Jerome Messam and the Stampeders run over the Eskimos in the Labour Day Classic

The ground game has been remarkably little-used across the CFL this year, but it was absolutely vital to the Calgary Stampeders' 45-24 win over the Edmonton Eskimos in the early Labour Day Classic Monday. Jerome Messam carried the ball 18 times for 110 yards (an average of 6.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, and his performance was essential to Calgary's eventual triumph. The win gave the Stampeders their seventh victory in a row, their fifth Labour Day win in a row, and their seventh win in their last eight Labour Day games against Edmonton. It also illustrated how much of a gap there currently is between them and even other strong teams like the Eskimos, and the ground game is a big part of that.

On the year, Messam's second in the league with 652 rushing yards, and he leads the CFL with seven rushing touchdowns. He's also picked up those yards on just 121 carries, giving him an average of 5.4 yards per carry. The 6'3'', 254-pound Messam has plenty of size and power, but he also has great speed and an ability to hit the hole, as he showed off with some long runs in this game. Moreover, he's Canadian, so his ability to dominate at a traditionally-American position offers ratio flexibility for the Stampeders elsewhere.

Of course, the success on the ground isn't all about Messam. Calgary's excellent offensive line plays a big role in their ability to run the ball. Something that's notable there is that a lot of the Stampeders' current starting Canadian linemen were not high picks, which says a lot about general manager John Hufnagel's ability to find quality talent in later rounds:

The Stampeders' rushing game also works in conjunction with their passing game. The threat of Messam on the ground opens up holes for the passing game, as was particularly evident on one Bakari Grant touchdown in this one where Edmonton linebacker J.C. Sherritt bit on the run fake. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 25 of his 32 pass attempts (78.1 per cent) Monday, and although he did throw a pick-six, he also threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns. It works the other way, too, as the Calgary passing game prevents defences from stuffing the box continously, opening up running lanes for Messam.

All in all, it looks like the Stampeders are in their own class at the moment. They haven't lost since a narrow road defeat against the B.C. Lions in Week One, and they're now 8-1-1 and on top of the West. The Lions are second at 7-3, but Calgary thumped them 37-9 two weeks ago. The 6-4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers and 5-5 Eskimos seem even further behind the Stampeders, and the East's best record (before the late game between 4-5 Hamilton and 4-5 Toronto) belongs to a 5-4 Ottawa team that has been highly inconsistent. Calgary looks like the CFL's best unit right now, and the success of Messam and their ground game is a big part of the reason why. The Stampeders are good in just about all respects of the game, though; they lead the league with 323 points for, they've given up a league-low 209 points, and they're 5-0 at home in what's been a down year for home teams. If they keep playing the way they did Monday, it's hard to see anyone catching them.