Stampeders 39, Eskimos 18: Calgary takes Battle of Alberta

Rudi Schuller

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Stampeders 39, Eskimos 18: Calgary takes Battle of Alberta image

The Battle of Alberta ended up not being much of a contest, as the Calgary Stampeders cruised to a 39-18 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on Monday.

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The added incentive of it being a Labour Day Classic match, plus a clash between No. 1 and No 2 in the league, didn't seem to make much of a difference to the hosts, as they easily won the first three quarters and survived an Edmonton run in the fourth to hand the Eskimos their third loss of the season. In the process, the Stampeders improved to 8-1-1 and extended their lead atop the West Division.

By the time Roy Finch scored a touchdown on a 90-yard punt return with 6:32 left on the clock in the second quarter, the game was already decided.

Stamps grab early lead

The Stampeders got the jump on their rivals with a field goal in their opening drive, then took advantage of an Edmonton fumble to get the game's first touchdown.

Messam's four-yard rumble into the end zone was followed up by a successful two-point conversion, rewarding Calgary's attack-minded play with an 11-0 lead just 8:20 into the opening quarter.

Ground game wins it

There was little to differentiate quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell and Mike Reilly on Monday, with Mitchell passng for 277 yards while Reilly finished with 320 passing yards.

It was how frequently and successfully the ball was run into the end zone that made the difference, as the Stamps got three rushing TDs to Edmonton's zero.

Messam and Anthony Parker each had a first-half touchdown to their names, and Calgary's total rushing yardage of 95 slightly exceeded Edmonton's 82.

Rudi Schuller