By Canadian Press

Lewis Ward kicks game-winning field goal to lift Redblacks over Stampeders 31-29

Aug 15, 2024 | 9:31 PM

CALGARY — Lewis Ward kicked a 51-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to lead the Ottawa Redblacks to a 31-29 win over the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium on Thursday.

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed 27-of-35 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown pass to Devonte Dedmon.

After dressing as the Redblacks’ third quarterback in Ottawa’s last two games, Masoli made his first start since suffering a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon in a 21-13 road loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 8, 2023.

Ryquell Armstead and Dustin Crum ran for touchdowns for the Redblacks (6-2-1), who are unbeaten in their last five games (4-0-1).

Ward kicked three field goals for Ottawa, while Richie Leone added a single.

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Short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens ran for three touchdowns for the Stampeders (4-6), who lost for the first time at home this season in front of 17,692 fans at McMahon. Rene Paredes kicked two field goals, while punter Cody Grace had a pair of singles for Calgary.

On the first play of the game, Calgary running back Peyton Logan fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Ottawa linebacker Frankie Griffen. The Redblacks had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Ward to take an early 3-0 lead.

The Stamps answered right back with a one-yard touchdown run by Stevens to cap off a six-play, 70-yard drive that was aided by a pair of penalties (a 15-yard face-mask penalty to Adarius Pickett and a 35-yard pass interference infraction to Brandin Dandridge).

The Redblacks retook the lead at 8:07 of the first quarter thanks to a 25-yard TD run by Armstead just after Masoli completed a 27-yard pass to Jaelon Acklin during an efficient two-play drive.

Once again, the Stamps replied with a one-yard touchdown rush by Stevens, this time to put an exclamation mark on a five-play, 75-yard drive. Ishmael Hyman was initially credited with catching a 46-yard TD pass from quarterback Jake Maier, but after review, it was deemed that the rookie Calgary receiver was down on the one-yard line.

Ward kicked his second field goal of the game, this time from 19 yards out, at the end of the first quarter.

Following a 75-yard punt single by Grace early in the second quarter, Leone kicked an 83-yard single of his own for Ottawa.

After Grace’s second single of the quarter, Ottawa’s offence came alive as Massoli led the Redblacks on a six-play, 70-yard drive that he punctuated by tossing a nine-yard TD pass to Dedmon.

The Redblacks carried that momentum into the third quarter as Masoli marched his team 83 yards down the field before giving way to Crum, who came into the game at quarterback to run for a one-yard TD on the 10th play of the drive.

After a 29-yard field goal by Paredes at 9:23 of the third quarter, Stevens ran for his third touchdown of the game, this time from two yards out, at 4:51 of the fourth to pull the Stamps within two points.

Paredes then split the uprights from 48 yards with 2:23 remaining on the clock to put the Stamps up 29-28 before Ward’s heroics led the Redblacks to victory on the final play of the game.

UP NEXT

Redblacks: Host the B.C. Lions (5-4) on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Stampeders: Host the Edmonton Elks (2-7) on Monday, Sept. 2.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2024.

Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press