Stampeders stomp on Riders in fourth quarter, come away with decisive 35-15 win

For much of Thursday's late CFL game, the outcome was definitely in question. The Calgary Stampeders led the Saskatchewan Roughriders just 16-12 at halftime, and while the yardage got a little more separation in the third quarter, the score was 19-15 heading into the final frame. Much like they did in the last few minutes against B.C. last week, though, the Stampeders were able to find another gear in the fourth quarter. This time around, they outscored Saskatchewan 16-0 down the stretch to pick up a 35-15 win, one which adds to the case that they've been the CFL's best team to date, and also suggests the Roughriders still have a long way to go.

A big part of this win was the ground game that Jerome Messam provided. The rushing game has been less important across the CFL this year, with many teams taking to the air early and often, but Messam's a talented player who can force teams to pay attention to defending the run. He collected 109 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, an average of 6.4 yards per carry, and he made Saskatchewan key on the ground game. Other Stampeders' scramblers found success too, with Roy Finch, Andrew Buckley, Lemar Durant and Bo Levi Mitchell combining for 23 yards on six carries (and Buckley including a touchdown in that).

That opened up passing holes for Mitchell, who finished with a very solid 25 completions on 37 attempts (67.6 per cent) for 312 yards and a touchdown. Mitchell did a tremendous job of using his legs to evade pressure while keeping his eyes downfield, extending plays and finding receivers late. That also was about the offensive line; Calgary's linemen did a good job of blocking Saskatchewan's primary pass rushers, forcing Rider head coach Chris Jones to dial up blitzes, and Mitchell showed off an excellent ability to read where the blitzers were coming from and then hit the open man. Despite all the blitzing, Mitchell wasn't sacked a single time Thursday, and that says a lot about both his mobility and about the play of the guys in front of him.

The Stampeders' defence and special teams also shone. The defence recorded three quarterback sacks and applied plenty of pressure, and Joe Burnett and Micah Johnson did well to force fumbles. They held Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant to 17 completions on 28 attempts (60.7 per cent) for just 247 passing yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, and contained running back Kendial Lawrence, who finished with 45 yards (albeit on just six carries). The special teams were great, too, with Rene Paredes making all five of his field goal attempts, Rob Maver averaging 47.2 yards on punts (although he did have one miscue) and Finch averaging 18.2 yards on punt returns. It was another solid showing from Calgary all around, and it deservedly put them atop the West Division with a 4-1-1 record. They've been the league's most consistently-impressive team to date, and they look to be in good shape going forward.

The same can't be said for the Roughriders. Yes, they were in this game, unlike their 41-3 pantsing by Montreal last week. Yes, they got Durant back from injury, and yes, he made their offence look better (especially when connecting with Rob Bagg, who had four catches for 135 yards and a touchdown). They still weren't able to consistently move the chains on offence, though, recording just 293 offensive yards overall and just 79 in the second half. Their defence was also victimized; they couldn't create pressure with their linemen, forcing Jones to dial up blitzes, but the blitzers often took the wrong angles and let Mitchell escape and take advantage of the ensuing gaps in coverage. There are plenty of issues with this team on both sides of the ball, and they'll have to get a lot better if they want to improve on their 1-5 record so far. The hard times in Saskatchewan aren't over yet.