The REDBLACKS held the lead late in the fourth quarter, but after deciding to concede a safety with under two minutes to go, the Stampeders marched down the field to win the game.
Nick Arbuckle went 30 of 37 through the air for 370 yards.
Markeith Ambles had five catches for 79 yards, while Reggie Begelton and Eric Rogers had 78 and 71 yards, respectively.
Ka’Deem Carey had 70 yards on the ground, but he was forced out of the game with an injury. Terry Williams came in and had 47 rushing yards.
The Calgary defence forced a pair of fumbles and hauled in two interceptions. Chris Casher led the way on that side of the ball, finishing with four tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Jonathon Jennings went 15-for-18 for 125 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
OTTAWA REDBLACKS QUARTERBACK JONATHON JENNINGS SCRAMBLES OUT OF THE POCKET (FREESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY/OTTAWAREDBLACKS)
The first half would prove to be a defensive battle between the two teams. Turnovers would plague each offence, with the REDBLACKS committing three to the Stampeders’ two.
Jennings’ woes under centre continued to start the game, as he started 5 of 8 for 22 yards and two interceptions. The first came when Robertson Daniel undercut a slant route and made a diving effort for the pick. Jennings would be intercepted again in the second quarter, this time by DeShaun Amos, who went up and nabbed a jump ball on a deep shot to the end zone. Running back John Crockett also fumbled the ball on the second possession of the game.
Kickers Rene Paredes and Lewis Ward had all of the respective team’s points through two quarters. The pair had three field goals apiece, with Ward hitting a 53-yard kick for his final score of the half. With his first field goal of the game, Ward set a new CFL record for consecutive kicks made with 62.
Paredes would open the third quarter with his fourth field goal of the game to make it 12-9. Eric Rogers helped move his kicker into position with a pair of catches that totalled 23 yards.
The first major of the game would come in the fourth quarter. Jennings would lead the team down the field, going five-for-five on the drive for 58 yards. He’d cap off the drive by finding Brad Sinopoli over the middle, and the receiver would do the rest, bouncing off a tackler to find pay dirt. Ward would add the point after to make it a 16-12 game.
Arbuckle had to lead his team down the field for the game-tying score with under three minutes to go, and after being forced into a second-and-10 situation, he hit Ambles with a 28-yard strike down the right sideline. He’d find Richie Sindani for a 24-yard catch-and-run, but as he stretched out for the goal line, Corey Tindal forced a fumble that would be recovered by Sherrod Baltimore. That looked to be a game-deciding play, but the REDBLACKS would give the Stamps another chance.
Ottawa would be backed up to their goal line, but instead of punting the ball and giving the Stampeders decent field position, they’d take the safety, giving Calgary the opportunity to win the game with a field goal.
Williams gave the Stamps solid starting field position with a 28-yard return. Arbuckle would work down the field and run the clock down, setting the stage for Paredes to walk it off. He’d do just that, hitting a 31-yarder to seal the 17-16 final.
With the win, the Stampeders will travel back home for a showdown with the Edmonton Eskimos on Aug 3. Ottawa will be heading into their matchup with the Montreal Alouettes on Aug 2 looking to avoid its fifth straight loss.
