Out for redemption
Stampeders return to Grey Cup looking to avenge last year’s stunning loss
OTTAWA Bo Levi Mitchell and the Calgary Stampeders have a shot at Grey Cup redemption.
Calgary returns to the CFL title game a year after suffering a stunning 39-33 overtime loss to the underdog Ottawa Redblacks at BMO Field. The Stampeders take on the Toronto Argonauts on Sunday at TD Place.
Calgary again boasted the CFL’s best regularseason record at 13-4-1 — not quite as good as last year’s 15-2-1 mark — but endured some lateseason adversity by losing their final three regular-season contests. And even in the West Division final, the Stampeders fell behind Edmonton 14-0 before capturing a 31-28 victory.
The Stampeders had few problems this season with Toronto (9-9), sweeping the regular-season series 2-0 by a combined 30-point margin. Mitchell threw for 633 yards and five TD strikes in the two games while Roy Finch returned a punt 103 yards in Calgary’s 41-24 road victory Aug. 3.
Toronto’s Ricky Ray, who recorded 12 300-yard passing games this season, had his problems against Calgary’s CFL-best defence. The East Division nominee for the league’s outstanding player honour threw for a combined 359 yards versus the Stampeders with one TD and an interception.
Argos running back James Wilder Jr., the East’s nominee for CFL top rookie, ran for just 26 yards on six carries this year against Calgary. He finished fifth overall in rushing (871 yards, 7.1-yard average) despite becoming a late-season starter.
Ray is the CFL’s feel-good story this season. After being limited to just 12 games the previous two years because of injuries, the veteran made 17 starts this season and threw for 5,546 yards, his first 5,000-yard campaign since 2008 and fourth of his career