Latest news with #DedrickMills
Calgary Herald
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
5 Takeaways as tired-looking Calgary Stampeders fall to Montreal Alouettes on late 58-yard field goal
It looked another winning week for the Calgary Stampeders … Article content Another K.O. of a contender for the Canadian Football League belt. Article content Article content But after handling everything the three-down circuit has thrown at them, it didn't go their way Thursday night in a 23-21 loss to the Montreal Alouettes at McMahon Stadium. Article content Despite two touchdowns and a pile of yards from running back Dedrick Mills and a gutsy effort amid a bunch of games in a short period of time, the host Stampeders were dropped by the 2023 Grey Cup champions, who have been championship calibre for the past few CFL campaigns. Article content Article content 'Effort was good on our end,' said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. 'We had the lead most of the game. It was a hard-fought game. I think both teams were digging deep on their roster. Article content Article content 'We kind of ran out of some people there, and we were trying to adjust. And I just didn't think we played winning football. We took too many penalties, and obviously, ball security (was a problem), as well. We had our chances — we just didn't get the job done.' Article content It didn't help that Stamps QB Vernon Adams Jr. was ineffective for long stretches of the game and then was lost to them for the fourth quarter, when he was sidelined presumably by a CFL spotter for a concussion check. Article content Article content Article content The end result kept the Stamps from climbing into top spot all by themselves in the CFL. Instead, the 5-2 record matches them with the Alouettes and leaves them behind the first-place 5-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders. Article content Article content 'Hard-fought game — we knew it was going to be a hard-fought battle,' said Stampeders receiver Dominique Rhymes. '(Maltos) made a 58-yarder. Hats off to them. That's a great team. It was a battle. It was what we expected.'
National Post
09-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Roughriders ready for showdown with Stampeders
It's a battle for top spot in the West Division as the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Calgary Stampeders on Friday night. Article content Following their first bye week of the CFL season, the Roughriders enter the Week 6 contest at 4-0 while the Stampeders are 3-1 after beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 37-16 last week. Article content Article content And while it's a long season, the winner of Friday's game — which is set to get underway at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium — will hold down top spot in the division through six weeks. Article content Trevor's back Article content While Friday's game features the top two running backs in the CFL this year in A.J. Ouellette and Dedrick Mills — who rank No. 1 and 2 in rushing yards respectively — there's also a couple veteran quarterbacks set to go head-to-head. Article content Trevor Harris will return to the starting role for the Roughriders after sitting out Saskatchewan's Week 4 game over the B.C. Lions as he was in concussion protocol. Article content While Jake Maier picked up the win in relief of Harris, the 39-year-old pivot wants to keep Saskatchewan's strong start to the season going, although he says what happened last week or the week prior doesn't matter at this point. Article content 'Always resets at zero,' said Harris. 'Assess where we were last week, find ways to sharpen our axe and cut down the next tree. Article content 'One of my favourite quotes is, 'If you gave me four hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend three hours sharpening my axe.' And so it's about just making sure that we're sharp going into the game.' Article content Versatile Vernon Article content On the other side, Vernon Adams Jr. has been at the helm for all four of Calgary's games to start the season and remarkably enough, the 32-year-old veteran threw his first touchdown pass of the season last week against the Bombers. Article content So far this season, Adams has averaged 256 yards passing and 29 yards rushing per game, making him a dual threat the Roughriders need to be aware of. Article content Article content 'He could beat you in a couple different ways,' said Roughriders head coach Corey Mace. 'Over the history coaching against him, he's had games where he's ruined it with his legs and he's had games where he sat in the pocket and delivered. Article content 'Certainly we're going to stick to kind of our game plan, what we see this week, and not putting too much emphasis on trying to eliminate one guy. We're 12 (players), they're 12, we've just got to make sure we do our part.' Article content Calgary's defence has been a big reason for their strong start to the season and that was on display last week as Derrick Moncrief and Damon Webb — two former Roughriders — each had an interception returned for a touchdown in Calgary's win. Article content And while they've been able to score on defence, the group has given up a league-low 81 points this season while holding their opponents out of the end zone for a large portion of their first four games, as noted by Harris this week.
National Post
14-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Argonauts drop to 0-2 after 29-19 loss to Stampeders
Vernon Adams Jr. and Dedrick Mills scored fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the unbeaten Calgary Stampeders past the winless Toronto Argonauts 29-19 on a breezy Saturday afternoon. Article content Adams Jr.'s eight-yard scamper at 7:43 put Calgary ahead 26-11. It came after Lirim Hajrullahu's 47-yard field goal at 5:08 cut Toronto's deficit to 19-11. Article content Mills put Calgary ahead 19-8 with a one-yard scoring run at 1:19. Both Adams Jr. and Mills capped 70-yard scoring drives. Article content Toronto's Nick Arbuckle made it interesting with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Damonte Coxie at 9:50. Then the '24 Grey Cup MVP ran in for the two-point convert to cut Calgary's lead to 26-19. Article content But Rene Paredes cemented the win for Calgary (2-0) with a 23-yard field goal at 13:45. A BMO Field gathering of 17,902 watched the Argos (0-2) raise their Grey Cup banner before the opening kickoff. Article content Calgary earned the victory despite losing all-star receiver Reggie Begelton (knee). Begelton went down on the second play from scrimmage and needed help to leave the field. Article content Begelton later returned to the Stampeders sidelines on crutches and ice taped to his right knee. Article content Toronto lost middle linebacker Wynton McManis (knee) and starting running back Deonta McMahon (ankle) to first-half injuries. Article content Adrian Greene had Calgary's other touchdown. Paredes booted three field goals and a convert. Article content Hajrullahu booted three field goals and a single. John Haggerty added a single. Article content Article content Hajrullahu's 45-yard field goal at 13:06 of the third cut Calgary's lead to 12-8. Article content Paredes' 23-yard field goal into the wind at 5:38 gave Calgary a 12-4 lead. Haggerty's 83-yard punt single at 6:32 pulled Toronto to within 12-5. Article content Hajrullahu's 45-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Calgary's halftime lead to 9-4. It followed a successful pass-interference challenge by Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie that put the ball at the Stampeders' 45-yard line with 13 seconds to play. Article content Both offences struggled establishing the run in the first half as Toronto had just 28 yards, three more than the Stamps. And neither unit was able to navigate effectively with or against the wind. Article content Greene staked Calgary to a 9-1 lead with a 40-yard pick-six at 8:56. He stepped in front of Nick Arbuckle's pass for David Ungerer III and ran untouched into the end zone. Article content There was no convert attempt due to an errant snap. Article content
CTV News
08-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Dedrick Mills, Vernon Adams Jr., spur Stampeders to 38-26 win over Tiger-Cats
Dedrick Mills scored one touchdown in the 2024 CFL season. He started 2025 with three in a single game for the Calgary Stampeders. The Stampeders downed the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats 38-26 in the season-opener for both clubs Saturday. Mills rushed for 94 yards on 17 carries, while quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 19 of 28 pass attempts for 284 yards, and rushed for 33 yards on three carries, in his highly-anticipated Stampeder debut. Mills handed off the white cowboy hat as his team's offensive player of the game to his offensive linemen. 'They did their thing and they got me in the end zone three times, so of course, man, I had to give it to them,' Mills said. 'They deserved it.' Adams' backup P.J. Walker contributed a short-yardage touchdown and Rene Paredes kicked field goals from 42, 29 and 38 yards in front of an announced 18,682 on a breezy, hazy evening at McMahon Stadium. Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Kenny Lawler scored his first touchdown as a Tiger-Cat. Isiah Wooden returned a kickoff to score, while Marc Liegghio booted field goals from 47, 37 and 25 yards. The Stampeders acquired Adams in a trade with the B.C. Lions a month after their 5-12-1 season ended in 2024. He was intercepted twice in Saturday's second quarter, but distributed the ball efficiently for 428 yards of net offence. Adams scrambled out of the pocket to connect with Clark Barnes on a 65-yard passing play that Mills finished for a 34-11 lead to start the fourth quarter. The Stampeders scored on their first drive of the game when Adams marched the offence 85 yards on nine plays. 'It's always important to get some points on the first drive if you can,' Adams said. 'I like receiving the ball because if we can go down and do that, that puts pressure on their offence to do it. 'Defence did a good job. Rene was Rene. And that was awesome operation on the special teams. 'It wasn't pretty by any means, but it's a win and it's so hard to get wins in this league. We have a really good team and once we get it together, get it clicking, I think we're going to be special.' It was too little, too late when Ticats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell found rhythm in his offence as the Stampeders had built a 15-point lead by the first play of the second half. Mitchell completed 31 of 50 pass attempts for 304 yards and a touchdown throw in an interception-free start, but Hamilton also turned the ball over on downs three times. 'We have to do better jobs on offence, me put the ball in a catchable spot every time and let's put two hands on it, locking it up, getting vertical,' Mitchell said. 'We just want to reward the defence when they're playing that well in the first half. When you're making Vernon throw two picks … in the first half, you've got to take advantage of them and I just think we didn't do a good enough job of instantly kind of turning those into points.' The Tiger-Cats haven't won their first game of the season since 2019, while the Stampeders improved to 3-3 in their last six openers. The game turned on Calgary's kickoff to start the second half when Paredes' kick hung in the wind, which gave Calgary's Jeshrun Antwi time to get a hand on the football. Teammate Kelon Thomas recovered at Hamilton's 13-yard line. After Mills ran the ball to the one, Walker scored and Paredes' convert gave Calgary a 25-10 lead. Stopping the run was among Calgary's priorities this season as the Stampeders were the worst in the CFL at it in 2024. They held the Ticats to 47 rushing yards Saturday. 'Definitely if you can make a team a little more one-dimensional, we had the lead though, which was nice too,' said Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. 'I did feel like they tried to run early and we were there and thought we spiked our ends and did some good things. They tried some deep throws on us, really weren't able to do it. We've got some things we can get better at, but a good start for the defence.' As for his new quarterback, Dickenson liked what he saw from Adams in the face of Hamilton's pressure. 'What he does so well though is he escapes. He used his legs. The things we wanted from him, he did,' Dickenson said. 'He got first downs with his legs. He got out of the pocket.' Up next Stampeders: Visit the Toronto Argonauts next Saturday. Tiger-Cats: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Saturday. -- Donna Spencer This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
National Post
08-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Dedrick Mills, Vernon Adams Jr. power Stampeders to season-opening win over Tiger-Cats
Dedrick Mills scored one touchdown in the 2024 CFL season. He started 2025 with three in a single game for the Calgary Stampeders. Article content The Stampeders downed the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats 38-26 in the season-opener for both clubs Saturday. Article content Article content Mills rushed for 94 yards on 17 carries, while quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 19-of-28 pass attempts for 284 yards, and rushed for 33 yards on three carries, in his highly anticipated Stampeder debut. Article content Mills handed off the white cowboy hat as his team's offensive player of the game to his offensive linemen. Article content 'They did their thing and they got me in the end zone three times, so of course, man, I had to give it to them,' Mills said. 'They deserved it.' Article content Adams' backup P.J. Walker contributed a short-yardage touchdown and Rene Paredes kicked field goals from 42, 29 and 38 yards in front of an announced 18,682 on a breezy, hazy evening at McMahon Stadium. Article content Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Kenny Lawler scored his first touchdown as a Tiger-Cat. Isiah Wooden returned a kickoff to score, while Marc Liegghio booted field goals from 47, 37 and 25 yards. Article content Article content The Stampeders acquired Adams in a trade with the BC Lions a month after their 5-12-1 season ended in 2024. Article content He was intercepted twice in Saturday's second quarter, but distributed the ball efficiently for 428 yards of net offence. Article content Adams scrambled out of the pocket to connect with Clark Barnes on a 65-yard passing play that Mills finished for a 34-11 lead to start the fourth quarter. Article content Article content The Stampeders scored on their first drive of the game when Adams marched the offence 85 yards on nine plays. Article content 'It's always important to get some points on the first drive if you can,' Adams said. 'I like receiving the ball because if we can go down and do that, that puts pressure on their offence to do it. Article content 'Defence did a good job. Rene was Rene. And that was awesome operation on the special teams. Article content 'It wasn't pretty by any means, but it's a win and it's so hard to get wins in this league. We have a really good team and once we get it together, get it clicking, I think we're going to be special.' Article content Article content It was too little, too late when Ticats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell found rhythm in his offence as the Stampeders had built a 15-point lead by the first play of the second half. Article content Mitchell completed 31-of-50 pass attempts for 304 yards and a touchdown throw in an interception-free start, but Hamilton also turned the ball over on downs three times.
