Posted: November 01,2014 07:00PM
Updated: November 01,2014 08:01PM
CFL.ca Staff
#WPGvsCGY
CALGARY -- Lirim Hajrullahu kicked three fourth-quarter field goals, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took advantage of five forced turnovers on the way to an 18-13 win over the Stampeders on Saturday afternoon at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.
On a day when the Bombers trailed throughout most of the contest, Robert Marve connected with Clarence Denmark for a 41-yard gain to set up Hajrullahu's go-ahead field midway through the fourth quarter. The Stamps fumbled on the next two ensuing drives, before failing to find the end zone on a last-drive effort to tie the game, leading the Bombers to their seventh win of the season.
For Calgary, the loss may have been twice as costly, as running back Jon Cornish was forced out of the game during the second quarter after sustaining a head injury. He left the contest with 105 yards on 12 rushes, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season -- but his current status is up in the air, as he'll undergo concussion protocol.
Clarence Denmark caught three passes for 58 yards and a touchdown for the Bombers, while Paris Cotton chipped in with 62 yards on the ground on 15 rushing attempts. Drew Willy completed 4-of-10 passes in the first half, meanwhile, making way for Marve in the second half, who went 6-of-12 for 76 yards while throwing a key touchdown pass to Denmark during the third quarter.
Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 119 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-21 passing for the Stamps, but mostly struggled to produce on a blustery, snowy day that closely resembled late-season CFL football in Cow Town.
The debate entering Saturday’s game surrounded whether the Stamps should rest their star players. But on the opening drive, a familiar cast of top offensive guns took the field, showing their intention of winning the game.
Cornish got the pendulum swinging with a 12-yard pickup on the first play from scrimmage, before Maurice Price moved the offence into Winnipeg territory on a 16-yard catch-and-run on second-and-five.
The Stampeders continued to feed their star running back, going back to the well for gains of 16 and 15 yards respectively, moving the offence into the red zone and also putting Cornish over 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
On first down from the 10, Mitchell then looked to run on the read option before rolling out and finding Rob Cote, who powered his way over the goal line to provide the Stampeders a 7-0 lead on just their first possession.
That capped off a six-play, 74-yard drive, leaving 10:59 in the first quarter as the snow continued to fall in Calgary.
The Bombers struggled to mount a response for the rest of the first quarter, picking up their only three points off a fumble by Cornish deep inside Calgary territory. That cut the Stamps’ lead to 7-3, but Calgary quickly stole back momentum as it moved into scoring range to end the first quarter.
Powered by Cornish’s 91 yards on nine carries in the first 15 minutes, the Stamps managed three more points to start the second on a field goal by Rene Paredes, extending Calgary’s lead to 10-3.
Winnipeg’s defence settled in after that while the Stamps’ defence continued to dominate, as he teams headed towards the end of halftime still locked in a seven-point game. Calgary had a chance to add to its lead, but Paredes hit the upright on a field goal attempt to keep the Bomber deficit at a touchdown.
The worst news for Calgary came just earlier,
though, when Cornish sustained an apparent head injury after his head
hit the turf on a second-quarter tackle. The 30-year-old was slow to get
up, and ultimately forced out of the game and into the Stamps’
locker-room.
With time running out in the first half and their running back not on the field, the Stamps gave Winnipeg an enormous chance to swing momentum. Price had the ball knocked out of his hands and the Bombers recovered, setting them up in first and goal with just over 10 seconds left.
But after throwing incomplete on first down, Willy had the ball forced out of his hands and right back into the possession of the Stamps, sending the game to halftime with a 10-3 Calgary lead through 30 minutes.
With Marve set to enter the game in the second half, the Bombers sparked another potential momentum shift with a quick stop on defence and then a blocked punt of Rob Maver, giving them the ball deep inside Calgary territory for the third time in the game.
This time, though, the Bomber offence took full advantage, as Robert Marve found Clarence Denmark just over the goal line for a second-down touchdown. The point after was unsuccessful, however, cutting the Bombers’ third-quarter deficit to a single point.
Down 11-9, the Bombers looked to take the lead on a Lirim Hajrullahu field goal attempt, only to have the line-drive boot blocked and into the hands of the Stamps.
Winnipeg got the ball back with about 10 minutes
left in the fourth, though, looking once again to get the go-ahead
points, on a drive that got moving with a deep completion to Denmark,
the team’s leading receiver. Marve rolled out and evaded pressure,
before eventually finding Denmark behind coverage for a 41-yard gain to
the Calgary 17.
Cotton powered the Bombers to a first down, but the drive stalled in a goal-to-go situation after Marve’s second-down attempt was broken up at the sideline. The Bombers settled for a field goal from Hajrullahu, which was enough to give them their first lead of the game, 12-11 with seven minutes left in the game.
The Stamps went to work looking to respond, but Mitchell coughed up the slippery pigskin on the ensuing play, giving Winnipeg the ball for the fourth time this game deep in scoring range. Calgary's defence rose to the occasion once again with a quick stop, But Hajrullahu made good on the short kick to add to Winnipeg's lead, 15-11.
The sloppy fourth-quarter play continued for Calgary on the ensuing kickoff, when this time Anthony Parker was hit and had the ball knocked out of his grasp. Sam McGuffie recovered the loose ball for Winnipeg, once again setting the Bombers up in prime scoring position.
This time the offence got the chains moving, starting with a first-down pass to Denmark on second down to move the Bombers to the 20 with a fresh set of downs. But the Bombers again were forced to kick a field goal, building their lead to seven points.
Mitchell looked to respond quickly for the Stampeders, moving the chains with a big completion before throwing incomplete on the deep ball. He was picked off shortly after, seemingly ending the Stamps' comeback bid -- but after a review, pass interference was called on the Bomber defender, giving Calgary a fresh set of downs and new life up near midfield.
Two first-down runs by Walter and a completion to Nik Lewis kept the Stamps' momentum going, before a Demond Washington illegal contact penalty moved Calgary's offence even closer. But as the end zone moved close into sight, the Bomber defence came through in the clutch.
Mitchell was sacked on first down, before having his throw knocked away near the sideline in the end zone on second down. The agile young pivot looked for Lewis on third down, but had it broken up over the middle just across the goal line, preserving the Bombers' win.
Before the game, the Stampeders held a ceremony honouring the life of former CFL offensive lineman and Stamps' co-owner John Forzani, who passed away on Friday at the age of 67.
The Stamps get back in action on Friday, Nov. 7, when they visit the BC Lions in a final playoff tuneup. They'll get a bye week after that, before playing host to the West Final on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 4:30 pm ET.
#WPGvsCGY
CALGARY -- Lirim Hajrullahu kicked three fourth-quarter field goals, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took advantage of five forced turnovers on the way to an 18-13 win over the Stampeders on Saturday afternoon at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.
On a day when the Bombers trailed throughout most of the contest, Robert Marve connected with Clarence Denmark for a 41-yard gain to set up Hajrullahu's go-ahead field midway through the fourth quarter. The Stamps fumbled on the next two ensuing drives, before failing to find the end zone on a last-drive effort to tie the game, leading the Bombers to their seventh win of the season.
For Calgary, the loss may have been twice as costly, as running back Jon Cornish was forced out of the game during the second quarter after sustaining a head injury. He left the contest with 105 yards on 12 rushes, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season -- but his current status is up in the air, as he'll undergo concussion protocol.
Clarence Denmark caught three passes for 58 yards and a touchdown for the Bombers, while Paris Cotton chipped in with 62 yards on the ground on 15 rushing attempts. Drew Willy completed 4-of-10 passes in the first half, meanwhile, making way for Marve in the second half, who went 6-of-12 for 76 yards while throwing a key touchdown pass to Denmark during the third quarter.
Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 119 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-21 passing for the Stamps, but mostly struggled to produce on a blustery, snowy day that closely resembled late-season CFL football in Cow Town.
The debate entering Saturday’s game surrounded whether the Stamps should rest their star players. But on the opening drive, a familiar cast of top offensive guns took the field, showing their intention of winning the game.
Cornish got the pendulum swinging with a 12-yard pickup on the first play from scrimmage, before Maurice Price moved the offence into Winnipeg territory on a 16-yard catch-and-run on second-and-five.
The Stampeders continued to feed their star running back, going back to the well for gains of 16 and 15 yards respectively, moving the offence into the red zone and also putting Cornish over 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
On first down from the 10, Mitchell then looked to run on the read option before rolling out and finding Rob Cote, who powered his way over the goal line to provide the Stampeders a 7-0 lead on just their first possession.
That capped off a six-play, 74-yard drive, leaving 10:59 in the first quarter as the snow continued to fall in Calgary.
The Bombers struggled to mount a response for the rest of the first quarter, picking up their only three points off a fumble by Cornish deep inside Calgary territory. That cut the Stamps’ lead to 7-3, but Calgary quickly stole back momentum as it moved into scoring range to end the first quarter.
Powered by Cornish’s 91 yards on nine carries in the first 15 minutes, the Stamps managed three more points to start the second on a field goal by Rene Paredes, extending Calgary’s lead to 10-3.
Winnipeg’s defence settled in after that while the Stamps’ defence continued to dominate, as he teams headed towards the end of halftime still locked in a seven-point game. Calgary had a chance to add to its lead, but Paredes hit the upright on a field goal attempt to keep the Bomber deficit at a touchdown.
| 2014 CFL Playoffs: Always better live! |
|---|
 Some playoff spots are still up for grabs, but that doesn't mean you can't lock up your tickets early!  |
With time running out in the first half and their running back not on the field, the Stamps gave Winnipeg an enormous chance to swing momentum. Price had the ball knocked out of his hands and the Bombers recovered, setting them up in first and goal with just over 10 seconds left.
But after throwing incomplete on first down, Willy had the ball forced out of his hands and right back into the possession of the Stamps, sending the game to halftime with a 10-3 Calgary lead through 30 minutes.
With Marve set to enter the game in the second half, the Bombers sparked another potential momentum shift with a quick stop on defence and then a blocked punt of Rob Maver, giving them the ball deep inside Calgary territory for the third time in the game.
This time, though, the Bomber offence took full advantage, as Robert Marve found Clarence Denmark just over the goal line for a second-down touchdown. The point after was unsuccessful, however, cutting the Bombers’ third-quarter deficit to a single point.
Down 11-9, the Bombers looked to take the lead on a Lirim Hajrullahu field goal attempt, only to have the line-drive boot blocked and into the hands of the Stamps.
| Cornish sidelined |
|---|
 Jon Cornish rushed for 105 yards on 12 carries early in the game for Calgary, but left the game in the second quarter after sustaining a head injury and did not return. » Read More |
Cotton powered the Bombers to a first down, but the drive stalled in a goal-to-go situation after Marve’s second-down attempt was broken up at the sideline. The Bombers settled for a field goal from Hajrullahu, which was enough to give them their first lead of the game, 12-11 with seven minutes left in the game.
The Stamps went to work looking to respond, but Mitchell coughed up the slippery pigskin on the ensuing play, giving Winnipeg the ball for the fourth time this game deep in scoring range. Calgary's defence rose to the occasion once again with a quick stop, But Hajrullahu made good on the short kick to add to Winnipeg's lead, 15-11.
The sloppy fourth-quarter play continued for Calgary on the ensuing kickoff, when this time Anthony Parker was hit and had the ball knocked out of his grasp. Sam McGuffie recovered the loose ball for Winnipeg, once again setting the Bombers up in prime scoring position.
This time the offence got the chains moving, starting with a first-down pass to Denmark on second down to move the Bombers to the 20 with a fresh set of downs. But the Bombers again were forced to kick a field goal, building their lead to seven points.
Mitchell looked to respond quickly for the Stampeders, moving the chains with a big completion before throwing incomplete on the deep ball. He was picked off shortly after, seemingly ending the Stamps' comeback bid -- but after a review, pass interference was called on the Bomber defender, giving Calgary a fresh set of downs and new life up near midfield.
Two first-down runs by Walter and a completion to Nik Lewis kept the Stamps' momentum going, before a Demond Washington illegal contact penalty moved Calgary's offence even closer. But as the end zone moved close into sight, the Bomber defence came through in the clutch.
Mitchell was sacked on first down, before having his throw knocked away near the sideline in the end zone on second down. The agile young pivot looked for Lewis on third down, but had it broken up over the middle just across the goal line, preserving the Bombers' win.
Before the game, the Stampeders held a ceremony honouring the life of former CFL offensive lineman and Stamps' co-owner John Forzani, who passed away on Friday at the age of 67.
The Stamps get back in action on Friday, Nov. 7, when they visit the BC Lions in a final playoff tuneup. They'll get a bye week after that, before playing host to the West Final on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 4:30 pm ET.
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