Sometimes everything clicks and you achieve perfection.
With their 37-9 victory over the B.C. Lions in Vancouver on Aug. 19, the red and white, remain top in the the CFL’s West Division with a 6-1-1 record, having not lost since their first matchup against the Lions on opening day.
The Stamps led from beginning to end of the night at B.C. Place, running up a 16-9 lead at halftime before shutting out the home side in a second-half master class.
Bo Levi Mitchell once again showed why he’s one of the brightest stars in the CFL galaxy as he went 28 for 28, throwing 340 yards, with no interceptions and a pair of touchdown passes in a dominant display from the fifth-year quarterback.
Slotback Marquay McDaniel was another standout for the visitors, catching a game-high 10 passes, finishing up his night with 80 receiving yards.
The game started off with Mitchell surveying the field before spotting Anthony Parker for a 33-yard gain.
Mitchell then connect with a 21 yard pass to Bakari Grant for the opening touchdown, before Parker slammed home the two-point conversion.
Not to be muscled out of the game at an early stage, the Lions bounced back with receiver Bryan Burnham producing a 42-yard catch-and-run before kicker Richie Leone stepped up and hit a 37-yard field goal to make things 8-3.
Soon after, the Stamps stopped a near punt-return touchdown from B.C.’s Chris Rainey thanks to a perfect tackle from Cochranite and running back Rob Cote.
Neither club added to their scoreboard tally, as they went into the second quarter.
McDaniel again stepped up to the plate in the second, picking up three first-down receptions, before the Stamps’ ever-reliable kicker Rene Paredes scored a 45-yard kick to give his side an eight-point advantage, marking his 21st straight successful attempt, after a six-play, 62-yard drive.
The Lions responded with a 37-yard field goal from Leone, before he and Paredes exchanged three-pointers.
As things progressed, the tide turned more in the Stamps’ favour as the Lions failed to finish on the offensive side.
Mitchell worked the offence down the field in the final minutes of the half, before snapping off a 13-yard touchdown to Cote (his 100th CFL catch), capping off a 13-play, 65-yard drive. It was Cote’s first scoring major since Nov. 2014.
With 43 seconds left in the first half, Leone added a third field goal to his tally (26-yards), making things 17-9 at halftime.
The momentum the Lions built up at the end of the second-quarter, came crashing down early in the third-quarter when B.C. running back Chris Rainey had the ball stripped from his grasp by Stamps lineman Frank Beltre, with Ben D’Aguilar recovering the fumble. Two quick plays after, running back Jerome Messam walked in for an easy five-yard touchdown.
Paredes added insult to injury, bagging a 42-yard kick to give the Stamps a 27-9 lead.
The Stamps continued to dominate and eventually capitalized on their field position early in the fourth quarter, when second-string quarterback Andrew Buckley’s sneak allowed him to run in for a simple one-yard touchdown. After the long Stamps drive, which lasted six plays, Calgary was up 34-9.
In response, the Lions replaced quarterback Jonathon Jennings – who only managed 10 completions in a little more than three quarters of work – with Travis Lulay.
It was too little too late, as Wally Buono’s team had no answer to the Stamps d-line and a late field goal by Paredes rounded out the scoring to sink B.C.
The Stamps next play at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-4-0, second in East Division) on Aug. 28. Kick-off is 5 p.m.
