OTTAWA — The Calgary Stampeders secured their first win of 2023 on Thursday night as they defeated the Ottawa REDBLACKS 26-15 at TD Place.
With the win Calgary improved to 1-1 on the season, while the REDBLACKS fell to 0-2.
Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier threw an interception and scored a touchdown on the ground. Running back Dedrick Mills, who started the contest in place of an injured Ka’Deem Carey, also scored a major. Defensive back Branden Dozier also had a touchdown after scooping up a REDBLACKS fumble and running it into the end zone.
Defensive back Titus Wall and linebacker Micah Awe both tallied sacks in the victory, while interceptions came at the hands of Awe and Tre Roberson.
Brandin Dandridge scored the lone touchdown for Ottawa in the loss, returning a punt 79 yards to the house. Both Nick Arbuckle and Tyrie Adams saw action at quarterback for the REDBLACKS. Arbuckle completed 13 of 21 passes for 72 yards while Adams connected on seven of his 13 attempts for 88 yards and an interception. Quan Bray led all REDBLACKS receivers with 95 yards on four catches.
The REDBLACKS started the game with the ball in their hands and Nick Arbuckle and co. started moving the chains down the field. Justin Hardy was getting involved in the game early with three plays on the drive, gains of 13, 10, and five yards, respectively, as the REDBLACKS began inching closer to the Calgary end zone.
On the Stamps’ seven yard line, Calgary was called for an offside penalty, pushing Arbuckle and his offence half the distance to the goal. Arbuckle looked for Nate Behar near the goal line from the four, but threw his first incompletion of the contest. Behar was the target once again on their next attempt, but it was incomplete bringing up third down. Ottawa decided to go for it on third, but Titus Wall was in coverage on Behar and knocked the ball away for the first turnover of the contest.
Defences stood strong on the ensuing drives with both teams trading punts. A single was scored on Richie Leone‘s punt, giving the REDBLACKS a 1-0 lead late in the first frame.
It appeared that the first touchdown of the contest was scored by Malik Henry on the first play of the next Calgary drive. However, an offensive pass interference penalty called on Henry, as he pushed off the defender in coverage, negated the score. A few plays later, Calgary did score their first touchdown as Dedrick Mills, who was filling in for an injured Ka’Deem Carey, rushed in for the three-yard score. Tre Odoms-Dukes hauled in the two-point convert, giving Calgary a 8-1 lead just as the opening 15 minutes expired.
On second and one in the second quarter, REDBLACKS quarterback Tyrie Adams came into the game on short yardage looking for the first down, but instead the ball popped loose. Branden Dozier scooped it up and ran it into the end zone for the score. With Paredes’ completed convert, the Stampeders took a 15-1 lead with about 10 minutes left in the first half.
Ottawa’s ensuing drive was a two-and-out, forcing Leone to punt the ball away. Peyton Logan caught the punt but Alonzo Addae ripped the ball away from the Stampeders returner and Adam Auclair jumped on the loose ball, bringing Arbuckle and co. right back onto the field at the Calgary 11 yard line.
The REDBLACKS scored a field goal from the turnover, as Lewis Ward split the uprights with a 13-yard attempt. That score cut Calgary’s lead to 15-4 with six and a half minutes left in the quarter.
Auclair caught an interception inside the three minute warning, hauling in a pass that went off Reggie Begelton‘s hands. The momentum went right back into the Stampeders direction, however, as Micah Awe, who had tallied the first sack of the Stampeders’ season earlier in the half, picked off Arbuckle on the first throw of the REDBLACKS drive.
With a minute left in the half, Brandin Dandridge returned a punt for six, the team’s first major score of the 2023 campaign. The defensive back/returner ran it 79 yards down the field for the score and with the two-point convert complete to Hardy, the REDBLACKS cut Calgary’s lead to 15-12 with 44 seconds on the clock.
Adams finished off the first half at quarterback for the REDBLACKS and started the second in place of Arbuckle.
On the Stampeders’ second possession of the third quarter, Maier and co. began on their own 22 yard line and moved the chains deep into Ottawa territory. On the REDBLACKS’ eight yard line, Mills scampered to the two but was stopped in his tracks by Damon Webb. Maier then called his own number, pushing forward into the end zone for the touchdown. The nine-play, 88-yard drive was capped off with a Paredes convert, increasing the Stampeders lead to 22-12 with six minutes left in the quarter.
As the end of the third quarter was nearing, the fans at TD Place had something to cheer about as Adams aired it out 50 yards to Quan Bray for a chunk play to bring the REDBLACKS to the Stampeders’ side of mid field. After a three-yard gain from Behar, Adams looked for Acklin but the pass was incomplete. Head coach Bob Dyce challenged that there was pass interference on the play but it was unsuccessful.
That brought out Ward to try for a 45-yard field goal but his attempt was wide and the Stampeders held their 22-12 lead as the third frame came to a close.
Another point was added to the Stampeders lead (23-12) midway through the fourth quarter as Cody Grace‘s punt sailed into the end zone for the rouge.
Starting on their own 40-yard line, Adams and the REDBLACKS moved down the field and into Calgary territory on the ensuing drive. Once on the 13-yard line, Adams looked for Hardy in the back corner of the end zone but Jonathan Moxey was called for defensive pass interference. Head coach Dave Dickenson threw the challenge flag. The challenge was successful and it was determined there was no infraction on the play, bringing up second down.
Adams looked for Hardy again, this time on the other side of the end zone, but Kobe Williams was in coverage and knocked the ball out of his hands. Ward booted a 21-yard field goal, cutting Calgary’s lead 23-15 with just over four minutes left in the game.
Calgary added a field goal inside the three minute warning as Paredes connected on his 13-yard attempt, increasing their lead to 26-15.
Tre Roberson picked off Adams on the REDBLACKS’ ensuing drive, bringing Maier back onto the field to close out the game.
Next up for the REDBLACKS is a Week 3 bye while the Stampeders host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night at McMahon Stadium.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.
Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.
The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.
Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.
Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.
The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.
Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.
Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.
The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.
And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.
Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.
Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.
Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.
Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.
Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.
With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.
Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.
Questionable call
Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.
Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.
Running wild
Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.
Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.
Foles honored
Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
Injuries
The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).
Up next
Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
