Stampeders routed by Elks as Adams pulled in second straight loss

EDMONTON — The Calgary Stampeders suffered their second loss to the Edmonton Elks in six days Saturday, falling 53-16 at Commonwealth Stadium and dropping to 5-8 with five games remaining.



Calgary scored the game’s first touchdown and led 7-3 after the opening quarter, but it would be the Stampeders’ only trip to the end zone.



Edmonton scored 16 points in the second quarter, 17 in the third and another 17 in the fourth. Calgary managed only three field goals over the final three quarters and was outscored 34-6 in the second half.



“They beat us,” Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson said. “They put a whooping on us. We definitely got beat.”



Vernon Adams Jr. finished 10-for-19 for 142 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions before being replaced by Josh Love. Dickenson said Adams was not injured.



“We weren’t being successful,” Dickenson said. “It’s one of those things we had to do it. I don’t think VA’s hurt or anything like that, but it was just time to do that.”



Edmonton quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 14 of 21 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Joshua Cephus had six catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, while ShunDerrick Powell rushed for 97 yards on 14 carries.



Jalen Philpot led Calgary with 64 receiving yards, while Erik Brooks caught the Stampeders’ only touchdown. Ludovick Choquette rushed for 62 yards on nine carries, with Dedrick Mills limited to three carries for 20 yards.



Rene Paredes accounted for 10 of Calgary’s 16 points in his 250th career regular-season game, going 3-for-3 on field goals and adding a convert.



Dickenson said Edmonton controlled the line of scrimmage and called on both his players and coaching staff to respond.



“I think the leaders got to take over here,” Dickenson said. “I think it has to be player-led.”



Dickenson also acknowledged the coaching staff’s responsibility, saying the coaches weren’t giving the players “enough things to make them successful.”



Linebacker Marquel Lee offered a similar assessment.



“We’re in a lull right now, so we got to go look in the mirror this week and fix these mistakes, come back better as a whole,” Lee said.



The loss leaves Calgary fifth in the West, four points behind both BC and Winnipeg with five games remaining. The Stampeders still face Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and BC over the final three weeks, giving them opportunities to make up ground directly against teams ahead of them.



Calgary’s season has produced an unusual statistical split. The Stampeders have scored a West-leading 450 points through 13 games, but have also allowed a division-high 441.



“We get paid to win games,” Lee said. “So we got to come to work and we got to fix the problems that we need to fix, execute better.”



Calgary returns home to face the winless Ottawa Redblacks (0-12) on Saturday Sept. 19.