on Sunday, who could extend their lead over the crossover spot in the West with a win over the Riders in Saskatchewan.
A Grey Cup rematch is on tap for the Stamps next weekend in Steeltown on Friday Night Football, while the Bombers get an off week to recoup before visiting BC on Oct. 10.
#FNF | #CFLGameDay
WINNIPEG -- Marquay McDaniel couldn't be stopped while the Stampeders avoided a late-game charge, earning a 25-23 win over the Bombers on Friday night in Winnipeg.
Lirim Hajrullahu's potential game-tying field goal sailed wide right with just over 40 seconds left, ending a furious late surge by the Bombers that nearly saw them come back from two scores down inside three minutes remaining.
McDaniel finished with a game-high 159 yards on nine receptions and Jon Cornish rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries in just his second start back from injury, while Bo Levi Mitchell finished with 333 yards on 27-of-35 passing with a touchdown each on the ground and through the air.
| Related: Stamps at Bombers |
|---|
 » View Game Stats » Images: CGY at WPG» Video: Durant scores first career TD» Video: Adams beats the Calgary 'D' » Preview: Bombers up to the task vs. Stamps |
Cornish gouged the Bomber defence on multiple big gains and while the Bombers limited star receivers Eric Rogers and Jeff Fuller, it was McDaniel coming through with his best game of the season to power a consistent Stamps’ offence.
The Bombers almost pulled off a dramatic comeback in front of an energetic Investors Group Field crowd, scoring on a Rory Kohlert touchdown then getting the ball back just 11 seconds later. But their late rally was stumped on a penalty following a third-down conversion, forcing Hajrullahu to try a long field goal that he couldn't connect on.
The Bombers put up a valiant effort led by Matt Nichols in just his third start as a Bomber, but in the end couldn’t sustain their attack after being shut out in the third quarter and throughout most of the fourth. Nichols finished with 234 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-24 passing while Darvin Adams finished with 63 yards and a touchdown on four catches.
A heavy underdog entering Friday night against the league-leading Stampeders, the Bombers exuded no shortage of confidence leading up to game time. They showed exactly why in the game’s opening minutes, starting with a Troy Stoudermire interception of Mitchell on the inaugural drive.
Nichols went to work quickly after the interception, connecting with Adams for a pair of first-down pickups and then going back to Adams for a third straight time on the next play. Adams beat Joe Burnett on a post pattern and hauled in the pass from Nichols for a 42-yard touchdown, giving the Bombers a 7-0 lead in front of the home crowd.
The Stamps responded with a punt single before getting the ball back again, going straight to Cornish for a gain of 17. A 30-yard pickup by McDaniel on second-and-long kept the drive alive, eventually leading the Stamps’ offence inside the 10-yard-line.
There, on a second down play, Mitchell hit the rookie Durant on a quick slant from the right side for his first career touchdown, giving Calgary its first lead of the game, 8-7. That score capped off a seven-play, 79-yard scoring drive and silenced the Investors Group Field gathering.
Some more downhill running by Cornish and the fourth catch of the half from McDaniel set up a Rene Paredes field goal to put Calgary ahead 11-7, but after that the back-and-forth affair continued as the Bombers looked to respond.
Nick Moore set the wheels in motion on a catch-and-run to move up to midfield, then Nichols connected with an open Clarence Denmark over the middle for another first down. A completion to Moore moved the drive inside the 30 while the fullback Michel-Pierre Pontbriand kept things moving with a catch on first down.
From there it was Cameron Marshall taking over. The rookie running back plowed through the pile to move the sticks on second down, then on first and goal from the three made a man miss out of the backfield and bumped the play outside, running for his sixth touchdown of the season to put the Bombers ahead 14-11.
| Cornish hits the ground running |
|---|
 Jon Cornish hit the ground running in his second start back from injury, rushing for 94 yards on 16 carries. The race is on for the rushing title and Cornish has some work to do -- can he catch Andrew Harris at the top of the leaderboard? View Bio |
Paredes hit his 20th straight successful field goal in response for the Stamps to tie the game at 14 heading into halftime, and from that point on they would not look back.
A two-and-out on the third quarter’s opening drive set the tone, and on the ensuing drive Mitchell got the Stamps driving. He hit Rogers along the sideline on a catch that was ruled complete by virtue of a push-out, then Mitchell found a wide open McDaniel over the middle to move the sticks again.
After moving the offence down the field with his arm, Mitchell converted the major with his legs. He waited, then evaded pressure and took off up the middle for the score, putting the Stamps back in front 21-14.
They’d add a single and Parades’ third field goal of the night to make it 25-14 in the fourth, while the defence continued to bend against Nichols and the Bomber offence but not break. Yet with three minutes remaining, the Bombers got a key stop from their defence and one last crack at a late-game comeback.
Stoudermire provided the spark with a punt return deep into Stamps territory, then Nichols went straight to Kohlert on first down as the Bombers turned to their hurry-up offence knowing they needed two scores to tie it. Kohlert finished the drive with the Bombers' third major of night and Marshall scored on the two-point convert, cutting Winnipeg's deficit to 25-22 with 1:54 remaining.
Electing not to go for the onside kick, the Bombers sent the ball deep and the decision paid off. They stuffed Cornish twice and got the ball back within 11 seconds, getting the ball back near midfield with a chance to either tie or win the ball game.
Video
Lemar Durant Hits Pay-Dirt in Win
The Bombers tried a 54-yard field goal for the tie, but it went off Hajrullahu's foot and wide right, preserving the win for the Stampeders.
Moore led the Bombers with 97 yards on seven catches while Jamaal Westerman had two sacks, his league-leading 10th and 11th of the season.
The victory is Calgary's league-leading 10th of the season, marking the seventh win in the last eight games for the Stamps and extending their lead atop the CFL West Division. The Stamps also move to 3-3 on the road this season.
The Bombers, meanwhile, fall to 4-9 on the season and are in danger of slipping further back in the playoff race. They'll keep a close eye on the Alouettes on Sunday, who could extend their lead over the crossover spot in the West with a win over the Riders in Saskatchewan.
A Grey Cup rematch is on tap for the Stamps next weekend in Steeltown on Friday Night Football, while the Bombers get an off week to recoup before visiting BC on Oct. 10.
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