Stampeders blow huge lead, hold on against Blue Bombers

​Rene Paredes didn't want to get too excited after the Calgary Stampeders extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games.

Paredes booted a 52-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to lead the Stampeders to a thrilling 36-34 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.

"I didn't want to celebrate too much," said Paredes. "I didn't want to pull my groin. The team fought and I wanted to make sure they got the win."

Although Paredes finished the game with five field goals, he decided to let punter Rob Maver handle the kick-off duties in the second half because of a slight injury to his right leg.

"It's a groin/quad [injury]," he said, pointing to his kicking leg. "It's a small strain. It's nothing major. I knew if I would have kept kicking off the whole game, I would have pulled it. I'll be fine next game."

Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who threw touchdown passes to Kamar Jorden and Lemar Durant, was happy to hear that.

"When the game's on the line, there's nobody better," said Mitchell. "I've never been around a guy that has as much ice as he has in his veins and is able to put that kind of ball out there."

Jerome Messam also ran for a touchdown as the Stampeders (11-1-1) snapped Winnipeg's seven-game win streak.

Mitchell completed 29-of-43 passes for 361 yards and also ran his personal unbeaten streak to 12 games, which is one shy of the CFL record held by former Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Warren Moon. Moon went 12-0-1 over two seasons in 1981-82.

Bombers rally

The Bombers (8-5) trailed 30-7 early in the third quarter before rallying to take a 34-33 lead. Julian Feoli-Gudino caught a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Nichols with 20 seconds left in the fourth to tie the game before Justin Medlock kicked the convert to give the Bombers their first lead.

Mitchell then proceeded to complete a 14-yard strike to Jorden and a 22-yard pass to Durant to get the Stamps into field-goal territory before the clutch kick by Paredes.

"I don't know what it says except that the guys believe," said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson. "I know I'm going to have to go home and take a long shower. To me, I was exhausted."

Nichols and Timothy Flanders had rushing touchdowns for the Blue Bombers.

"It's a tough loss," said Winnipeg coach Mike O'Shea. "We obviously can't start that slow and spot a very good team that many points in the first half. They know I'm proud of them the way they played in the second half."

Nichols also threw a TD pass to Clarence Denmark, while linebacker Khalil Bass scored after recovering a fumble deep in Calgary territory.

The Stampeders struck quickly in the first quarter as Mitchell led the Stamps on a six-play, 64-yard drive that ended with him throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to Jorden.

Paredes booted a 27-yard field goal at 6:54 of the first quarter before Mitchell tossed a 14-yard TD pass to Durant at 6:08 of the second. Rob Cote then hauled in a short pass from Mitchell for a two-point convert to put the Stamps up 18-0.

Calgary increased that lead to 24-0 after a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Messam to cap off a four-play, 54-yard drive, but the Stamps were unable to make the two-point convert.

The Bombers finally hit the scoresheet at 12:22 of the second quarter when Flanders ran for a 50-yard touchdown.

Paredes kicked a 17-yard field goal late in the first half and another one from 47 yards out at 4:50 of the third quarter to give Calgary a 30-7 lead.

"We weren't quite moving the ball on offence, they were dominating the field-position battle and they were putting up points and we didn't do a good enough job as an offence to put up points," said Nichols, who completed 27-of-44 passes for 287 yards. "We did a better job in the second half."