CALGARY – The Ottawa Redblacks picked up their first road win of the season and a second straight overtime win with a 43-41 victory Sunday over the host Calgary Stampeders.
The Redblacks’ Ante Milanovic-Litre scored several quick goals, including one in overtime for Ottawa (3-3).
Nate Behar caught a touchdown pass plus the two-point field goal in overtime to seal the victory for the visitors.
.acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container width: 340px; margin: 0 auto;
Justin Hardy caught a punt and Brandin Dandridge ran an interception for a major.
After sparking Ottawa to an electric win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with a late touchdown and another in overtime, Redblacks rookie quarterback Dustin Crum completed 23 of 29 passes for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
.acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container width: 340px; margin: 0 auto;
The 24-year-old Kent State product also rushed for 57 yards.
The 24-year-old has passed for 667 yards and rushed for 251 in just over 2 1/2 games since Jeremiah Masoli tore his Achilles tendon in the second quarter of their July 10 game against Hamilton.
Ottawa’s Lewis Ward hit field goals from 33 yards and 36 yards and added a pair of conversion points.
Marken Michel caught a pair of touchdown passes, Clark Barnes scored his first career CFL touchdown, backup quarterback Tommy Stevens contributed a rushing touchdown and Tre Odoms-Dukes caught a touchdown pass in overtime for the Stampeders (2-4).
Kicker Rene Paredes was good from 26 yards, 32 yards and 47 yards, and made one of two conversions in front of an announced crowd of 21,226 at McMahon Stadium, where the Stamps remain winless in three games.
Ottawa leads the CFL in run defense, so the hosts showed up on Sunday.
Quarterback Jake Maier threw for a season-high 450 yards, including four touchdown passes and two interceptions. Maier was 0-for-3 on two-point conversion attempts.
Maier connected with Odoms-Dukes on a seven-yarder on the first series of overtime, but the two-point conversion attempt fell short.
Ottawa countered with Milanovic-Litre’s second of the game on a three-yard run.
Crum’s two-pointer to Behar sealed the win for Ottawa’s first back-to-back wins of the season.
The temperature at the start was 30 Celsius under slightly overcast skies in McMahon.
Trailing by one point at halftime, Calgary led 25-20 on the first possession of the second half, but was unsuccessful on a two-point conversion attempt.
The visitors regained the lead before the end of the third quarter to take a 28-25 lead into the fourth when Cody Grace’s layup for Calgary with 11 minutes to play cut the deficit to two points.
From deep in their own zone after an Ottawa punt, Maier connected with Michel for a 95-yard touchdown and a 32-28 lead with eight minutes to play.
Maier’s two-point pass attempt to Barnes failed.
Ottawa turned the ball over on downs, but Maier was then stopped for the second time of the game when a pass attempt to Barnes went into the arms of Alonzo Addae.
Crum again got the chains moving on a 12-play, 87-yard drive with a 23-yarder to Behar. Ottawa led by a field goal on Ward’s conversion with 1:20 to play.
The Stampeders offense got the football into field goal range for Paredes to force OT with his 47-yard boot.
A 26-yard Tommylee Lewis punt return and a horse collar kick by Abdul Kanneh put the Stampeders on Ottawa’s doorstep for Stevens to finish with a one-yard plunge on Calgary’s first drive of the second half.
After Levante Bellamy blocked a Richie Leone punt, Jordan Herdmann-Reed pounced on the loose ball to give the hosts the ball at the Ottawa 48-yard line.
But Calgary’s fake field goal and a Stevens run that came up short turned the ball over on downs.
Crum then marched the Ottawa offense downfield and capped a 72-yard drive with a 24-yard toss to Hardy.
The Reds’ pivot then held on and ran for a two-point conversion.
Ottawa recovered a pair of Calgary turnovers in the first half to lead 17-6 early in the second quarter.
The Stampeders responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Michel throwing over his shoulder on a 33-yard field goal from Maier.
Lewis’ 33-yard punt return and Ottawa’s unnecessary roughing penalty put the ball at the Redblack’s 36-yard line with a minute to play in the second quarter.
The Stampeders settled for a 32-yard Paredes field goal to trail 20-19 at the half.
Crum was sacked on three straight plays in the second quarter when Lewis and Paredes traded field goals of 36 and 26 yards, respectively.
Maier’s fumble to hand off the ball to Dedrick Mills was recovered by Redblacks defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin to start the second quarter.
Mauldin, the 2022 CFL Defensive Player of the Year, was a game-time decision from Ottawa to attend Sunday.
Crum ran the ball 28 yards to Calgary’s doorstep, followed by former Stampeder Milanovic-Litre’s three-yard carry into the end zone.
Dandridge picked off a Maier pass intended for Reggie Begelton for a pick six in the final minute of the first quarter.
Ward’s conversion saw the visitors lead 10-6.
On Calgary’s second drive of the game, Maier dropped the ball downfield to Barnes, who sprinted past Ottawa’s Deandre Lamont for a 54-yard catch and raced into the end zone.
The Stampeders led 6-3 after Paredes missed the conversion.
Ottawa produced points on its first possession with Ward’s 33-yard field goal.
NEXT
The Redblacks are at home to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-4) on Friday.
The Stampeders travel to Montreal to face the Alouettes (2-3) on Sunday.
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper display: grid; grid-template-columns : repeat ( 2 , 1fr ); gap: 20px;
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper a pointer-events: none; cursor: default; text-decoration: none; color: black;
Source link
