CALGARY — Before Saturday’s game between the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders were 2,603 days between the CFL’s last two ties. All of a sudden the 2024 season has produced two ties, with just 37 days between the two rare results.
The Stamps came close to what would’ve been a huge win over the East-leading Als, but couldn’t get it done in the fourth quarter, allowing the Als to force an extra period of play. Neither team was able to find a groove in overtime as the game finished 19-19 at McMahon Stadium.
Here are CFL.ca’s three key stats from the tie between the Alouettes and Stampeders.
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122 – DEDRICK MILLS RUSHING YARDS
Back leading his team on the field from the first whistle, Jake Maier didn’t do much wrong in Saturday’s tie. His efficient performance against one of the league’s premier defences was almost enough to get a win, but it just wasn’t to be for the Stamps.
Not asked to do too much with the football, Maier was aided by the effort of running back Dedrick Mills, who enjoyed a stellar showing. Mills ran for 122 yards on 21 attempts, keeping the Alouettes’ defence honest, and limiting the number of second-and-longs his team faced.
3 – SACKS ON CODY FAJARDO
The Stampeders won the sack battle on Saturday by a 3-1 margin but it wasn’t just about how many times Calgary’s defenders were able to get to Cody Fajardo, it was about when.
All three of Calgary’s takedowns immediately resulted in either a field goal or a punt by the Als, with two of the three coming in the second half. In what was an all-around impressive defensive performance by the Calgary defence it was their front unit leading the way.
1/4 – IN THE RED ZONE FOR CALGARY
The Stampeders dominated the time of possession and enjoyed a productive day of offence in what was a bounce-back performance from Maier. The only problem was that he and the Calgary offence failed to deliver from inside the 20-yard line.
Stacked up against one of the strongest teams in the league, the Stamps were eventually made to pay for not making the most of their scoring opportunities. They allowed the Als to hang around and force the game into overtime, taking away what could’ve been a momentous win for the hosts.