Stevens leads Stampeders to 36-10 win over Roughriders in regular-season finale

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Charleston Hughes, right, closes in on Calgary Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier during first half CFL football action in Calgary, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022 (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh).

CALGARY -

Tommy Stevens rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown for the Calgary Stampeders in a 36-10 win over the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders in the final regular-season game of the 2022 CFL season Saturday.

Teammate Dedrick Mills also posted a big night with 125 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Jalen Philpot also scored a rushing major and Reggie Begelton had a touchdown catch in front of an announced 25,179 at McMahon Stadium.

Stampeder quarterback Jake Maier completed 13 of 16 pass attempts for 105 yards, one touchdown pass and no interceptions. Stevens was 4-of-5 passing and threw for one touchdown.

Bo Levi Mitchell, Calgary's all-time passing leader and twice the CFL's Most Outstanding Player, stepped onto the field with 2:28 remaining in the game.

In the final year of his contract, and with Maier recently signing a two-year extension, Mitchell isn't expected to be a Stampeder next season after a decade in Calgary.

He didn't throw a pass. Mitchell's first drive ended with Rene Paredes' 13-yard field goal.

He was given a standing ovation as he headed for the sideline and again when he returned to the field for victory formation in the final seconds.

Paredes kicked field goals from 14, 13 and 33 yards. Stevens, Calgary's third-string quarterback, completed four of five passes for 32 yards.

Saskatchewan's Jamal Morrow scored a rushing touchdown and Brett Lauther kicked a 33-yard field goal.

Quarterback Mason Fine was 21-of-32 in passing for 168 yards and no interceptions in his second career CFL start.

Calgary (12-6) is ranked third in the CFL's West Division and will head to Vancouver to meet the B.C. Lions in the West Division semifinal on Nov. 6.

The victor advances to the West Final on Nov. 13 against the two-time defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Saskatchewan (6-12) finished fourth in the West and outside the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The Grey Cup will be held at Regina's Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 20.

Calgary amassed 309 rushing yards in the game to Saskatchewan's 76.

Philpot, a University of Calgary alum, collected the third touchdown of his rookie season midway through the fourth quarter on a 13-yard catch and run.

The Roughriders turned the ball over on downs early in the fourth quarter when Mitch Picton stepped out of bounds on Fine's pass to him in the zone.

Morrow scored Saskatchewan's first touchdown of the game early in the third quarter with a six-yard carry to the end zone.

The Stampeders sprinted to a 23-3 halftime lead with Paredes booting a 14-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.

Mills capped Calgary's five-play, 41-yard drive with a three-yard dart to the end zone.

Lauther generated Saskatchewan's first points of the game in the second with a 33-yard field goal.

The hosts led 13-0 after one quarter because of a couple of rare plays.

Stevens lined up in short-yardage formation and took off toward the sideline to produce the CFL's longest rushing touchdown this season with an 85-yard dash.

The six-foot-five, 245-pound Stevens scored his ninth rushing touchdown this season for the Stampeders.

Calgary's Cody Grace recovered his own punt early in the first quarter to get the Stampeders the ball on Saskatchewan's 15-yard line.

Grace dislocated his pinkie finger colliding with Morrow on the play, but his teammates made the most of his effort with Maier's touchdown throw to Begelton in the end zone.

Stampeder running back Ka'Deem Carey didn't play Saturday, but took the league rushing title with 1,088 yards this season. B.C.'s James Butler was a close second with 1,060.

Paredes led the CFL in points for a second straight season with 211 off his boot. He's the sixth player in league history with three career seasons of 200-plus points. Mark McLoughlin (six) holds the record followed by David Ridgway (four).

Saskatchewan linebacker Darnell Sankey's five tackles for 120 set a single-season franchise record and beat the previous mark of 118 set by David Albright in 1987.

Sankey's teammate Larry Dean recorded four tackles to reach 101 tackles, and make the Roughriders just the second team to have two 100-plus tacklers in a single season.

The 2016 B.C. Lions were the other with Solomon Elimimian (129) and Adam Bighill (108).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2022.