The Calgary Stampeders (3-1) hosted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-1) on Thursday night in the inaugural Stampede Bowl from McMahon Stadium. After a dismal performance a couple of weeks ago against Ottawa, the Stampeders were looking to rebound, and not only did they accomplish that, they dismantled Winnipeg.
First Quarter:
Calgary returner Eno Benjamin returned the opening kickoff for 17 yards to the 38-yard line. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw two passes for 23 yards, running back Dedrick Mills ran for five yards, and third-string quarterback Quincy Vaughan ran for one yard to Winnipeg’s 43-yard line.
On the next play, Adams Jr. threw a long pass right into the hands of Clint Barnes for a 43-yard touchdown. After the play, a roughing the passer was called on Winnipeg defensive lineman Jake Thomas as Adams Jr. was holding his left knee and limping to the sidelines. Adams Jr. would stay in the game. Meanwhile, wide receiver Clint Barnes was examined for a left knee injury and did not return.
The Stampeders led 7-0 with 11:21 left to cap off a six-play drive for 72 yards. Calgary would get a single point when kicker Rene Paredes kicked the ball 85 yards into the endzone for an 8-0 lead.
When Winnipeg got the ball, the offense had running back Brady Oliveira carry the ball six times for 37 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed four passes for 33 yards. He did complete another pass to Keric Wheatfall for seven yards, but that was called back on a holding penalty. Kicker Sergio Castillo made an 18-yard field goal and they trailed Calgary 8-3 with 4:25 left.
Later in the first quarter, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros attempted to throw the ball to Nic Demski. Instead, Calgary defensive back Damon Webb sniffed out the play to make the interception for a 30-yard pick-six touchdown. Calgary extended their lead to 15-3 heading into the second quarter.
Calgary’s offense had 80 yards (66 yards passing, 14 yards rushing), and Winnipeg’s offense had 92 yards (40 yards passing, 52 yards rushing).
Second Quarter:
In the second quarter, Calgary running back Peyton Logan had five carries for 37 yards, while Vernon Adams Jr. threw two passes for 40 yards to the 11-yard line. Then, Adams Jr. threw a short pass to Damon Alford, who had an open field in front of him to score the touchdown. Calgary now led Winnipeg 22-3 with 6:38 left to cap off a 10-play drive for 105 yards.
Later in the second quarter, Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw a long pass to Jalen Philpot. Philpot avoided several tackles before he was taken down on the two-yard line for a 66-yard catch. Two plays later, running back Dedrick Mills rushed up the middle for a two-yard touchdown, and it was now 29-3 Calgary with 2:13 left to cap off a six-play drive for 84 yards.
Late in the second quarter, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed five passes for 55 yards. Calgary’s defense did not pressure Winnipeg and gave plenty of space to gain yards. The Blue Bombers made it to Calgary’s 13-yard line, where kicker Sergio Castillo made a 21-yard field goal. The Stampeders led the Blue Bombers 29-6 at halftime.
First Half Stats:
Calgary had 258 yards on offense (193 yards passing, 65 yards rushing), 11 first downs, 2 for 2 in the redzone, and the team was penalized two times for 15 yards. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 9 of 13 passes (69.2%) for 193 yards, two touchdowns, and one carry for eight yards.
Running back Dedrick Mills had 10 carries for 55 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Jalen Philpot made one catch for 66 yards, Clint Barnes made one catch for 43 yards and one touchdown, and Damon Alford made two catches for 22 yards and one touchdown. The defense made one tackle for loss, one interception, and one touchdown.
Winnipeg had 161 yards on offense (109 yards passing, 52 yards rushing), 10 first downs, and the team was penalized five times for 45 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 14 of 19 passes (73.6%) for 109 yards, one interception, and one carry for seven yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira had nine carries for 45 yards. Wide receiver Kevens Clercius made five catches for 38 yards, and Dalton Schoen made three catches for 34 yards. The defense made one tackle for a loss.
Third Quarter:
In the third quarter, Winnipeg’s offense gained 65 yards, reaching Calgary’s 26-yard line before kicker Sergio Castillo made a 29-yard field goal. It was now 29-9 with 3:28 left.
There was not a lot of action in the third quarter. Calgary’s offense had 54 yards (23 yards passing, 31 yards rushing), and Winnipeg’s offense had 73 yards (63 yards passing, 10 yards rushing). Calgary had the ball on the 48-yard line to begin the fourth quarter up 29-9.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Calgary punter Mark Vassett punted the ball 51 yards. The ball took a bounce into the endzone, where Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval took a knee to give up the single point. It was now 30-9 Calgary with 14:28 left.
The night got worse for Winnipeg. Quarterback Zach Collaros attempted to throw the ball to Brady Oliveira, but Calgary linebacker Derrick Moncrief jumped the route to make the interception for a 70-yard pick-six touchdown. It was now 37-9 with 12:50 left.
With the game out of reach, Calgary began to pull most of their starters out. Late in the game, Winnipeg’s offense moved the ball up to the four-yard line. Quarterback Zach Collaros threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Jerreth Sterns, who used Calgary defensive back Damon Webb to complete the catch. It was now 37-16 with 2:28 left to cap off an 11-play drive for 62 yards.
Chris Streveler finished the game for Winnipeg and would turn the ball over on third down which ended the game. The Calgary Stampeders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers by the final score of 37-16 to win the Stampede Bowl.
Final Stats:
Calgary had 334 yards on offense (222 yards passing, 114 yards rushing, 2 yards lost), 16 first downs, 2 for 2 in the redzone, and the game was penalized three times for 25 yards. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 13 of 18 passes (72%) for 222 yards, two touchdowns, and one carry for eight yards.
Running back Dedrick Mills had 18 carries for 93 yards, and one rushing touchdown. Wide receiver Jalen Philpot led the receivers making two catches for 75 yards, while Tevin Jones made four catches for 49 yards. The defense made 56 tackles, three tackles for loss, four turnovers, two interceptions, and two touchdowns.
Winnipeg had 408 yards on offense (316 yards passing, 92 yards rushing), 29 first downs, 1 for 3 in the redzone, and the team was penalized five times for 45 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 34 of 48 passes (71%) for 288 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and two carries for 18 yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira had 13 carries for 61 yards, and six catches for 51 yards. Wide receiver Kevens Clercius led the receivers making 10 catches for 78 yards, while Jerreth Sterns made seven catches for 49 yards, and one touchdown. The defense made 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Next week, the Calgary Stampeders visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday at 9 pm on TSN and CFL+. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are on a bye week.
