After a rough four interception night for Bo Levi Mitchell, the Calgary Stampeders suffered a 15-9 loss to the BC Lions.

It’s been ten years since Calgary started the season at 0-2 and they lost both of their games at home. CFL experts and fans would have never guessed it as all cfl.ca experts picked Calgary to win the game.

First Quarter

The Calgary defense got off to a fast start forcing the two and out on BC’s opening drive. Bo Levi Mitchell would start the game one of three as the team got two first downs on their opening drive before punting the ball away. Michael Reilly got into rhythm hitting four straight completions before BC kicker Takeru Yamasaki missed a 22-yard field goal. The Lions still earned the single point leading the game early 1-0.

Mitchell would gain 49 yards on the first two passes of the next possession as the Stampeders got to the BC 17 yard line. Michael O’Connor came in on third and inches and could gain a yard forcing the change of possession. Reilly and Byran Burnham’s 61-yard pass completion led to Yamasaki’s 20-yard field goal to give BC a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Second Quarter

The Stampeders took the first possession of the second quarter and got a quick 48-yard field goal by Rene Paredes to pull them within one point at 4-3. With the arm of Reilly and the running of James Butler led to a Reilly one-yard touchdown sneak. Butler’s two-point conversation run gave the Lions a 12-3 lead.

The rest of the quarter would be mostly back and forth with both teams not really being able to move the ball. Mitchell did throw a critical interception with under three minutes to go in the quarter. The half would end with BC leading Calgary 12-3.

Third Quarter

Calgary started the third quarter with a quick two and out on their first drive of the quarter. Reilly went 4-4 on BC’s first drive before Raheem Wilson made a big third-down stop deep in their territory to stop the Lions’ drive. Fortune came for Calgary as they forced a turnover in BC territory. It didn’t last long as two plays later, Mitchell threw his second interception of the game.

BC wasn’t able to take advantage of the turnover as the Stampeders forced a punt on the drive. Calgary’s next drive saw more of a focus on the run giving the ball to Ka’Deem Carey and Ante Milanovic-Litre. The quarter ended with Calgary only producing 223 yards of total offense.

Fourth Quarter

Paredes started the fourth quarter with a second 48-yard field goal to pull the Stampeders closer with a 12-6 lead for the Lions. BC was able to respond with a field goal of their own to give themselves a 15-6 lead. It appeared on the next possession that things were looking up for Mitchell until they got to BC’s 23-yard line. On second down, Mitchell tried to throw a touchdown in the back of the end zone but resulted in a third interception of the night.

After the Calgary defense continued their great second-half play, returner Malik Henry quietly had another good punt return to get the Stampeders to BC’s 31-yard line. Carey made a huge third-down catch on the third play of the drive to keep Calgary’s hopes alive. After the three-minute warning, Paredes once again showed his worth with a third field goal to make it a 15-9 deficit for Calgary.

It all fell on the Calgary defense to make a critical stop. Lucky Whitehead caught a pass off a sweep and Lemar Durant caught a short pass himself to gain two first downs off the bat for BC. Shawn Lemon’s big pressure on second down led to BC missing a long field goal. Henry made a mistake off the miss field goal by returning it out of the end zone and getting tackled at the one-yard line instead of sacrificing the point to be placed at the 35-yard line.

On the very next play, Mitchell throws a fourth interception of the game to seal the win for BC. It would be the first time Mitchell ever threw four interceptions in a game.

Key Observations from Game

Fans could see the inconsistency of the offense in the first half where Mitchell felt off with his play. The running game never really got opened up for Calgary as well. A positive was the play of the receivers where they appear to have won a lot of jump ball situations. The offensive line of Calgary allowed three sacks in the first half alone as they struggled to protect Mitchell.

The defense took a beating for the Stampeders especially in the secondary. Reilly threw for over 200 yards in the first half. Mike Rose and Derek Wiggan were able to add sacks of their own in the first half. Calgary’s defense picked up momentum in the second quarter and was able to slow down the passing game before the half.

During the second half, one thing that was noticed was how Calgary was more willing to run the ball despite being down in the game. Mitchell continuously struggled with missing receivers by overthrowing them. Many have to be left thinking whether the shoulder issues from training camp are still affecting his throws as the game went on.

Despite the defense playing much better in the second half of the game, the name of the game was turnovers. Mitchell’s four interceptions put Calgary in a hole that they couldn’t get out of. The loss and his poor performance now leaves many questions about the team moving forward. One question that will arise now is, “Can the Stampeders ride the ship and turn things around?”

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