Calgary (6-4) clinched the regular-season series against its provincial rival with a second straight win over the Eskimos (6-5). The two teams square off again on Saturday in Edmonton.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Reggie Begelton’s touchdown and two-point convert catches lifted the Calgary Stampeders to a 25-9 win over the visiting Edmonton Eskimos in Monday’s Labour Day game.
Calgary (6-4) clinched the regular-season series against its provincial rival with a second straight win over the Eskimos (6-5). The two teams square off again on Saturday in Edmonton.
In his first game back since injuring his throwing arm on June 29, Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 19 of 28 pass attempts for 263 yards and a touchdown throw.
The 29-year-old Texan became Calgary’s all-time leader in Labour Day games, surpassing Henry Burris’s 1,729 yards. Mitchell also kept his perfect record in Labour Day games intact at 6-0.
Calgary’s backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle rushed for a short-yardage touchdown. Rene Paredes kicked three field goals in front of an announced 32,350 at McMahon Stadium.
Eskimos quarterback Trevor Harris went 27-for-35 in passing for 216 yards. Sean Whyte kicked three field goals, including a pair from 44 yards, in the loss.
The Stampeders have beaten the Eskimos in eight straight Labour Day games at McMahon.
Alberta’s CFL teams are chasing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-3) and Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-3) in the West Division.
Trailing by 16 points with three minutes remaining, Edmonton flubbed its best chance to get back in the game.
Stampeders halfback DaShaun Amos forced an Eskimos turnover on downs when he knocked down Harris’s attempted touchdown throw to Ricky Collins Jr. on the goal-line.
Under pressure from Edmonton back Monshadrik Hunter, Begelton grabbed Mitchell’s 24-yard pass at the goal-line to score on the first play of the fourth quarter.
It was Begelton’s fifth touchdown catch in two games after collecting four in an overtime loss to Montreal on Aug. 17.
Calgary and Edmonton traded field goals in the third quarter, but the Stampeders led 18-9.
Following Whyte’s second 44-yarder of the first half to pull the visitors within a point, Calgary countered with the first touchdown of the game for a 15-6 halftime lead.
A 51-yard catch by Richie Sindani and an 18-yard rumble from Begelton put the Stampeders inside the 10-yard line.
Arbuckle capped the drive with a one-yard plunge to score. Mitchell and Begelton combined on a two-point convert catch.
Calgary salvaged a point from a missed 38-yard field-goal attempt by Paredes in the second quarter.
Christion Jones’s 92-yard punt return for an Edmonton touchdown early in the second was called back because of a pair of holding penalties.
The hosts turned Royce Metchie’s first career interception into a field goal and a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, but Whyte halved the deficit from 44 yards to close out the quarter.
Paredes was good from 27, 36 and 39 yards, but missed an attempt from 38.