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The Calgary Stampeders extended their winning streak to three games on Friday night, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 37-31 in Regina. Two successful coaching challenges by head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson proved decisive, helping Calgary maintain momentum at critical moments and secure a vital road victory.
Dickenson’s Challenges Swing the Game
The first challenge came late in the third quarter with Calgary leading 20-13. Riders quarterback Trevor Harris connected with KeeSean Johnson on a 15-yard pass, but Dickenson challenged for an illegal block downfield. Officials upheld the challenge, penalizing Saskatchewan for blocking before the pass. The Riders punted three plays later.
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Dickenson’s second challenge proved even more impactful. Early in the fourth quarter, Harris threw a deep pass that Ashton Miller-Melancon intercepted. However, officials flagged Calgary’s Zy Alexander for pass interference. Dickenson challenged the call, and officials overturned it. The interception stood, giving Calgary possession at the Saskatchewan 21-yard line. Five plays later, Jalen Philpot caught a four-yard touchdown pass, pushing the lead to 34-13.
“Those were two pivotal plays that kept our momentum and really kept the ball in our hands,” said Dickenson. “I got help from Marcus Howell upstairs, and I was pretty confident. I saw the blocking downfield one with my own eyes.”
Adams Delivers Another Strong Performance
Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 22 of 29 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns. It marked the seventh time this season he threw three or more touchdown passes without an interception. Dickenson praised Adams for continuing to grow throughout the season.
“He had another solid game,” said Dickenson. “He’s doing the little things better and better, but also doing the same things he was doing early — being explosive while still taking care of the football.”
Dickenson also highlighted Calgary’s offensive depth. “I think we’ve got five to six guys, and that makes it hard on defences right now because they really can’t key on anybody,” he said. “Vernon stirs the drink, no doubt about it.”
Erik Barnes, Damien Alford and Tevin Jones also scored touchdowns for the Stampeders. Kicker Rene Paredes added two field goals.
Riders Surge Late but Fall Short
Saskatchewan made things interesting in the final minutes. The Riders scored three touchdowns in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter. Daniel Wiebe caught a 13-yard scoring pass from Harris with 2:42 remaining. Dhel Duncan-Busby added a five-yard touchdown reception with 1:04 left. Finally, Johnny Johnson hauled in an eight-yard touchdown on the game’s final play. However, the Riders failed two-point convert attempts after all three scores.
Harris finished with 36 completions from 50 attempts for 453 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Kian Schaffer-Baker caught a touchdown in the first quarter for Saskatchewan. Rookie kicker Dawson Hodge converted two of four field goal attempts.
Dickenson acknowledged the late collapse but refused to let it overshadow the result. “I didn’t like how we finished,” he said. “Obviously, that does taint it a bit for me, but I’m going to let the guys celebrate because that’s a huge win on the road against a great team.”
Playoff Picture Shifts After Regina Result
With the victory, Calgary improved to 8-8 and extended its winning streak to three games. Saskatchewan dropped to 8-7 after losing three straight. The Riders needed a win to clinch a playoff berth. Instead, Calgary won the season series and now holds the tiebreaker over Saskatchewan.
Meanwhile, the Riders’ defence has struggled in recent weeks. Defensive back DeMarcus Fields admitted the unit needs to rediscover its form. “We’ve just got to get it together,” said Fields. “We haven’t been playing to our standard and we need to get back to where we need to be.”
Fields added that the defence must deliver when it matters most. “Especially when it comes down to the wire, we need to make the play,” he said. “That’s what we were doing before, and we were winning. We need to get back to that.”
