Cornish closes in on his own record as Stampeders beat Blue Bombers 38-11

CALGARY – Jon Cornish ran for pair of touchdowns for the Calgary Stampeders and took over the CFL’s lead in rushing yards in a 38-11 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.

With a career-high 208 rushing yards in the game, Cornish moved past Saskatchewan’s Kory Sheets to 1,415 on the season.

The 28-year-old halfback from New Westminster, B.C., is on the verge of breaking his own single-season rushing record by a Canadian running back.

His 1,457 yards in 2012 bettered Norm Kwong’s 56-year-old mark. Cornish set the record in the final game of the regular season. The Stampeders have four remaining in this regular season.

Maurice Price and Marquay McDaniel each had touchdown catches for the Stampeders, who top the league and the West Division at 11-3. Kicker Rene Paredes contributed three fields goals for Calgary.

Will Ford scored on a 100-yard kickoff return for Winnipeg. Kicker Sandro DeAngelis, a former Stampeder, made one of two field-goal attempts in front of an announced crowd of 26,293 at McMahon Stadium.

Calgary’s Rob Maver and Winnipeg’s Mike Renaud traded punt singles in the second quarter.

Stampeders quarterback Kevin Glenn improved to 7-2 in starts this season with 320 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Glenn was relieved by Drew Tate with 11 minutes remaining in the game. Tate threw his first passes in a game since July 7 when he injured his throwing arm. He competed three of four passes for 41 yards.

Winnipeg quarterback Max Hall completed 14 of 33 pass attempts for 139 yards. He was intercepted once.

The Stampeders finished 7-1 against East Division opponents this regular season. Calgary’s remaining games are in the West Division and will determine their playoff position.

Along with Calgary, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions, both 9-5, have already secured playoff berths. The Stampeders host the Lions on Friday followed by games against the Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan and the Lions again in the finale.

Winnipeg dropped to 2-12. Montreal’s 47-24 victory over Edmonton earlier Saturday further dimmed the Blue Bombers playoff chances. An Alouettes win over Winnipeg next week would eliminate the Blue Bombers from contention.

Winnipeg moves to the West Division next season when the Ottawa Redblacks join the CFL. The Blue Bombers haven’t won at McMahon since 2002 and fell to 9-20 versus the Stampeders since 2000.

Blue Bombers defensive end Alex Hall and Calgary counterparts Charleston Hughes and Cordarro Law ranked first to third respectively in sacks heading into the game, but Law recorded the only one Saturday.

Paredes, the CFL’s special teams player of the month for September, was good from 46 yards and 14 in the second half to reach a career-high 41 field goals this season.

Glenn found McDaniel for a 36-yard touchdown pass at 11:55 of the third quarter. DeAngelis missed an attempt from 48 yards in the quarter.

The Stampeders led 25-4 at the half.

Glenn connected with Price for a 24-yard touchdown throw at 13:41 of the second quarter. Cornish’s second rushing major of the game was a seven-yard scamper at 13:32 of the first quarter for a 17-3 lead.

Ford’s 70-yard dash put the Blue Bombers on the eight-yard line late in the first quarter, but quarterback Max Hall couldn’t find his receivers in the end zone. The visitors settled for a 15-yard field goal from DeAngelis and trailed 10-3.

Cornish raced 50 yards for Calgary’s first touchdown at 8:15 of the opening quarter. Paredes was good from 35 yards out at 5:19.

Notes: Jon Cornish’s previous career high for rushing yards in a single game was 185 against Edmonton last year . . .The last CFL running back to rush for over 200 yards in a game was B.C.’s Martell Mallett for 213 on Sept. 4, 2009 against Montreal . . . Calgary’s Derrius Brooks prevented a Winnipeg touchdown in the first quarter by hauling down Ford. Brooks also had an interception in the second half.