THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY – In the battle between the CFL’s best offence and best defence, the Calgary Stampeders showed just how much firepower they possess.
Romby Bryant led the way with three touchdown catches Friday as the Stampeders thumped the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 55-24.
Hamilton came to Calgary having given up just 17 points and one touchdown over three straight wins, but the Ticats had no answer for Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris and his receivers.
“One of our big things was just got rid of the ball quickly tonight just so they couldn’t tee off on us,” Burris said. “Our guys, once we got the ball in their hands, the receivers made plays.
“We did whatever we could to take them out of their comfort zone and the mixture I think kept them off balance.”
Bryant totalled 131 receiving yards while Ken-Yon Rambo added 120 yards of his own to join teammate Nik Lewis with over 1,000 this season. The last time the Stampeders had three receivers with over 1,000 yards in one season was a decade ago with Allen Pitts, Marc Boerigter and Travis Moore.
Toronto’s 37-30 loss to the Montreal Alouettes earlier Friday eliminated any playoff implications for the game at McMahon Stadium. Hamilton (9-8) clinched second in the East Division via the Argo loss and will host Toronto in the semifinal Nov. 14. The winner travels to Montreal the following week.
The game marked Calgary’s last home contest of the regular season before hosting the West Division final Nov. 21. The Stampeders (12-5) finish up on the road next Friday in Winnipeg.
Bryant is a shy player, who was uncomfortable even talking about the prospect of reaching 1,000 yards earlier this week. He was unavailable for comment in the dressing room after the game.
“Romby is a spectacular player and when you have the type of weapons we have, one or two guys are going to have that big night,” Burris said. “He showed up and definitely made some big plays for us and we got into some great matchup situations.
“He rose to the occasion, going from zero touchdowns last season to 14 this year. Huge accomplishment for him.”
Cornerback Dwight Anderson ran an interception back 86 yards for a Calgary TD, while Joffrey Reynolds and backup quarterback Drew Tate rushed for touchdowns.
Canadian running back Jesse Lumsden got his first carries of the season late in the fourth quarter and scored on a 13-yard run with just over a minute left.
Lumsden injured his shoulder in his debut for the Eskimos in the 2009 season-opener and Edmonton released him to start this season. Lumsden joined Calgary’s practice roster in September and saw his first reps last week on special teams. He had 40 yards on four carries Friday.
“It felt clean, sound, no apprehension, no nervous energy,” Lumsden said. “As soon as I got the nod, I was ready to rock and roll.”
Rob Maver made 2-of-3 field-goal attempts in a game played in front of an announced crowd of 27,644.
Marcus Thigpen scored a pair of touchdowns for Hamilton late in the game, including a 112-yard return of Maver’s 44-yard missed field goal in the third quarter.
Dave Stala caught a touchdown pass and former Stampeder Sandro DeAngelis made his one field-goal attempt.
“Champions are made champions due to setbacks and this is a setback for us,” Ticats defensive end Stevie Baggs said. “We’ll come back. We’ll regroup. We have no choice.”
The Stampeders nailed down first in the West last week not with a victory, but by way of a Saskatchewan loss to Edmonton.
Calgary was concerned after last week’s loss to the Lions — their second at home to B.C. this season — that the club was losing steam going into the post-season. Friday’s game helped restore some of their confidence.
“You don’t want to go into the playoffs on a down,” Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel said. “It was a big game for us and we treated it that way.”
Calgary finished with 385 passing yards. Burris completed 19-of-24 pass attempts for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Tate was inserted late in the third quarter with Calgary up by 31 points and was 8-for-10 for 93 yards.
Kevin Glenn was 12-for-23 for 88 yards and one touchdown pass. Backups Adam Trafalis was 5-for-9 and 38 yards, while Quinton Porter made 1-of-2 passes for seven yards.
Calgary had the game well in hand when Hamilton’s Thigpen scored his second TD of the half on a 30-yard run at 8:33 of the fourth quarter. Reynolds scored his 50th career touchdown on a one-yard plunge at 5:40.
Bryant, acquired in a trade from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers midway through last season, blew past the 1,000-yard mark with a pair of touchdowns to end the first half and another to start the second.
Hamilton defensive back Bo Smith appeared to injure his knee trying to keep pace with Bryant, who sprinted down the sideline before cutting to the middle for a 43-yard passing play at 5:11 of the third.
Bryant hauled in a six-yard TD pass with 11 seconds left in the first half. He shook off Hamilton defensive back Ryan Hinds for a 67-yard pass from Burris at 13:09. Calgary led 34-10 after two quarters.
DeAngelis kicked his first field goal at McMahon since signing with Hamilton in the off-season at 12:52. He was good from 40 yards despite a chorus of boos from the stands.
Tate plunged one yard for a touchdown on a third-and-goal at 3:39. He’s scored five touchdowns when inserted in short-yard situations for Calgary.
The first quarter ended with Glenn’s seven-yard pass to Stala for Hamilton’s first touchdown of the game. Glenn’s 30th touchdown throw this season is a Ticats’ single-season record. Stala celebrated with a double somersault down the slope at the north end of McMahon.
That drive started with Markeith Knowlton’s block and subsequent recovery of the ball on Burke Dales punt, which allowed Hamilton to set up from the 29-yard line.
After Maver’s 30-yard field goal at 4:34 , Anderson intercepted Glenn and ran the ball 86 yards back for the major at 8:38.
Calgary leads the league with seven defensive touchdowns and is tied for fourth with Edmonton for majors scored off an interception.
Notes: Calgary became the first team in CFL history to have three receivers over 1,000 yards and three players (Reynolds, Jon Cornish and Burris) with over 500 rushing yards in a season. … Hamilton dropped to 4-5 on the road, while Calgary improved to 7-2 at home. … Hamilton’s Arland Bruce, who leads the CFL in receptions, didn’t play Friday with what the team called a lower-body injury.
