The Calgary Stampeders didn't need their best offensive performance to win in Ontario — they needed their defense to take over. And that's exactly what happened, with two return touchdowns and a stand that held the opposition to just 20 points, the lowest total Calgary has allowed all season.
Head coach Dave Dickenson didn't hide from the fact his offense sputtered for stretches, but he wasn't about to complain about the result. "I think our defense won us a game, which is great," Dickenson said. "I don't think we played that well, but I think we played with a lot of heart and intensity and passion. You know, sometimes that's enough."
A Third-Quarter Wobble, But No Panic
Calgary jumped out early but hit a lull in the third quarter that let the opposition creep back into it. Dejon Brissett said the offense went cold with a string of two-and-outs, but the group never lost its composure on the sideline.
"We just kept saying on the sideline, the next drive we got to put up 7 and eventually we did. And that's kind of our identity," Brissett said.
Dickenson pointed to that response as the difference-maker. "They made their plays, kind of made a run at us in the third quarter, got a little interesting. I didn't see any or hear anyone panicking on the sideline, but we did have to respond and got basically a couple plays in there and were able to score late, and then we got the pick 6," he said.
Asked whether that even keel is a sign of this team growing up, both Dickenson and Brissett agreed it is. "Staff and players understand that we think we got a good group and that we have answers to whatever's thrown at us," Dickenson said. "I'm a big body language guy. I just don't like to see guys, you know, drop their head or act like blame another guy on the team. And I really felt there was no panic and we know we can stop them."
Brissett backed that up from the players' side. "Even though we were having a little bit of a low with a bunch of 2 and outs, we just kept saying on the sideline, the next drive we got to put up 7," he said, adding that starting fast off the opening kickoff "takes off a layer of that pressure" — even if it eventually crept back in during the lull.
Defense Doing the Heavy Lifting
The story of the night belonged to the Calgary defense. Safety Damon Webb credited a simple formula for holding the opposition to a season-low 20 points. "We just stuck to our keys, stuck to the game plan, and all three phases came out to play," Webb said. "I feel like we're picking up momentum. We know that we got a great defense, that we got the guys to make the run, so we just all had to come together, work on our communication, be gap sound, and in the back end, when the ball's in the air, go get it."
Defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade was even more direct about what fueled the performance. "We did our job and we capitalized on inexperienced quarterback play," Orimolade said. "We're getting better at the end of the day. It would be terrible for us to peak early in the season and suck at the end. So I think we're building momentum each week and that's the recipe."
Orimolade broke down how the front seven adjusted when the opposition made an in-game quarterback change, without giving away the full playbook. "The two quarterbacks posed different problems," he said. "With Trey, we had to be really smart about how we rush, get a lot of spy help and things like that. We weren't doing a great job stopping the run, but then as it settled in, we put them behind the sticks and they had to go through second and long. I think that's what led to them making the quarterback change. Then we got a guy that was more of a pure pocket passer and we were able to cut it loose."
He credited the coaching staff for having the answers ready before the switch even happened. "Coach Boak is a great coach, does a good job telling us literally what to do each time. And Coach Lowe came into the week with two different game plans for Trey. And then if they made the change for Frost, so yeah, we were prepared," Orimolade said.
Two Pick-Sixes Change Everything
Dickenson made clear the return touchdowns off Calgary's defense were the swing factor in a game where his offense couldn't find its rhythm. "We've been stressing getting the ball," he said. "As a defensive unit, they take a lot of pride in improving and trying to each game be better. And I think we're building that. We're getting a little stouter against the run. We're starting to harass quarterbacks. We are creating turnovers and tackling the ball. One touchdown's nice, but two is huge — really did, because the offense did have an off game. We didn't win the line of scrimmage a couple games in a row now, and that needs to be addressed."
Brissett's Touchdown and VA's Grit
Brissett's own touchdown came off a well-read blitz look with his quarterback on the same page. "It was a blitz, you know, me and VA were kind of on the same page. I looked back, which kind of made the safety bite on it. Over his head, big touchdown," Brissett said.
Dickenson was asked to sum up his quarterback's performance in a game that wasn't always pretty. "Gritty," Dickenson said. "I thought he played with heart. We're gonna check out the reads."
Turning the Page to Toronto
This is a back-to-back road trip through Ontario for Calgary, and everyone in the locker room made clear the job isn't finished. "From the beginning it was to come out of Ontario 2-0," Brissett said. "We just took the first step. Now we gotta go take the second one."
Webb echoed the same business-like tone. "Now we can go back, review the film, and just chill and get ready for Toronto," he said.
Orimolade pointed out the short week actually works in Calgary's favor since they aren't flying home before turning around. "Having an earlier game and being able to stay here actually really helps us because we're not going to get in at 5 AM from this trip," he said. "At least we played this team already. So we know the type of players they have, the type of game plan. Of course there's gonna be some adjustments, but we won't have to put in like a full new install. So it should be easier."
Whether Calgary can finish this trip the way they started depends on the offense finding its footing in the trenches — something Dickenson flagged as the priority heading into Toronto. But if the defense keeps playing the way it did in Ontario's first stop, the Stampeders will like their chances of going 2-0.
Watch the Full Videos
Calgary Stampeders: Dejon Brissett | Post-Game | 01.08.26
Calgary Stampeders: Damon Webb | Post-Game | 01.08.26
Calgary Stampeders: Folarin Orimolade | Post-Game | 01.08.26
Calgary Stampeders: Dave Dickenson | Post-Game | 01.08.26