The Calgary Stampeders fell 40-37 in overtime to the Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night at McMahon Stadium, dropping to 0-2 to start the 2026 CFL season. Despite rallying with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to force overtime, the Stampeders could not secure their first win.
Overtime Heartbreak
Two field goals in overtime were not enough for the Stampeders, as the Roughriders answered with a field goal and a one-yard touchdown run by Tommy Stevens to seal the victory. It was the second consecutive walk-off loss for Calgary, following a similar defeat in Week 1.
“A resilient group — we’ve just got to find a way to win,” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “We’re making some plays and getting ourselves in position to win. We’ve just got to find a way.”
Slow Start Dooms Stamps
The Stampeders’ offence struggled early, with three three-and-outs in the first quarter. The Roughriders took a 10-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Alex Hale and a touchdown drive that carried into the second quarter. Calgary finally got on the board after a Clarence Hicks strip-sack of Riders quarterback Trevor Harris, recovered by linebacker Marquel Lee, leading to a Quincy Vaughn touchdown run.
However, Saskatchewan responded with two more touchdowns in the second quarter, including a 120-yard missed field goal return by Tyreik McAllister, to take a 23-14 lead into halftime. Dickenson admitted, “First half, obviously, got dominated. Trevor was right on point.”
Fourth-Quarter Rally Falls Short
The Stampeders rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring two touchdowns to tie the game and force overtime. But they could not complete the comeback. “We probably, honestly, got outplayed,” Dickenson said. “But we did have our chances and we kept fighting. It’s tough to lose that when you feel like you had a chance to come back to win.”
Key Takeaways
The loss leaves Calgary searching for answers as they prepare for Week 3. The defence forced key turnovers but could not contain the Roughriders’ offence, while the offence struggled to find consistency until late in the game. Dickenson emphasized the need to finish games: “A call here, a call there, an opportunity here, an opportunity there… I think actually the momentum was with us, and then overtime, we just weren’t able to win it.”
