Dedrick Mills rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns in dominant debut performance
Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 284 yards in his first game as Calgary’s quarterback
Calgary starts 2024 season 1-0 while Hamilton falls to 0-1 in Bo Levi Mitchell’s quest for 100th win
Game Recap:
The Calgary Stampeders kicked off their 2025 campaign in impressive fashion on Saturday night, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 38-26 at McMahon Stadium. Running back Dedrick Mills was the star of the show, rushing for 94 yards and scoring three touchdowns as Calgary withstood a late Hamilton push. With the victory, the Stampeders begin the season 1-0 while Hamilton drops to 0-1.
Game Highlights Video:
Watch the full game highlights above to catch all the key plays from Calgary Stampeders vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Calgary Stampeders Performance:
The Stampeders’ offence showed impressive balance in their season opener with Vernon Adams Jr. making his Calgary debut at quarterback. While Adams had some early-game jitters with two interceptions, he still managed to throw for 284 yards while adding 33 yards on the ground, allowing the running game to shine through Mills’ three-touchdown performance.
Top Offensive Players:
Vernon Adams Jr.: QB – 19/28 for 284 passing yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs; 3 carries for 33 yards
Dedrick Mills: RB – 17 carries for 94 yards, 3 TDs; 3 receptions for 30 yards
Clark Barnes: WR – 4 receptions for 112 yards
Reggie Begelton: WR – 5 receptions for 58 yards
Tevin Jones: WR – 4 receptions for 48 yards
Top Defensive Players:
Marquel Lee: LB – 10 tackles
Derrick Moncrief: LB – 6 tackles
Adrian Greene: DB – 4 tackles
Damon Webb: DB – 4 tackles
Jacob Roberts: LB – 3 tackles
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Performance:
Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell was forced to air it out while playing from behind, finishing the night with 304 passing yards and a touchdown on 31-of-50 passing. Despite the productive passing night with Tim White and Kenny Lawler combining for 12 catches, the Tiger-Cats’ ground game was completely stifled, managing just 32 total rushing yards.
Top Offensive Players:
Bo Levi Mitchell: QB – 31/50 for 304 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
Tim White: WR – 6 receptions for 69 yards; 1 carry for 14 yards
Brendan O’Leary-Orange: WR – 5 receptions for 55 yards
Greg Bell: RB – 8 carries for 14 yards; 6 receptions for 32 yards
Top Defensive Players:
Jamal Peters: DB – 7 tackles
Branden Dozier: DB – 6 tackles
Stavros Katsantonis: DB – 5 tackles, 1 interception
Jonathan Moxey: DB – 4 tackles, 1 interception
Kyle Wilson: LB – 5 tackles
With this result, Calgary joins the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes as Week 1 winners in the CFL standings. The Roughriders defeated Ottawa 31-26, while the defending Grey Cup champion Alouettes took down Toronto 28-10 in the season opener. Winnipeg, Edmonton, and BC have yet to kick off their 2024 campaigns.
The game featured several momentum swings, with Calgary dominating early before Hamilton briefly made it close at 18-9 heading into halftime. However, a special teams blunder to start the third quarter led to another Calgary touchdown, effectively putting the game out of reach despite Isaiah Wooden’s electrifying 105-yard kickoff return touchdown for Hamilton in the fourth quarter.
Can the Stampeders build on this balanced offensive attack when they travel to face the Toronto Argonauts next week? Will Bo Levi Mitchell finally secure his 100th career victory when Hamilton hosts Saskatchewan in their home opener? What are your thoughts on this game? Share your comments below.
Mark PerryEditor
Mark Perry is the founder and editor of CFL News Hub. A dedicated and experienced football analyst, he has been providing comprehensive coverage of the sport since 2018.
