On Saturday night at McMahan Stadium, the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially closed out the 2022 CFL regular season. This was the second meeting between these teams with Calgary beating the Roughriders last week at Mosaic Stadium.
With the playoff matchups set, the Stampeders rested some of their starters. Meanwhile, the Roughriders players were auditioning for a roster spot next season as Mason Fine made his second career start. Saskatchewan wanted to get another look at Fine before determining whether or not Cody Fajardo will be back next season.
In the first quarter, Calgary went two-and-out, but the special teams recovered a fumble by Jamal Morrow on Saskatchewan’s 15-yard line. Two plays later, Calgary quarterback Jake Maier threw a touchdown pass to Reggie Begelton with three Roughriders players near him for a 7-0 lead with 4:22 left.
After the Roughriders went two-and-out, Calgary struck again. This time, it was third-string quarterback Tommy Stevens, who scored an 85-yard rushing touchdown, extending Calgary’s lead 13-0 after Rene Paredes missed the extra point with 38-seconds left. Stevens’s run was the longest rushing play of the season. The Roughriders did a poor job trying to make a tackle. Saskatchewan had the ball to begin the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the Roughriders got on the board with a 33-yard field goal by Brett Lauther with 10:10 left. Late in the second quarter, Calgary quarterback Jake Maier threw a couple of passes for 23 yards, and running back Dedrick Mills had two carries for 15 yards, reaching the Roughriders’ three-yard line.
Then, Dedrick Mills scored the touchdown for a 20-3 lead with 2:37 left. Just before halftime, Calgary kicker Rene Paredes made a 14-yard field goal for a 23-3 lead at halftime.
Calgary quarterback Jake Maier was 13/16 for 105 yards as part of the Stampeders’ 270 yards on offense. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan quarterback Mason Fine was 8/13 for 72 yards as the Roughriders had 91 yards on offense.
In the third quarter, Saskatchewan kick returner Mario Alford gave the Roughriders great field position with a 29-yard run at their 53-yard line. Three plays later, running back Jamal Morrow rushed for 30 yards, followed by quarterback Mason Fine’s ten-yard pass to Shaq Evans at the Stampeders’ six-yard line.
After this, running back Jamal Morrow made a jump cut before running in for the touchdown, cutting Calgary’s lead 23-10 with 12:02 left. Those were the last points scored by Saskatchewan for the rest of the game.
Late in the third quarter, Calgary kicker Rene Paredes made a 33-yard field goal for a 26-10 lead with 1:03 left. The Roughriders began the fourth quarter on their 52-yard line.
The Roughriders’ offense moved the ball down to Calgary’s four-yard line. On third down, the Stampeders’ defense stopped them. Saskatchewan challenged for defensive pass interference, but the call stood, and the Roughriders had no more challenges for the rest of the game.
Two plays later, Calgary quarterback Tommy Stevens took off for a 71-yard run before getting knocked out of bounds. A roughing of the passer penalty on Saskatchewan gave Calgary 15 more yards at the Roughriders’ 36-yard line. Five plays later, Stevens threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Philpot for a 33-10 lead with 6:35 left.
Late in the fourth quarter, Calgary kicker Rene Paredes made his third field goal for 13 yards for a 36-10 lead with 1:32 left. After the Roughriders punted the ball back to Calgary, Bo Levi Mitchell went out to take two knees in victory formation, and the Stampeders won the game 36-10.
Calgary quarterback Jake Maier went 13/16 for 105 yards, one touchdown, and one carry for two yards, while quarterback Tommy Stevens was 4/5 for 32 yards, one touchdown, four carries for 163 yards, and one touchdown.
Running back Dedrick Mills had 14 carries for 125 yards, and one touchdown, while wide receiver Reggie Begelton had six catches for 60 yards and one touchdown. Calgary’s defense allowed 248 yards, with 44 tackles, six sacks, and five pass breakups. Calgary plays the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final next Sunday at 4:30 pm on ESPN2.
Saskatchewan quarterback Mason Fine was 21/32 for 168 yards, and two carries for 17 yards. Running back Jamal Morrow had eight carries for 63 yards, and one touchdown, while wide receiver Shaq Evans had six catches for 76 yards. Saskatchewan’s defense allowed 447 yards, with 49 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
