Stamps lose Adams, Mills in 30-26 loss to Lions
CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders lost more than a football game Thursday night at McMahon Stadium.
Vernon Adams Jr., the CFL leader in passing touchdowns, and league rushing leader Dedrick Mills both left with injuries as the Stamps fell 30-26 to the BC Lions, despite a late push that gave Calgary a chance to win it in the final minute.
The loss dropped Calgary to 4-6 and into the basement of the West Division, with BC improving to 4-5 and leapfrogging the Stamps in the standings.
Backup quarterback Josh Love drove the Stamps inside the BC 10 on their final possession, but T.J. Lee intercepted him in the end zone to seal the Lions' win.
Calgary had controlled much of the first half.
Jude McAtamney opened the scoring with a 55-yard field goal, and the Stamps built a 9-0 lead before BC responded with an 85-yard Nathan Rourke completion to Jermaine Jackson that set up a short-yardage touchdown.
Adams then showed off his speed on an 11-yard scramble before later tossing one high into one-on-one coverage for Erik Brooks, who came down with it for a touchdown.
BC answered quickly. Rourke broke loose for 29 yards before finding Keon Hatcher for an eight-yard touchdown, but Benjamin Labrosse made a strong tackle to deny the two-point convert.
McAtamney's 44-yard field goal as time expired gave Calgary an 18-13 halftime lead.
BC flipped the game after the break.
Zander Horvath broke off a 40-yard run on the Lions' opening possession of the second half, and Rourke eventually took it himself, diving for the pylon to put BC ahead 20-18.
Rourke finished 15-of-22 for 301 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Horvath ran for 102 yards and a score on 15 carries.
Calgary's defence kept the Stamps within striking distance. Clarence Hicks recorded a key sack to knock BC out of field-goal range, and Anthony Johnson gave Calgary life in the fourth quarter by intercepting Rourke and returning it 55 yards.
By then, Adams and Mills had both exited.
Quincy Vaughn converted from short yardage to put Calgary back in front, and Love followed with a well-placed throw to Damien Alford in the corner of the end zone for the two-point convert and a 26-23 lead.
Calgary's special teams immediately created another opportunity when BC fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Kelon Thomas recovered at the Lions' 36.
But the Stamps came away empty after McAtamney missed the field goal.
That left the ball in the hands of the reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player.
With less than three minutes remaining, Rourke found Justin McInnis over the middle for 59 yards, then connected with Hatcher for an 11-yard touchdown to put BC ahead 30-26. Hatcher finished with seven catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Love nearly answered.
A tipped pass found Dejon Brissett for 32 yards, and completions to Jalen Philpot and Tevin Jones helped move Calgary to first-and-goal from the BC 10.
But on second-and-goal from the nine, Lee stepped in front of Love's pass in the end zone.
Lee finished with a game-high nine defensive tackles and the interception, while Ronald Kent Jr. added six tackles and Darnell Sankey had five.
Adams finished 13-of-23 for 148 yards and a touchdown before leaving, while Mills had 49 yards on 10 carries.
Calgary now enters its bye week before returning to McMahon Stadium to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 29 at 1 p.m.
BC returns home to face Saskatchewan on Aug. 23 in Vancouver. The Roughriders entered Week 11 atop the West at 6-2.
For Calgary, the bye arrives with the Stamps sitting last in the West and awaiting answers on the health of their starting quarterback and the CFL's leading rusher.