Roughriders lose first game of the season, falling 42-27 to Stampeders

CALGARY – The Calgary Stampeders handed the Saskatchewan Roughriders their first loss of the season with a 42-27 victory Friday at McMahon Stadium.

The Stampeders pulled even with Roughriders at 5-1 atop both the West Division and CFL standings.

Calgary and Saskatchewan are 1-1 against each other and will decide the season series Oct. 26 in Calgary.

Running back Jon Cornish had a torrid night for the Stampeders, rushing for four touchdowns and 174 yards, plus another 20 receiving yards.

Kicker Rene Paredes extended his CFL record for consecutive field goals to 36 with kicks from 30 and 27 yards.

Kevin Glenn was Calgary’s starter instead of an injured Drew Tate, with backup Bo Levi Mitchell spelling Glenn on short-yardage situations.

Glenn’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Nik Lewis and Cornish’s fourth TD of the game in the fourth quarter helped preserve the win after the ‘Riders mounted a third-quarter comeback. Glenn completed 21-of-28 pass attempts for 218 yards.

Saskatchewan running back Kory Sheets was held to eight yards in the first half before the CFL’s leading rusher strung together his trademark rumbles in the second to finish with 133 yards.

Roughrider quarterback Darian Durant returned to the lineup after sitting out a game with an ankle injury. The veteran threw a pair of touchdown passes to Chris Getzlaf and another to Jock Sanders in front of an announced sellout of 35,637. Durant was 20 for 32 and 279 yards in the game.

Saskatchewan scored 13 unanswered points in the third quarter. Durant’s 23-yard throw to Sanders at 9:49 of the fourth quarter pulled the visitors within a touchdown.

Getzlaf’s second touchdown catch of the game — a three-yard toss from Durant in the third quarter — and two Chris Milo field goals in the third quarter pulled the visitors to within six points after falling behind 26-7 after the first half.

The Stampeder defence that was effective against Sheets in the first half assisted again when Saskatchewan threatened.

Keon Raymond knocked down a Durant toss intended for Weston Dressler in the end zone. Demonte Bolden sacked Durant in the end zone for a single point in the fourth quarter.

Cornish made the most of a gap created by his offensive linemen and raced 32 yards to score at 12:54 of the second quarter. Paredes gave the hosts a 19-point cushion before halftime with his second field goal of the game.

The Stampeders had reason to be wary, however. Calgary led 21-14 at the half in Regina on July 5, but didn’t score again in the second half en route to a 36-21 loss.

The Stamps led 13-0 after the first quarter on two Cornish scoring runs. Paredes padded the lead to 16-0 before the Roughriders countered in the second quarter.

Durant marched the visitors 75 yards and finished the drive with a 20-yard pass to Getzlaf at 5:04.

Cornish’s second TD of the opening quarter was a two-yard dash off a Mitchell handoff at 8:55. The subsequent convert attempt by Paredes was blocked by Saskatchewan’s Macho Harris.

Calgary turned Saskatchewan’s first offensive fumble of the season into a major. On Saskatchewan’s opening drive, the football squirted out of bounds when Brandon Smith brought Sheets down near the sideline.

Calgary coach John Hufnagel’s challenge overturned the initial ruling that Sheets was the last to touch the ball. Cornish’s 14-yard run on the next play and a convert from Paredes put Calgary up 7-0 at 2:42.

The Stampeders are on the road against the B.C. Lions (4-2) next week, while the Roughriders host the struggling Montreal Alouettes (2-4).