Posted: September 1,2014 07:32PM
Updated: September 2,2014 08:15AM
CFL.ca Staff
#LDWeekend
CALGARY -- Jon Cornish and Bo Levi Mitchell combined for a big day on offence, as the Calgary Stampeders earned a 28-13 win over the Edmonton Eskimos in the Labour Day Classic on Monday afternoon at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.
Mitchell completed 18 of 29 passing attempts for 252 yards and threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Parker in the first quarter, while Cornish, the reigning Most Outstanding Player in just his second game back from injury, took over the rest of the way, leading Calgary to its 10th straight head-to-head win over heated rival Edmonton.
Cornish finished with 163 rushing yards on 17 carries and added a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown, in a game that Calgary led from start to finish despite a first-quarter special teams touchdown by the Eskimos. The Eskimos, minus star quarterback Mike Reilly, kept it close through the majority of the contest, but failed to score an offensive touchdown while scoring just three points in the second half in a battle of the league's stingiest defences.
The Stampeders started strong wearing their bold new ‘Outlaw’ uniforms, beginning with a first-play completion to Maurice Price in his first game back from injury for a first down. Then on second-and-long Mitchell kept the drive alive with a key conversion, finding the veteran Nik Lewis over the middle.
Some hard inside running set up the biggest play of the drive, when Mitchell stepped into the pocket and found running back Jock Sanders for a 20-yard gain down to the Edmonton goal-line. Drew Tate finished things off from there with the quarterback keeper to give the Stamps the early 7-0 lead, capping off an eight-play, 65-yard drive which started on a short field due to a kick out of bounds by Edmonton's Grant Shaw.
The rookie linebacker scooted 57 yards, giving the Eskimos an enormous boost of momentum near the end of the first quarter in cutting the deficit to 8-7.
After the Stamps pressed through the first 15 minutes with only a single-point lead to show, Mitchell took hold of the offence early in the second quarter looking for better results. The drive started with some power running, as Cornish rushed for back-to-back 14-yard gains to move closer to midfield.
Then stuck in second and long, Mitchell went to the air and found go-to receiver Marquay McDaniel for a 17-yard gain to the Calgary 47. After a 20-yard completion to Simon Charbonneau-Campeau on the ensuing first down, Mitchell went for seven, finding the Calgary Dinos alum just inside the goal-line for a 27-yard major.
The quick scoring drive gave the Stamps a 15-7 lead, and after Edmonton added a short three-pointer from Shaw they led 15-10 at halftime.
Rene Paredes’ first field goal of the afternoon
extended Calgary’s lead to 18-10 in the third, before the defences took
over until late in the quarter. Facing the wind and difficult field
position, Nichols stepped up and found Adarius Bowman behind coverage
for a deep gain into Stampeder territory.
The drive stalled without any points scored, but it was an important one for the Eskimos, who flipped the field heading into a fourth quarter in which they’d have the wind at their backs.
But hemmed in their own end, the Stamps pushed back, starting with a completion in traffic over the middle of the field for a 20-yard gain. Mitchell kept the hot hand with first downs to McDaniel and Joe West, then just as the Eskimos appeared to have a stop, the drive was extended on a roughing the penalty for contact on the punter.
Mitchell made the Eskimos pay, first hitting Lewis, then on second down juking Eskimo defenders on the way to another first down to the three. From there, last year's Most Outstanding Player and Canadian Cornish finished off the drive with his first touchdown since returning from injury last week.
With that the Stampeders led 25-10 in the fourth, leaving the visiting Eskimos, without their star quarterback, a steep hill to climb.
Thanks to two big completions to Shamawd Chambers and then a conversion on third down, the Eskimos were able to respond with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 25-13. But Cornish went right back to work for the Stamps, attacking the Eskimo defence with an earth-shaking 44-yard run deep into Edmonton territory.
The Stamps couldn't put the game away as the defence held, but Paredes added another field goal to extend Calgary's lead to 15 with under two minutes remaining. Nichols had the Eskimos on the doorstep on the ensuing drive, but the Stamps' defence stood tall, preserving yet another dominant performance.
Nichols, in his first start since 2012, finished 18-30 for 203 yards without any touchdowns or interceptions in his return to action. Kendial Lawrence meanwhile had 65 yards on 11 rushes to lead the Eskimos, while Bowman continued his tear with 123 yards on eight catches.
With the win the Stampeders moved into sole possession of top spot in the West -- a standing they'll have to protect in a Labour Day rematch with these very same Eskimos next Saturday in Edmonton.
#LDWeekend
CALGARY -- Jon Cornish and Bo Levi Mitchell combined for a big day on offence, as the Calgary Stampeders earned a 28-13 win over the Edmonton Eskimos in the Labour Day Classic on Monday afternoon at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.
Mitchell completed 18 of 29 passing attempts for 252 yards and threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Parker in the first quarter, while Cornish, the reigning Most Outstanding Player in just his second game back from injury, took over the rest of the way, leading Calgary to its 10th straight head-to-head win over heated rival Edmonton.
Cornish finished with 163 rushing yards on 17 carries and added a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown, in a game that Calgary led from start to finish despite a first-quarter special teams touchdown by the Eskimos. The Eskimos, minus star quarterback Mike Reilly, kept it close through the majority of the contest, but failed to score an offensive touchdown while scoring just three points in the second half in a battle of the league's stingiest defences.
The Stampeders started strong wearing their bold new ‘Outlaw’ uniforms, beginning with a first-play completion to Maurice Price in his first game back from injury for a first down. Then on second-and-long Mitchell kept the drive alive with a key conversion, finding the veteran Nik Lewis over the middle.
Some hard inside running set up the biggest play of the drive, when Mitchell stepped into the pocket and found running back Jock Sanders for a 20-yard gain down to the Edmonton goal-line. Drew Tate finished things off from there with the quarterback keeper to give the Stamps the early 7-0 lead, capping off an eight-play, 65-yard drive which started on a short field due to a kick out of bounds by Edmonton's Grant Shaw.
The rookie linebacker scooted 57 yards, giving the Eskimos an enormous boost of momentum near the end of the first quarter in cutting the deficit to 8-7.
After the Stamps pressed through the first 15 minutes with only a single-point lead to show, Mitchell took hold of the offence early in the second quarter looking for better results. The drive started with some power running, as Cornish rushed for back-to-back 14-yard gains to move closer to midfield.
Then stuck in second and long, Mitchell went to the air and found go-to receiver Marquay McDaniel for a 17-yard gain to the Calgary 47. After a 20-yard completion to Simon Charbonneau-Campeau on the ensuing first down, Mitchell went for seven, finding the Calgary Dinos alum just inside the goal-line for a 27-yard major.
The quick scoring drive gave the Stamps a 15-7 lead, and after Edmonton added a short three-pointer from Shaw they led 15-10 at halftime.
| Back in Action |
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 After being sidelined through 2013, Matt Nichols made his first start in almost two years during Monday afternoon's Labour Day Classic. » More on Nichols |
The drive stalled without any points scored, but it was an important one for the Eskimos, who flipped the field heading into a fourth quarter in which they’d have the wind at their backs.
But hemmed in their own end, the Stamps pushed back, starting with a completion in traffic over the middle of the field for a 20-yard gain. Mitchell kept the hot hand with first downs to McDaniel and Joe West, then just as the Eskimos appeared to have a stop, the drive was extended on a roughing the penalty for contact on the punter.
Mitchell made the Eskimos pay, first hitting Lewis, then on second down juking Eskimo defenders on the way to another first down to the three. From there, last year's Most Outstanding Player and Canadian Cornish finished off the drive with his first touchdown since returning from injury last week.
With that the Stampeders led 25-10 in the fourth, leaving the visiting Eskimos, without their star quarterback, a steep hill to climb.
Thanks to two big completions to Shamawd Chambers and then a conversion on third down, the Eskimos were able to respond with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 25-13. But Cornish went right back to work for the Stamps, attacking the Eskimo defence with an earth-shaking 44-yard run deep into Edmonton territory.
The Stamps couldn't put the game away as the defence held, but Paredes added another field goal to extend Calgary's lead to 15 with under two minutes remaining. Nichols had the Eskimos on the doorstep on the ensuing drive, but the Stamps' defence stood tall, preserving yet another dominant performance.
Nichols, in his first start since 2012, finished 18-30 for 203 yards without any touchdowns or interceptions in his return to action. Kendial Lawrence meanwhile had 65 yards on 11 rushes to lead the Eskimos, while Bowman continued his tear with 123 yards on eight catches.
With the win the Stampeders moved into sole possession of top spot in the West -- a standing they'll have to protect in a Labour Day rematch with these very same Eskimos next Saturday in Edmonton.
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