CALGARY — Bo Levi Mitchell wouldn’t take no for an answer.
The Calgary Stampeders quarterback was sidelined during the third quarter of Monday’s Labour Day Classic after a non-contact injury to his left knee. But minutes later, after missing just one series, there was Mitchell, commanding the huddle, sporting a brace on his knee.
In a game where two of the CFL’s top three receivers in Kamar Jorden and Derel Walker left with injuries, Mitchell led the Stampeders on a last-minute scoring drive, setting up Rene Paredes‘ 43-yard field goal on the way to a 23-20 win in the Labour Day Classic.
“I told my guys before the game, we’ve got to give them everything we have,” Mitchell told reporters following the game. “As soon as the doctor said nothing was wrong, there was no way they were keeping me out of that game.”
“We lost a few horses out there and it’s just part of the battle,” said Head Coach Dave Dickenson. “Our team rallies. I don’t think we played overly well, but we kept fighting. There was some wind out of our sails offensively, there were a lot of mistakes out there and yet our guys never lost belief.
“I think we ultimately just made one more play, it was a super close game, I’m sure everybody will be looking forward to the rematch.”
RELATED
» Stamps’ Jorden sidelined by second quarter injury
» Through the Lens: Images from the Labour Day Classic
» Stamps win walk off Labour Day Classic
For the hometown Stampeders, it took every last ounce to scrape by their provincial rivals on a cool but sunny Monday afternoon.
Rene Paredes connected on five of six field goal attempts, while Mitchell threw for 255 yards and a touchdown in front of 32,013 at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium.
Paredes coming through in the clutch was not unfamiliar to Dickenson and company. With the game tied, the Stamps moved into Edmonton territory and tried to set him up near the left hash. Don Jackson‘s second-down run lost two yards, but effectively put Paredes in more favourable position to kick.
“He likes the ball on the left upright, if not off the left upright, so I wanted to get a run play over to that side,” said Dickenson. “He likes that angle better, the wind was perfectly there. I didn’t want to lose two yards to make it a longer kick, but I know what Rene likes, and that’s where we would put it. I have a lot of faith in that guy. He’s been money for years, and another big kick.”
“Rene can make it from anywhere,” added Mitchell. “He’s made so many big ones for us in the past. So much trust we have in him. Before that drive, I walked over and he said ‘just get me there’, and I said ‘I’ll get you there, you put it in’. I’m happy to have him, love that guy. Always will. He’s always our guy.”
After five straight games below the century mark on the ground, the Stamps got a breakthrough performance from Jackson, who rushed for 115 yards on 17 carries. DaVaris Daniels tied for a game-high 116 yards on seven receptions, including his team’s only touchdown in the first half.
D’haquille Williams, with Derel Walker sidelined, had 116 yards and a major to lead the Eskimos, with a 45-yard score in double doverage just before half.
With Jorden sidelined, Richard Sindani saw some extra time on the field, finishing with two catches for 43 yards, including a key late first down on the game-winning drive. Juwan Brescacin also chipping in with three catches for 41 yards.
Dickenson wouldn’t rule out Jorden for next week’s game, but said he believes in the rest of the group to step up.
“Reggie Beggelton’s been on our roster all year and I expect him to be an option,” he said. “We have to believe in ourselves. I thought Lemar Durant was open quite a bit, we just didn’t find him.”
“We preached it from the very beginning that we have a very dangerous receiving core, and it wasn’t just the top five guys,” added Mitchell. “We’ve got some guys below that are ready to go, and they’re just waiting in the wings trying to get their chance.
“Nobody wants it to happen this way, I obviously feel for KJ and hopefully we get him back at some point. His health is the most important thing.”
For the wounded Stampeders, the trip to Edmonton will provide a litmus test. The Stampeders, 9-1 and leading the highly-competitive CFL West Division, take on the Eskimos, 6-5, again on Saturday, Sept. 8 in the rematch at Commonwealth Stadium.
Winning, of course, aids in the recovery process. And the Stamps will embrace the challenge of trying to take a home-and-home, never an easy task in the three-down game.
“Definitely makes you feel better about the recovery,” said Mitchell. “The bruises, the bumps, they feel a little bit better when you get the win, and they feel a lot worse when you lose.
“We love playing the best teams, Edmonton’s always up there,” he added. “Mike [Reilly] is always up there. We love these battles. This is why you play football. You don’t play football for blowouts. You play football for grinding things out, playing through things, having to put your fingers in the dirt, wipe some blood off your face and go out there and get a win. That’s when it feels good when you’re playing football, that’s why we do it.”
