CFL Round-Up: Riders Buck Stamps, Ticats Outlast Argos

Heading into Friday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were “ready to rock.”

With help from newly acquired running back Ryquell (Rock) Armstead, Harris backed up his statement as he led the Roughriders (6-7-1) to a 37-29 win over the Stampeders (4-9-1) in front of 24,240 fans at McMahon Stadium.

“Honestly, I feel like this team can beat any team,” said Harris, who had a rushing touchdown and threw a TD pass to Kian Schaffer-Baker. “It’s just a matter of us having the right attitude, mindset and execution.”

While Harris completed 16-of-18 passes for 248 yards, he was also able to work Armstead into the offence by continually handing the ball off to the former Ottawa Redblacks’ running back.

“Obviously our offensive line was moving people,” Harris said. “We were able to get some good cutbacks and (Armstead) was doing a great job of finding the holes. He’s a load to bring down. 

“He’s a stud and he did a great job for us tonight, no doubt.”

Armstead definitely had an impressive debut with 207 yards rushing on 25 carries.

“All I did is just try to come out here and do my job and help these guys and contribute,” said Armstead, who was given the game ball from Saskatchewan coach Corey Mace after the victory. “These coaches did a great job with the game plan, adjustments and things like that.

“They made it very easy and all I had to do was my part.”

Backup quarterback Shea Patterson ran for a pair of touchdowns. Brett Lauther kicked three field goals for the Riders, who ended a seven-game winless streak.

“I’m so happy for these guys,” Mace said. “They worked their tails off. I know it hasn’t been the results maybe in the prior weeks for us, but these guys, their work ethic is outstanding. They wanted this just as bad as Rider Nation.”

Clark Barnes and Jalen Philpot caught touchdown passes from quarterback Jake Maier for the Stampeders (4-9-1), who are 0-5-1 in their past six games.

Maier completed 25-of-31 passes for 197 yards to go with his two TD passes and one interception.

“The mood in here is what you would think,” Maier said. “It’s super frustrating. It’s a feeling of failure.”

Tommy Stevens and Dedrick Mills had rushing touchdowns for Calgary, while Rene Paredes kicked a field goal.

“They beat us,” said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson. “They were more physical. They owned the line of scrimmage. We fought back, but it just wasn’t enough.”

The Stamps had a strong start as Stevens ran for a 69-yard touchdown at 1:38 of the first quarter. Paredes missed the convert, so Calgary had to settle for an early 6-0 lead.

Harris then led the Riders on an eight-play, 63-yard drive that Patterson completed by scrambling across the goal line for a one-yard touchdown.

Following a 33-yard field goal by Lauther at 10:15, Paredes answered with a 41-yarder with just 33 seconds left in the first quarter.

While Maier and the Calgary offence struggled in the second quarter, the same couldn’t be said for Harris and his Saskatchewan squad.

After Harris led the Riders down to Calgary’s two-yard line, Patterson ran for his second score of the game at 12:58 to cap an impressive eight-play, 99-yard drive.

Harris then punctuated a seven-play, 92-yard drive by running for a one-yard score with one second left in the first half to give the Riders a 24-9 lead.

Barnes caught an eight-yard TD pass from Maier at 4:15 of the third quarter to pull the Stamps back within eight points.

Shaffer-Baker made an acrobatic catch just shy of the goal line and remained on his feet despite taking a pair of hits from Calgary’s Branden Dozier and Kobe Williams. He then ran into the end zone for a 25-yard score at 10:01 of the third.

“He’s unbelievable,” Harris said of Shaffer-Baker. “He’s one of the best I’ve ever played with after the catch. When he gets the ball, he’s dangerous. He’s going to make something happen.”

Philpot hauled in an eight-yard TD catch at 1:01 of the fourth quarter before Lauther kicked a 32-yard field goal at 3:44 to put the Riders up 34-23.

After Mills ran for a two-yard TD at 8:39 of the final quarter, the Stamps weren’t able to score a two-point convert as Maier was sacked by Saskatchewan’s C.J. Reavis.

It looked as though the Stamps were going to get the ball back after the Riders went two-and-out, but Tyler Richardson took a costly penalty for contacting punter Adam Korsak.

The Riders subsequently took a 37-29 lead after Lauther kicked a 40-yard field goal with 1:43 left on the clock.

Calgary had one more chance to extend the game, but former Stampeder Jameer Thurman picked off an errant pass by Maier to secure the victory for Saskatchewan.

“Ending the game like that meant a lot to me,” Thurman said. “It also meant a lot to this team, though. I was trying to put myself in position all night to snag one of those.

“It just so happened that it was at the end of the game. He threw it and I just went up and got it.”

UP NEXT

Roughriders: Host the Ottawa Redblacks (8-4-1) on Sept. 28.

Stampeders: Visit the B.C. Lions (7-7) on Oct. 4.

TORONTO – Marc Liegghio kept the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ faint playoff hopes alive.

Liegghio’s 48-yard field goal on the final play earned Hamilton an exciting 33-31 win over Toronto Argonauts on Friday night. The Ticats (5-9) swept the three-game season series with the Argonauts (7-7), their first since 2019.

Liegghio, who booted six field goals in all, not only kicked the winner into a swirling wind but did so on a slick BMO Field surface.

“The field wasn’t the most tacky out there,” he said. “I think I would’ve been good from 50-plus (but) I would’ve had to make sure I got all of the ball and that my feet were stuck in the ground.

“I’m glad we took the shot where it was and it was just awesome we got the win.”

Hamilton won its third straight overall and moved within four points of third-place Toronto. Both teams have four regular-season games remaining.

“I think they’re feeling good about themselves,” Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich said outside a jubilant Ticats dressing room. “They’re happy with the improvements we’ve made, they believe in each other.

“That’s the thing I think that’s changed the most, the three phases believe the other side is going to do their job. I told them momentum is a powerful force and right now we’ve got it.”

Milanovich also gave Liegghio kudos for his performance.

“The field wasn’t in very good condition,” Milanovich said. “For him to have six field goals on the grass, we never play on it, and win one going into the wind from (48) yards, that’s big time. “

Liegghio’s boot capped a solid seven-play, 35-yard drive with no timeouts for Hamilton. Lirim Hajrullahu’s 28-yard field goal with 56 seconds remaining had put Toronto ahead 31-30.

Hajrullahu’s field goal came after Liegghio connected from 15 yards out at 12:50 to give Hamilton a 30-28 advantage. But Toronto starter Chad Kelly missed a wide-open DaVaris Daniels in the end zone.

It appeared Toronto would get the ball at the Hamilton one-yard line on a pass interference call in the end zone. But it was overturned by the command centre.

“We just didn’t make enough plays,” said Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. “We had a chance to hit DaVaris at the end, that was unfortunate we didn’t make that play.

“(The) defence was too soft. It looked like seven on seven out there. Shoot, I think anybody could’ve went out and completed 80 per cent of their passes … we’ve got to get that fixed on defence.”

Hamilton starter Bo Levi Mitchell finished 31-of-40 passing for 362 yards and a touchdown. He improved to 15-2 all-time against Toronto, to the dismay of 18,210 spectators at BMO Field.

“It felt like, by far, the best I’ve seen him play,” Milanovich said of Mitchell. “He was patient, he played like an elite quarterback tonight.”

Mitchell and Co. were especially efficient on second down, converting 16-of-25 chances.

“We were losing those exact same games early in the year,” Mitchell said. “What I saw was a team that’s been through it, learned from it, responded the right way.

“It’s awesome to see us come back and win a game like that at the end. It kind of shows we feel like we can beat anybody.”

Kelly was 17-of-26 passing for 255 yards with a touchdown and interception. He also ran for two TDs, his one-yard score at 9:08 putting Toronto ahead 28-27.

Hajrullahu’s 43-yard field goal at 1:29 pulled Toronto to within 24-21. But Liegghio countered with a 25-yard field goal at 7:35 to put Hamilton up 27-21.

Makai Polk had Toronto’s other touchdown. Deonta McMahon had a two-point convert while Hajrullahu kicked three field goals and two converts.

Jevoni Robinson and Antre Litre scored Hamilton’s touchdowns. Liegghio added two converts while Nik Constantinou had a single.

Liegghio’s 25-yard boot at 7:35 of the third gave Hamilton a 27-18 advantage.

Litre’s two-yard TD run at 4:53 put Hamilton ahead 21-18. Liegghio made it 24-18 with a 10-yard field goal at 14:22 but it came after Toronto stopped Litre on five straight rushing attempts from its one-yard line.

The last two came when Hamilton got a fresh set of downs following a Toronto offside penalty after stopping Litre on third down.

“That was disappointing,” said Milanovich, who’s also Hamilton offensive coordinator. “That could’ve ended up biting us and (it’s) fortunate that it didn’t.”

Liegghio’s 45-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Toronto’s lead to 18-14. But it came after a facemask penalty against tackle Brendan Bordner erased Mitchell’s 24-yard TD pass to Kiondre Smith earlier on the drive.

Kelly put Toronto ahead 18-11 with a 14-yard TD strike to Polk at 13:27. He then found McMahon for the two-point convert.

UP NEXT:

Toronto: Hosts Montreal Alouettes (10-2-1) on Saturday night.

Hamilton: At B.C. Lions (7-7-0) on Friday night. 

(Canadian Press)