The Calgary Stampeders (2-0) visited BMO Field on Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Argonauts (0-2). Nick Arbuckle was the starting quarterback for Toronto for the second week in a row as Chad Kelly continues to recover from his injury.
First Quarter:
Calgary got the ball to start the game on their 44-yard line. On the second play, running back Dedrick Mills rushed up the middle but gained no yards. During the play, wide receiver Reggie Begelton suffered a right knee injury and had to be helped off the field by a couple of his teammates. He was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Midway through the first quarter, Toronto’s offense started from their 14-yard line. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle threw five passes for 47 yards, while running backs Miyan Williams and Deontae McMahon combined with three carries logging 19 yards leading the offense to Calgary’s 35-yard line. A penalty did set them back which stalled their drive.
The wind played a factor throughout the game. Toronto kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missed a 42-yard field goal wide right but they did manage to come away with a single point. Toronto led 1-0 with 1:57 left.
Both offenses struggled in the first quarter with Calgary gaining 58 yards and Toronto 78 yards. Toronto’s defense excelled in the first quarter by getting to Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. two times. Calgary faced third down to begin the second quarter down 1-0.
Second Quarter:
Calgary began the second quarter when kicker Rene Paredes missed a 47-yard field goal wide left. Toronto returner Jake Herslow returned the missed field goal for 19 yards to their nine-yard line, which prevented giving up a single point to Calgary.
Calgary would get another chance later in the second quarter. After quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was sacked for the third time in the game, he threw a 31-yard pass to Damien Alford to Toronto’s 37-yard line. Their drive stalled afterward, and kicker Rene Paredes made a 46-yard field goal giving them a 3-1 lead with 9:51 left before halftime.
Midway through the second quarter, Calgary’s defense made a nice play. Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle attempted to throw the ball to David Ungerer III. However, his throw was up long enough for Adrian Greene to make the interception and return it for a 40-yard pick-six touchdown. On the extra point, the ball was over snapped and they did not get the extra point. Calgary led 9-1 with 5:45 left of the second quarter.
Calgary defensive back Adrian Greene would later pick off Arbuckle again with 1:25 left before halftime. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed two passes for 23 yards, and Dedrick Mills rushed for three yards before the drive stalled. Kicker Rene Paredes had a chance to add to Calgary’s lead, but he missed a 46-yard field goal wide left. Toronto returner Jake Herslow returned it for 28 yards to their 19-yard line, once again preventing a single point.
Late in the second quarter, Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle’s pass intended for Damonte Coxie was incomplete. In hopes of getting a spark, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie challenged the play for defensive pass interference. After several minutes, the officials ruled that there was a defensive pass interference penalty on Sheldon Arnold II.
Arbuckle would complete a seven-yard pass to Kevin Mital to Calgary’s 38-yard line. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 46-yard field goal, and the Argonauts trailed the Stampeders 9-4 at halftime.
First Half Stats:
Calgary had 128 yards on offense (120 yards passing, 25 yards rushing, 17 yards lost), six first downs, and the team was penalized one time for 33 yards. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 7 of 13 passes (91%) for 120 yards, and two carries for 22 yards.
Running back Dedrick Mills had five carries for three yards. Wide receiver Dominique Rhymes made two catches for 43 yards, and Jalen Philpot made two catches for 35 yards. The defense made one sack and two interceptions.
Toronto had 143 yards on offense (124 yards passing, 28 yards rushing, 9 yards lost), 10 first downs, and the team was penalized three times for 25 yards. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed 15 of 21 passes (71.4%) for 124 yards, and two interceptions.
Running back Miyan Williams had four carries for 26 yards and four catches for 36 yards. Wide receiver David Ungerer III made three catches for 31 yards. The defense made two tackles for losses and three sacks.
Third Quarter:
Toronto got the ball to start the third quarter. They went two-and-out. Calgary began their series from their 33-yard line. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw two passes for 29 yards, and running back Dedrick Mills had a carry for 10 yards.
They got help moving the ball when Toronto was called for two penalties that totaled 20 yards. Calgary’s drive stalled and kicker Rene Paredes made a 23-yard field goal extending their lead 12-4 with 9:21 left.
Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed one pass for seven yards and that was all. Punter Josh Haggerty punted the ball 83 yards into the endzone for a single point. It was now 12-5 with 8:29 left.
Late in the third quarter, Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed four passes for 40 yards to Calgary’s 38-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 45-yard field goal and it was now 12-8 with 2:54 left.
Calgary’s offense had the ball for the rest of the third quarter. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw a 10-yard pass to Tevin Jones, and rushed for seven yards. On the last play, running back Dedrick Mills rushed for 11 yards to reach Toronto’s 38-yard line to begin the fourth quarter up 12-8.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw a 37-yard pass to Dominique Rhymes setting them up first and goal on the one-yard line. Running back Dedrick Mills scored the touchdown extending Calgary’s lead to 19-8 with 13:24 left to cap off a seven-play drive for 70 yards. It was the first offensive touchdown in this game.
With their backs against the wall, Toronto needed to make a move. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle threw four passes for 39 yards. Running back Miyan Williams rushed for five yards before a sack by Jaylon Hutchings forced third down. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made a 47-yard field goal, and it was now 19-11 with 9:52 left of the game.
Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw two passes for 56 yards, including a 40-yarder to Jalen Philpot. Adams Jr. would finish the drive with two carries for 14 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown. It was now 26-11 with 6:58 left to cap off a five-play drive for 70 yards.
When it looked like the game was all but over, Toronto finally got something going their way. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle threw three passes for 37 yards. Then, he threw a short pass to Damonte Coxie, who bounced off a Calgary player on his way to scoring a 46-yard touchdown. Arbuckle later ran in for a two-point conversion and it was now 26-19 with 4:19 left to cap off a four-play drive for 83 yards.
When Calgary got the ball back, they took their time marching down the field while also killing the clock. They made it to Toronto’s 15-yard line where kicker Rene Paredes made a 22-yard field goal for a 29-19 lead with 1:15 left of the game.
Toronto got the ball for the rest of the game. They did not do a good job managing the clock. Nick Arbuckle completed three passes for 18 yards as the Calgary Stampeders defeated the Toronto Argonauts by the final score of 29-19.
Final Stats:
Calgary had 371 yards on offense (301 yards passing, 87 yards rushing, 17 yards lost), 20 first downs, 2 for 4 in the red zone, and the team was penalized four times for 53 yards. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 17 of 25 passes (68%) for 301 yards, seven carries for 54 yards, and one touchdown.
Running back Dedrick Mills had 13 carries for 28 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Jalen Philpot led the receivers making six catches for 117 yards. The defense made 42 tackles, one tackle for loss, two sacks, and two interceptions.
Toronto had 361 yards on offense (309 yards passing, 67 yards rushing, 15 yards lost), 21 first downs, and the team was penalized five times for 45 yards. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle completed 31 of 42 passes (74%) for 309 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Running back Miyan Williams had nine carries for 62 yards and nine catches for 65 yards. Wide receiver Damonte Coxie led the receivers making six catches for 98 yards, and one touchdown. The defense made 37 tackles, two tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble.
Next week, the Toronto Argonauts host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday at 7:30 pm on TSN and CFL+, while the Calgary Stampeders host the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday at 4 pm on TSN, CBS Sports Network, and CFL+. Purchase CFL tickets today on StubHub.
