Argos lose Ray ... and the game: Mitchell and Stamps win big
TORONTO — There was no Grey Cup redemption for Bo Levi Mitchell and the Calgary Stampeders.
Mitchell threw three touchdown passes as Calgary embarrassed Toronto 41-7 at BMO Field in the first meeting between the two teams since the Argonauts’ 27-24 Grey Cup win in November.
Mitchell improved his career regular-season record against the Double Blue to 9-0 while guiding the Stampeders to their ninth consecutive regular-season victory over the defending Canadian Football League champions.
“I would’ve thought about it more if it was Game 1 of the season, more like Ottawa two years ago and we had to play them twice,” said Mitchell.
“To me, you’re thinking about Hamilton all off-season, all training camp, so to me it kind of lost that lustre of it.
“It was just us going out there and beating a football team today.”
Calgary (2-0) opened its season last week downing Hamilton 28-14.
Toronto (0-2) also lost starter Ricky Ray late in the third. After being sandwiched between two Stampeders defenders, Ray received on-field medical treatment before going on a backboard then a stretcher with his neck immobilized and leaving on a cart following roughly a 20-minute delay.
Ray was taken to a Toronto hospital afterwards, but a club official said it was purely for precautionary reasons.
“He’ll get an MRI and those type of things, but I’m encouraged by what the doctors had to say,” Toronto head coach Marc Trestman said.
“But I’m not a doctor so we’ll have to wait until the medical information is in, but I’m going to be optimistic at this point.”
Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson echoed those sentiments.
“I’ve been told it was a bit more precautionary and I’m glad our people do that,” Dickenson said. “I like Ricky, always have ... and didn’t like seeing that.
“It was a hard-fought game, things can happen but fingers crossed. I believe he’ll bounce back, we’ll see what happens.”
Ray, who was seen moving his fingers, finished 12-of-17 passing for 74 yards. He was replaced by James Franklin, who scored Toronto’s lone TD on a 10-yard run at 9:11 of the fourth.
“It’s always scary to see a guy you’ve played with for six years take a hit like that,” said veteran Argos tackle Chris Van Zeyl. “And then see him hurt, my heart was broken. It makes you question a lot of things.”
Mitchell improved his career regular-season record to 58-10-2 and is 27-3-2 versus East Division teams. Rookie running back Don Jackson also ran for 123 yards on nine carries while Eric Rogers registered five catches for 131 yards and two TDs.
Mitchell finished 20-of-22 passing for 324 yards before giving way to Nick Arbuckle in the fourth.
“He was on fire, made a lot of good reads and plays with his feet,” Dickenson said of his starter. “He’s also happy to get Mr. Rogers back in the neighbourhood and that was nice.