Special teams lead Stamps’ blowout over Redblacks
Whenever Bo Levi Mitchell walks off the field after failing to score points, he can’t wait to get right back out there.
So imagine his joy against the Ottawa Redblacks. Three times Saturday night, the Calgary Stampeders offence came off the field only to turn around and run right back into the huddle.
During a 48- 3 trouncing of the Redblacks at McMahon Stadium — the team’s fifth- straight home win this season — the Stamps benefited from three punt- return fumble recoveries.
All three times, Mitchell and Stamps’ offence used the turnover for a quick touchdown strike.
“It’s so good because you don’t let the disappointment set in,” Mitchell said. “When you put a drive together and then get stopped, you think, ‘ Shoot, we should have put up points right there.’ We gave momentum back to them and then, all of a sudden, get the ball back.
“Putting the ball in the end zone from those things is a dagger for the other team.”
Saturday’s victory, which improves the Stamps to 5- 2, was a complete effort in all three phases, but life was made easy on the offence.
Thanks to outstanding special teams — three turnovers plus blanket coverage and great directional punting from Rob Maver — and the defence that recorded a seasonhigh five sacks, the average starting position was on the Redblacks’ side of half.
The Stamps defence allowed only three points, chased former Stampeders QB Henry Burris by halftime and held the Redblacks’ running backs to 21 yards on 10 carries.
“I thought our defence played their best game for the full 60 minutes,” said GM- head coach John Hufnagel. “That’s what I liked. We came out and played good football for the entire game. That was the challenge to the team, in all three phases. For the most part, we accomplished that.”
The only negatives about the win — Calgary’s biggest since a 52- 5 trouncing of the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2010 Labour Day Classic — are some injury concerns. Centre Pierre Lavertu left with a knee injury in the third quarter, and he will have it checked out with an MRI.
The Stamps are at the limit of their depth on the offensive line and would need a ratio change to replace Lavertu with a true centre. Left guard Brad Erdos took over when Lavertu left the game, but the only other true centre healthy enough to play is international John Estes, who didn’t dress Saturday.
When Lavertu was in action, the Stamps’ offence was clicking, putting up five touchdowns — Mitchell threw for two and rushed for two others, while Matt Walter punched one in as well — before Drew Tate came on in relief.
Right from the opening kickoff, the Stamps’ defence was in Burris’ face. The heat up front, which stifled the rushing attack as well, helped disrupt Ottawa’s passing attack.
“It’s the key ingredient,” said linebacker Juwan Simpson, who had one of the five sacks. “To get our secondary and linebackers playing fast, it starts up front. That’s how a lot of games are won and lost, so they knew it was critical. Everybody had the right mindset. It’s a domino effect. They started playing well, so everybody else followed.”
Maver had a great night kicking the ball. Three of his punts ended up back in the hands of his cover players, but he also put two out at the one- yard line in the third quarter, leading to a safety and a field goal.
“Any time you get a kick inside the five, it’s 10 per cent skill and 90 per cent luck,” Maver said. “Basically, you are shooting for an area. I knew I could be greedy from the score in the game. I was aiming right for the pilon. Those two in the third quarter, you couldn’t ask for better bounces. That was a lot of luck on my side in that quarter.
“Whenever I step on the field, It’s my job to give ( Rich) Stubler and his defence as much room to eat as possible. It’s not just the punt team. It’s the offence putting us in position, the punt team putting it down there and the defence holding them. All three sides were working to get that safety. All three sides of the ball were kicking butt last night.”