Jul 1, 2007, 5:30 GMT
Calgary, AB - Henry Burris threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-26 completions as Calgary roughed up Hamilton, 37-9, in the 2007 season-opener for both clubs at McMahon Stadium.
Burris added 99 rushing yards on 11 carries for the Stampeders (1-0). Joffrey Reynolds rushed 13 times for 93 yards and one touchdown, Ken-Yon Rambo caught three balls for 92 yards, and both Nikolas Lewis and Rob Cote recorded touchdown catches. Sandro DeAngelis hit all three of his field goal attempts in the contest.
Jason Maas completed 17-of-23 passes for 170 yards for the Tiger-Cats (0-1), in Charlie Taaffe's head-coaching debut with the club. Nick Setta finished a perfect 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts to account for all Hamilton points.
Already up by 11 at halftime, the Stamps kicked into gear as Burris and Cote hooked up on an eight-yard touchdown pass on Calgary's first possession of the second half which boosted its lead to 24-6.
Hamilton responded when Setta hit his third field goal, from 25 yards out, for a 24-9 game.
After a seven-play, 35-yard drive which bridged the third and fourth quarters, DeAngelis added a 48-yarder which restored Calgary's 18-point lead with 38 seconds played in the final quarter.
Reynolds scampered in from the one on the Stamps' following drive to make it 34-9.
Timmy Chang replaced Maas under center, and led the Ticats within scoring range on the following series, but the drive was undermined when Shannon James picked off Chang's pass near the end zone and returned it to the Calgary 39- yard-line. Nine plays later, DeAngelis hit from 14 yards out and the Stampeders rolled to a 37-9 victory.
Calgary struck first, capping a nine-play, 85-yard drive when Burris hit Lewis for a 10-yard touchdown strike. On the ensuing drive, Hamilton got its first points of the game on Setta's 21-yard field goal.
The Stampeders brought their lead to 14-3 with 5:17 left in the half as Jermaine Chatman recovered a fumble by Hamilton's Brock Ralph caused by Crance Clemons at the one-yard-line, returning it for the score. Calgary had buried the Ticats inside their own five-yard-line to start the drive.
Hamilton came back two series later with a seven-play, 75-yard drive culminating in Setta's second field goal, an 11-yarder, to make it 14-6.
However, the home team took advantage of their last drive of the half, as DeAngelis nailed one from 40 yards and Calgary led 17-6 at the break.
Game Notes
Calgary is 9-2 in their last 11 home games against Hamilton...Calgary was 8-1 at home in 2006 (tied for best in the league) while the Ticats were 2-7 away from Hamilton, which was the second-worst road record in the CFL...The game was briefly halted twice in the second quarter due to a jackrabbit running loose on the field...Reynolds had nine rushing touchdowns in 2006...Chang completed 4-of-7 passes for 86 yards and one pick...Hamilton welcomes Toronto in Week 2 next Saturday, while Calgary faces Saskatchewan in Regina on July 8.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
Your Talkback on this Story