Stampeders keep CFL playoffs in their sights with 26-19 win over Roughriders

CALGARY -

The path to the CFL playoffs remains precarious for the Calgary Stampeders, but the club stayed on it Friday with a 26-19 win over the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Calgary (5-11) scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to snap a three-game losing streak. The Roughriders (6-11) extended their skid to seven in a row and squandered a chance to secure the final playoff spot in the CFL's West Division.

Saskatchewan still ranked third in the West, but the Stampeders moved to two points back with a game in hand. Calgary also took the season series 2-1, and would rank higher if the clubs end up tied in points.

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).

"It's in our hands but you've got to remember we are scrapping," Stampeder head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson said. "It hasn't been the type of football that we want. Can we get there? I think we can. I'm going to keep the faith, keep believing on that and I understand it's a tough, tough road.

"If we do win the next two games, boy that would feel pretty good going into the playoffs playing those same teams and knowing we just beat them."

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

"It's not a good feeling right now knowing we were in control and we let it slip away," Roughrider linebacker Larry Dean said.

Despite their lowest winning percentage since 2004, the Stampeders can be a playoff team for an 18th straight season, although they face their division's toughest teams down the stretch.

"I think we're super-fortunate, to be honest," Stampeder quarterback Jake Maier said. "I think we're feeling pretty lucky right now to be in the position we're in."

Calgary took the lead for the first time in the game on linebacker Cameron Judge's interception for a 33-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Floyd Allen had a touchdown catch and backup quarterback Tommy Stevens rushed for a major in front of an announced 24,099 at McMahon Stadium.

Rene Paredes kicked a 44-yard field goal and added three points in converts. 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 this season by completing 23 of 33 attempts for 272 yards with one interception.

Calgary's anemic first-half offence of 96 total yards to Saskatchewan's 219 had the hosts trailing 13-5 into the second. But the Stampeders turned two of Saskatchewan's six turnovers in the game into third-quarter touchdowns.

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

Returner Mario Alford coughed up the ball on a hard hit by Calgary's Aaron Crawford. Charlie 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 cartwheel and backflip.

Judge then picked off Dolegala to score, with Paredes' convert giving the Stampeders a 19-16 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Saskatchewan quickly pulled even, however, on Meskell's 31-yarder in the first minute of the fourth.

Maier's 37-yard throw to Luther Hakunavanhu brought Calgary to Saskatchewan's doorstep and Stevens scored on a one-yard plunge at 10:08.

"Calgary's a well-coached team and I would say that no matter what with my brother being over there, but they are a well-coached team and they did what they needed to do to win," said Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson, who is Dave's older brother.

"We didn't make the plays we needed to in the second half, turned it over twice and that was the difference in the game."

Saskatchewan opted to concede two points at the end of the first half instead of punting out of their own end zone into the wind.

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The Roughriders also attempted to recover their own punt instead of attempting a 40-yard field goal into the wind in the fourth quarter.

"The wind was a problem in this game and we based a lot of our decision off of that," Craig Dickenson said. "We had an onside punt that we tried to run and it didn't work."

Dave Dickenson won a final-minute challenge for pass interference, which negated a Roughrider first down on Calgary's 47-yard line with 48 seconds remaining in the game.

"Seemed like that last three minutes took forever, especially for us because we needed that when so desperately, but it's good to get the job done," Calgary's coach said.

"Nothing was pretty about that game. We didn't really necessarily move the ball on the ground or the air, but we did protect the ball."

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.