Stampeders beat Lions 32-13, need B.C. help for playoffs

The Calgary Stampeders beat the B.C. Lions 32-13 at McMahon Stadium on Saturday to stay alive in the CFL playoff race, but they now need the Lions to beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers next Friday to earn a post-season spot, The Canadian Press reported.

Calgary finished its regular season at 9-9 and heads into a bye week. Winnipeg is 8-9 and went 2-1 against the Stampeders this season, so the Blue Bombers would finish higher in a tie, CP said. The game was confirmed on CFL.ca and by TSN.

Searches for the game and for the 2026 CFL standings each drew thousands of queries in Canada on Saturday, according to Google Trends.

Quincy Vaughn scored two short-yardage rushing touchdowns and Ajou Ajou caught a touchdown pass for Calgary in front of an announced crowd of 21,968, CP reported. Vernon Adams Jr. completed 30 of 43 passes for 324 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rene Paredes, who plans to retire after 15 seasons with the Stampeders, kicked field goals from 24, 22, 29 and 32 yards but missed from 57.

The game was tied 13-13 at halftime. Paredes put Calgary ahead for the first time with a 29-yard field goal early in the third quarter, and the Stampeders shut out B.C. in the second half. Adams found Ajou for a touchdown with about five minutes left after an 84-yard drive, and Vaughn’s second one-yard plunge sealed it.

Lions starter Nathan Rourke went 8 for 11 for 149 yards and a touchdown to Justin McInnis in the first half before Kaidon Salter replaced him, CP reported. Salter was 6 for 14 for 113 yards with an interception. Sean Whyte kicked field goals from 48 and 26 yards.

B.C. (10-7) had already clinched second place in the West Division and will host the division semifinal on Oct. 31. The Edmonton Elks (13-4) locked up first place and will host the West final on Nov. 7, with the winner advancing to the Grey Cup in Calgary on Nov. 15, CP reported. The Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-8), the defending champions, can finish no worse than fourth after beating the Montreal Alouettes 16-12 earlier Saturday. The fourth-place West team will cross over to face the Toronto Argonauts in the East semifinal.

The Argonauts were on the losing end of the week’s most surprising result, when the Redblacks beat Toronto 40-39 to end a 22-game losing streak.

The game was briefly interrupted in the fourth quarter by two rabbits on the field, and winds gusted to 53 km/h at kickoff, CP said, on a day when a wind warning was in effect for southwestern Alberta.

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Sources: The Canadian Press via iNFOnews; CFL.ca; TSN; Google Trends Canada.