The visiting Calgary Stampeders saw their faint playoff dreams extinguished Friday in a 32-15 loss to the B.C. Lions.
B.C.’s defence provided an offensive jolt, with Mathieu Betts and T.J. Lee each running in touchdowns off of turnovers.
Nathan Rourke connected on 20 of his 24 attempts and put up 218 passing yards for the Lions (8-8), while kicker Sean Whyte added six field goals, including a 47-yard strike.
Jake Maier threw for 164 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions as Calgary (4-10-1) saw its winless skid stretch to seven straight games.
The Stamps turned to backup quarterback Matthew Shiltz late in the fourth quarter and he amassed 99 passing yards, including a TD.
This fall will mark the first time in 19 campaigns that the Stampeders will not play a post-season game.
And it’s ruled a major! @TjLee31 with the bat down and fumble return. Two defensive scores in a matter of seconds 🙌
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) October 5, 2024
🐴| 8
🦁| 26 pic.twitter.com/XDZYYVskW4
B.C.’s chances of securing a playoff spot improved Friday, but the Lions still need the Saskatchewan Roughriders to beat the Edmonton Elks on Saturday to earn a playoff berth.
The Lions defence troubled the Stamps late in the first quarter Friday, with Ronald Kent Jr. forcing Calgary’s Ishmael Hyman to fumble the ball. B.C.’s Ayinde Eley collected it and dashed 54 yards down the field to five the Lions a first down at the Stampeders’ 22 yard line.
B.C. struggled to break into the red zone, though, and settled for a 22-yard field goal to open the scoring.
Calgary responded midway through the second, working its way up the field until Maier lobbed an arching 10-yard pass to Hyman in the end zone. Rene Parades hit the convert and Calgary took a 7-3 lead.
Rourke used his feet to put up yards for the home side, but after getting his team into scoring position, the Canadian quarterback was sacked for a 12-yard loss with less than a minute to go in the first half. Whyte saved the drive with a 40-yard field goal that cut B.C.’s deficit to a single point heading into the locker rooms.
Punter Cody Grace padded Calgary’s lead early in the third, booting the ball out of bounds for a single.
The Lions responded with a drive that saw Rourke send a seven-yard toss to offensive lineman Andrew Pierson, followed by a 18-yard pass to wide receiver Keon Hatcher. But the home side couldn’t work its way into the red zone and instead saw Whyte send a 47-yard kick through the uprights to give B.C. a 9-8 lead.
Rourke and the Lions strung together a solid series of passes through the end of the quarter and into the fourth.
The quarterback sailed a long bomb to an unmanned Hatcher, who sprinted up the field for a 50-yard gain. The pair connected again minutes later on a 14-yard pass that put B.C. deep in Calgary territory once again.
A series of errors wasted the team’s end-zone opportunity. Under pressure, Rourke sent a pass into the stands. B.C. took a time-count violation penalty on the next play and the Lions once again turned to Whyte, who made a 15-yard field goal to give his side a 12-8 lead.
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It was B.C.’s defence that chalked up a touchdown five minutes into the final frame.
Betts picked off Maier’s pass at the B.C. 40-yard line and sprinted all the way down field into the Calgary end zone. Whyte added a single and the Lions breathed a sigh of relief as their cushion grew to 19-8.
🎥 Mathieu Betts with the hands and the jets! 🔥
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) October 5, 2024
He snatches the pick and turns on the burners, outrunning everyone for a wild pick-6! pic.twitter.com/Gkee8xoz43
Minutes later, the Lions struck again when Lee knocked down Maier’s toss, recovered the ball and dashed over the goal line.
Officials on the field ruled the play a touchdown, but it went to an automatic review. An announcement that the ruling on the field would stand was greeted with fans leaping to their feet and Lee being mobbed by his teammates on the sideline as the scoreboard ticked to 26-8 for B.C.
There were some scary moments midway through the fourth when Calgary receiver Cam Echols and B.C. linebacker Terrence Ganyi smashed helmets on a hit. Echols fell to the turf at the B.C. sideline and was examined for several minutes by trainers as players from both sides took a knee.
The American was eventually helped to his feet and appeared to speak with his teammates and coaches as he was helped to a cart before being taken off the field.
Calgary cut into its heavy deficit with less than four minutes on the game clock when Shiltz found Reggie Begelton in the end zone with a 53-yard pass. Parades added a single to make it 29-15 for B.C.
Whyte sealed the score at 32-15 with a 14-yard field goal late in the fourth.
UP NEXT:
The Lions face the Roughriders in their final road game of the season on Oct. 12. The Stampeders host the Elks in Calgary the same night.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
