Stampeders beat BC 32-13 to get to nine wins and keep their season alive
CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders did the only job in front of them on Saturday night at McMahon Stadium, beating the BC Lions 32-13 in their regular-season finale to reach nine wins and keep their playoff hopes alive into the season's final week.
"We gave ourselves a chance," Dickenson said. "I do think if we can get in, we can make some noise."
BC struck first. Sean Whyte opened the scoring with a 48-yard field goal, René Paredes answered from 24 yards into the wind, and Nathan Rourke found Justin McInnis for a 19-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to put the Lions up 10-3.
The second quarter turned on a challenge. With Calgary facing third-and-2 at the BC 17, Vernon Adams Jr.'s deep throw to Jalen Philpot fell incomplete and the Stampeders turned it over on downs — until Calgary challenged for pass interference, the call was overturned, and the drive lived. Erik Brooks took a pass to the one-yard line, and Quincy Vaughn finished it with the quarterback sneak to tie the game 10-10.
BC went back in front on a Whyte field goal after Jevon Cottoy turned a short pass into a 42-yard gain, but Paredes tied it 13-13 from 22 yards with 40 seconds left in the half — and the Lions never scored again.
Calgary's defence owned the second half. Rourke did not play after halftime and Kaidon Salter finished the game at quarterback for BC. The Lions' best chance to tie it ended with a missed field goal in the third quarter, and in the fourth the Stampeders slammed the door: Charles Wiley recorded his second sack of the night, and Anthony Johnson Jr. intercepted Salter to give the offence a short field.
"I know they didn't play their full group — let's be realistic about it," Dickenson said. "But we just kept grinding, and each and every series we seemed to be getting a little bit stronger."
The offence, meanwhile, ran on balance and play action. Deonta McMahon finished with 105 rushing yards on nine carries, including a 50-yard run in the fourth quarter, and all four of Calgary's top receivers went over 50 yards — Tevin Jones, Philpot, Brooks and Clark Barnes. Philpot's night also carried him past 3,000 receiving yards for his career.
Asked how important McMahon's running was to setting up the play action, Dickenson pointed first to the line in front of him. "I thought our offensive line probably played our best game," he said. "Deonta did a nice job running the ball, and Vernon is dangerous, not only in his passing, but if you get him out on the edges he can really hurt people with his feet. That's the recipe for us to do well. We finally got them worn down and took care of the fourth quarter."
Adams threw the touchdown that broke it open, finding Ajou Ajou in the fourth quarter to make it 25-13 after a failed two-point convert, and after Johnson's interception Vaughn kept the ball himself for his second touchdown of the game and a 32-13 lead. Paredes kicked four field goals on the night — the 653rd through 656th of his career — in his regular-season farewell at McMahon. The Stampeders also got one interception and one forced fumble from their defence in the second half, with Christophe Beaulieu's third-quarter interception of Adams the offence's one giveaway after the break.
Calgary finishes 9-9, and it all comes down to one game now. Saskatchewan clinched a playoff spot by beating Montreal earlier Saturday, so the Stampeders need Winnipeg to lose at BC on Friday. A Blue Bombers win ends Calgary's season.
"Hopefully fate's on our side and we get into the tournament, and see what we can do."
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