After a slow start and almost blowing a 14-point lead, Calgary earns their first win of the season beating Montreal 28-22.

Friday night was a must win situation for Calgary as they tried to avoid their worst start to a season in about two decades. The Stampeders’ rookie quarterback Jake Maier got his first start of his which got off to a rocky start, but settled in and looked like the better quarterback between him and Vernon Adams Jr.

Thanks to a solid defensive performance, Montreal’s large number of penalties, and big pass plays by Maier, the Stampeders got their first win of their season.

First Quarter

It was just about as good of a start as Calgary could have had to begin the contest. After a good return from Malik Henry, Ka’Deem Carey ran for 35 yards on the first three plays of the Calgary drive. Two straight incompletions led to a Rene Paredes field goal giving the Stampeders a 3-0 lead. Calgary forced a quick two and out after that to give them the ball back.

Things started to turn ugly a bit for Calgary as Maier threw an underthrown interception on the first play of the drive. Montreal took advantage and scored on a touchdown on a Vernon Adams Jr. pass to Jake Wieneke. A disaster occurred again for Calgary as Carey dropped a screen pass from Maier that resulted in a second interception.

Second Quarter

Montreal once again took advantage of the turnover and saw William Stanback run it in from three yards out for the touchdown as the Alouettes took a 14-3 lead. After the teams swapped two and outs, Maier finally got comfortable in the game as he went 5-6 passing for 80 yards. Carey finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run as the Stampeders found themselves back in the game down 14-9.

Maier continued to look good throughout the second quarter as he was able to lead Calgary to another field goal before halftime. Paredes continued his perfect season on field goals hitting a 52-yard field goal to put the Stampeders within two at 14-12. That score would stand strong going into halftime giving Calgary momentum heading into the second half.

Third Quarter

The Calgary defense came up big with a two and out to get their offense on the field. An offsides penalty on Montreal on third down gave the Stampeders a first down on their opening quarter drive. That drive stalled out shortly afterward to force a punt.

After a quiet back and forth affair throughout the quarter, Calgary was finally able to get a good drive going late in the third quarter. Maier led his team down the field as he threw his first career touchdown to Kamar Jorden from four yards out as the Stampeders regained the lead at 19-14. Calgary’s defense stole the show in the quarter forcing three two and outs. Montreal decided to kneel down in the end zone for a safety as Calgary increased their lead to seven.

Fourth Quarter

As the Calgary defense makes another stop, Maier hit Josh Huff on a huge 83-yard pass before being pushed out of bounds at the one-yard line. The pass led to Carey rushing in for his second touchdown of the game. Montreal was able to rebound and drive until they were forced to attempt a field goal. A mishandled hold on the snap resulted in a missed field goal, but Montreal was able to get one point.

Calgary ended up making a mistake of their own the next play where the snap hit a receiver in motion resulting in a Montreal fumble recovery. For the third time in the game, the Alouettes scored a touchdown after a turnover. Adams hit Quan Bray in the end zone for a ten-yard passing touchdown as Montreal found themselves down by 6 at 28-22.

Montreal was able to force a quick two and out for Calgary as the Alouettes had less than two minutes to score a touchdown to tie or win the game. Montreal drove right down the field, but a Adams pass to Eugene Lewis found the ball just outside the end zone resulting in a Stampeders win.

Final Breakdown

Montreal hurt themselves in the contest recording 18 penalties in the game. The good part of their game was that they created three turnovers resulting in three touchdowns. Offensively, the Alouettes were too inconsistent in the game with Adams only being able to bounce back late in the fourth quarter when they were too far behind.

Maier got off to a slow start in the game throwing two interceptions, but looked like a seasoned pro after that. He finished the game 16 of 29 passing for 304 yards and a touchdown. Carey played a key role in the game which many people expected rushing for 62 yards and two scores.

Calgary’s defense almost let Montreal steal the game at the end, but should be given credit for their performance. All game long, the secondary did a good job in coverage and the defensive line was able to contain Adams for the most part. It was similar to their performance last week being able to shut down the offense for a good portion of the second half.

This is a win that Calgary should be proud of. Their season got off to a bad start due in part to Bo Levi Mitchell being hurt. It was the rookie quarterback Maier who was able to mount a nice comeback and get the Stampeders a much needed win. This win should not only give Maier the confidence he needs heading into his next start, but give the team a much needed boast as they hit the road for the first time this season.

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