Stampeders close in on historic regular-season record
Victory over Argos puts them within one win of CFL standard
The Calgary Stampeders will go after history.
Friday night’s 31-13 victory over the Toronto Argonauts meant nothing to the first-place Stamps.
It didn’t even mean anything to the Boatmen, who were officially eliminated from the playoffs just prior to halftime after the Hamilton Tiger-Cats beat the Ottawa Redblacks in overtime.
But it means the Red & White (15-1-1) extended their winning streak to 14 games and are now one win away from becoming the best regular-season club in CFL history.
A win over the Alouettes in next Sunday’s finale (11 a.m., TSN/News Talk 770) would move the Stamps past the 1989 Edmonton Eskimos (16-2).
Rookie middle linebacker Alex Singleton, for one, wants the record.
“(Fullback Rob) Cote was saying today that he’s never gone undefeated at home,” Singleton said of his squad’s perfect 9-0 mark at McMahon Stadium.
“I just found out that we’re the seventh team to do that and it’s a huge accomplishment.
“Now it’s time to go and be the best team to ever do it during the regular season. We can talk about it, we can go get it because that’s a motivation for this week instead of looking into the future.”
Rookie wideout DaVaris Daniels hauled in a pair of spectacular touchdown catches and fellow freshman Andrew Buckley scored his eighth major of the season as the Stamps methodically sent the Argos to their sixth straight loss.
Stamps running back Jerome Messam, who ran all over the Argos two weeks ago in Toronto, was back for more. His 31-yard rumble on the game’s opening play was a sign of things to come as the big Canadian effectively locked up the rushing title.
The opening drive stalled and after a Rene Paredes 33-yard field goal, the Argos actually took the lead.
Veteran quarterback Ricky Ray hit running back Brandon Whitaker for a two-yard score for the 7-3 advantage.
Paredes hit from 37 yards before Buckley plunged in from the one yard line. Lemar Durant hauled in the two-point conversion to give the hosts a 14-7 lead.
The Stamps never trailed again. But at least things got interesting for awhile.
The Argos crept within 17-13 but then Daniels went to work.
He made a 41-yard fingertip grab down the sideline in the third quarter and then tiptoed in the back of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown to blow the game open.
“I think Bo (Levi Mitchell) has a lot of confidence in me and my speed,” Daniels said. “He put it in a perfect spot and I just had to run up under it.
“I just had to go get it and make a play.”
Mitchell completed 20 of 30 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and no picks.
Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson was pleased in the aftermath.
“The guys respond and do everything that I ask,” Dickenson said. “A lot of people are saying it’s going to be tough to keep the foot on the gas pedal, but I really feel like the guys’ effort is there.
“We’re a little bit loose on our execution and maybe some of the details and it’s not easy.’’
The Stamps have made it look easy at times this season.
They won Friday’s tilt without defensive tackle Micah Johnson and two starting offensive linemen.
“The guys kept plugging away and gave me a great win,” Dickenson said. “Nice to do it on fan appreciation day.”