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'They made the plays': Last-play field-goal gives rivals victory at McMahon Stadium
Published Jun 06, 2026 • Last updated 10 minutes ago • 7 minute read
Calgary Stampeders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Calgary Stampeders running back Dedrick Mills carries the ball against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Friday, June 5, 2026. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia
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Welcome to 2026 and a Grey Cup game at McMahon Stadium on the slate.
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The hometown team hoped to take a first step towards defending their field in that finale with a season-opening victory Friday on home turf.
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But in doing so, the Calgary Stampeders were knocked off-stride in a 30-28 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a windy night with an announced attendance of 17,743 fans at McMahon Stadium.
Despite a go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute remaining, the Stampeders fell to their Canadian Football League rivals on a last-play field-goal of 38 yards kicked by Sergio Castillo.
Ouch.
“When you play Winnipeg, I swear it comes down to a kick — I don’t know — 50 per cent of the time or more,” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “And they made theirs.
“It was back and forth,” continued Dickenson. “I thought it was a hard-fought, well-played game. Sometimes you look back and one play does have a bigger bearing on the game than another. Ultimately, they made the plays and they got the win.”
Three second-quarter touchdowns pointed the Stampeders in the right direction.
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But only one score followed thereafter on a night that saw their offence stumble in the second half.
Quincy Vaughn’s TD dive from one yard out proved to be the first points on the board for the Stampeders on the season. The major came early in the second stanza to answer a Blue Bombers first-quarter TD drive and subsequent single on the ensuing kickoff.
Calgary Stampeders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Stampeders quarterback Quincy Vaughn celebrates a touchdown during Friday’s season-opener. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia
Another one-yard dive — this time from running back Dedrick Mills — put the Stamps up 14-8 later in the second quarter.
And then QB Vernon Adams Jr. found speedy receiver Erik Brooks in the back of the end zone for a 22-yard passing score late in the frame.
From there, though, it was the Bombers outscoring the hosts 15-8 from then on to pull out the celebration, with Adams’ three-yard run to cap off an impressive 104-yard late drive for a major going for naught.
“It was a great drive there for us,” Dickenson said. “What was it? A hundred-and-four yards in 15 plays or something?
“But we couldn’t hold the lead.”
Here are five takeaways from the season-opening loss at McMahon …
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1. OUT-KICKED
The Stampeders lost this one on special teams.
Not just because the kicking game went the way of the Bombers, but because they couldn’t handle the runbacks of the visitors.
Star returner Trey Vaval sliced through the Stampeders’ coverage units with 105 yards on four punt returns and 69 more on three kick runbacks.
That’s a lot.
It was enough to give the Bombers great field position on too many occasions, helping lead to the result.
And Stamps rookie kicker Jude McAtamney’s kickoff through the end zone after the late go-ahead touchdown brought the ball out to the 40-yard line — under new CFL rules — to set up the Bombers nicely for an easy end score to win the night.
The visitors were aided, as well, by three singles from their punt and kick game — new rouge rules be damned.
“The wind was crazy, and it was tougher on the kicking game,” Dickenson said. “I thought we managed it fine. Sometimes you let the ball go over your head and you get lucky and it goes out the back (of the end zone). Sometimes you maybe should field it. We’re just trying to work on our depth (on returns).
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“But I did think that ultimately that last one to get out to 40, we’ve still got to stop them. I mean … they basically chunked us up for about 25 or 30 on the first play.”
Calgary Stampeders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Stampeders running back Dedrick Mills rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown in the season-opener. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia
2. RUNNING BACKS FOR REAL
Mills proved his run to the CFL’s rushing title last year was no fluke by crushing it — again — to start the 2026 campaign.
Exceptional, as well, was Bombers back Brady Oliveira, who some argue is the league’s best running back and not Mills.
Neither could do no wrong.
With the help of his offensive line, which has established itself as one of the best in the CFL, Mills was rolling in the first half, taking advantage of holes created for him and racking up the yardage.
But he didn’t see the ball a lot in the second half until the go-ahead drive, with the Stamps electing to try to move the ball through the air more than run it as the game wore on — until he was key again on that final Stamps’ march.
“Very stagnant offensively (in the second half), and we got away from Mills a little bit,” Dickenson said. “We also didn’t run the ball well. When he got the ball, we weren’t moving people at our offensive line.”
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The back from Georgia finished with 112 rushing yards and his touchdown.
Meanwhile, Oliveira racked up 115 yards on the ground and the game’s opening TD — and he got the win, to boot.
“I felt like they won the line of scrimmage, so he ran hard,” admitted Dickenson, of Oliveira and the Bombers. “We missed too many tackles … you know. We had to stop him, and we didn’t. And they beat us up on short yardage.”
Calgary Stampeders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Stampeders defensive lineman Miles Brown puts pressure on Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia
3. BIG LEG MISSED
There are a handful of big names in the Stampeders’ sick bay, including veterans Reggie Begelton, Flo Orimolade and René Paredes — with the latter having his consecutive games-played streak dating back to July 8, 2011, unfortunately snapped.
No Begelton … no problem. Jalen Philpot, who’s expected to lead the team in receiving, was clutch with a catch of 51 yards behind the Bombers’ defence to set up the Stamps’ second TD and was a monster on the final TD drive for 96 receiving yards game-long on five receptions. And Brooks, who took advantage of playing time last year when Begelton went down, was brilliant in running into his touchdown reception from Adams and making a clutch catch on the sidelines at the Bombers’ two-yard line on the team’s final march.
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No Flo … no problem, as well. Clarence Hicks stepped up to take down Zach Collaros on a second-quarter sack and provided pressure with a number of hurries, although Hicks could’ve used help from teammates in pressuring the QB.
But the absence of Paredes proved tough, with McAtamney gamely trying to step into the veteran’s massive cleats.
The rookie missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt wide right in the third quarter — that played a role in the decision — and got too much on the late kickoff that was a killer for the home club.
“Everyone misses at times,” said Dickenson, of his kicker on the field-goal attempt. “The wind did gust on that one. But … you know … when he had the game on the line, he made his extra point (after the go-ahead TD by Adams). I mean … you can see he’s got a good leg and he’s got good height. But it was a tough kicking game.
“For the punters, as well, it was very swirly. The wind was all over the place, and you could tell at least early on — to both punters and kickers — it was definitely messing with them.”
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Calgary Stampeders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Stampeders receiver Erik Brooks catches a pass deep in Blue Bombers’ territory that set up a touchdown. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia
4. NOT ENOUGH PRESSURE
Aside from the sack by all-CFL West defensive tackle Hicks as part of the second-quarter success of the Stamps, the home side didn’t get to Collaros.
Sure they had a few pressures, including one from Kelechi Anyalebechi that led to a third-quarter interception, but it wasn’t enough.
And when the veteran pivot has time, he makes things happen.
Collaros found receiver Tim White for a 15-yard TD in a third quarter that turned the tide in favour of the Bombers and finished with 233 yards on 17-of-28 passing with the one touchdown and an interception.
And the visiting defence, meanwhile, was solid in getting to Adams. They bagged a handful of sacks, most of them in the second half. Included were three QB takedowns by lineman Jake Ceresna for a monster performance.
Adams himself was a solid 17-of-27 for 239 yards with the TD strike and the TD run and some key evasions to get first downs. His only mistake on a third-quarter fumble didn’t mean much since the Stamps’ defence got the ball back the very next play, teaming up to have Tre’Mon Morris-Brash come down with the lone interception of Collaros.
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Calgary Stampeders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Stampeders receiver Tevin Jones runs with the ball after making a catch. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia
5. LOSS LOOMS LARGE
Sure, it’s only the first game of the season.
But it’s big because the Stamps have a strange bye week in Week 2 of the schedule, after which at least one of their West Division rivals is going to be 2-0. The Stamps didn’t want to be 0-1 heading into Week 3 with others already looking for their third win on the season.
Plus for the Bombers, it shakes off what was a losing skid to their West Division rivals. They were swept last year by the Stamps in three meetings, and a fourth straight loss to start this season might’ve have gotten in their heads.
“Long season — no one wins or loses the Grey Cup in Game 1,” Adams said. “So just excited of what we got and excited to come in and watch the film (Saturday) and get better from it.
“Going to the bye week, let’s get healthy and get ready for a run.”
They hope that begins when they host the defending Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 3 on Saturday, June 20, at McMahon (5 p.m., QR Calgary 770 AM, TSN).
“I just feel like in the CFL, when you get opportunities to win these close games, you’ve got to win them — and especially at home,” added Dickenson. “So we’ll see where it goes, but I know our group’s going to work hard and we’re going to keep improving and building.”
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
http://www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPM
Calgary Stampeders fans
Fans tail-gate before the Stampeders’ season-opener at McMahon Stadium. Photo by Gavin Young/ /Postmedia
Calgary STampeders 2026 season-opener
Kinsley checks out her Stampeders horse tattoo as she gets ready for Friday’s game. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia
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