Stampeders humble Alouettes, lose Mayo

A serious-looking knee injury to leading tackler Deron Mayo took the shine off the Calgary Stampeders moving closer to the CFL record for regular-season wins.

Having already clinched first place in the West Division, Calgary's dilemma about how much to expose key players to injury risks during the final weeks of the regular season was illustrated when Mayo went down during the first half. Nevertheless, the Stampeders (14-1-1) went on to cruise to a 22-8 win against the Montreal Alouettes (4-11).

The result extended the Stampeders' undefeated and winning streaks to 15 and 13 games, respectively. Calgary coach Dave Dickenson also became the first rookie coach to win 14 games in his first season. Calgary can finish with the best record ever in an 18-game season by winning its last two games against East Division bottom feeders.

The combination of the Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts (5-11) losing ensures the fourth-place team in the West Division will cross over for the playoffs. Due to the East's mediocrity, each still has a mathematical possibility of hosting the division semifinal.

Mayo, 28, who is one the emotional leaders for Calgary's No. 1-ranked defense, was down on the turf at McMahon Stadium, grasping at his knee, after being hurt in the first half. His understudy at outside linebacker, former UCLA star Glenn Love, had three total tackles.

The Stampeders got to Alouettes QB Rakeem Cato for seven sacks, including a pair by DT Micah Johnson. Montreal's offence did not reach the red zone on its own until late in the fourth quarter, when they twice turned the ball over on downs inside the Calgary 15-yard line.

Campbell and his counterpart at cornerback, Ciante Evans, treated Alouettes WR Duron Carter to his first zero-catch game in the CFL.

The Alouettes' defence, perhaps apropos of how their season has gone, broke the shutout with 2:35 left. Montreal was awarded an automatic safety after a blitz by OLB Winston Venable led Stampeders QB Bo Levi Mitchell committing intentional grounding in the end zone.

Montreal's only touchdown came on a two-yard rush by RB Brandon Rutley with 17 seconds left. The garbage-time TD was set up by Carter drawing a 28-yard pass interference penalty.

Montreal gained only 171 yards, including minus-five during the third quarter.

Mitchell and the Stampeders' offence were sporadic during the first two quarters. Montreal had four sacks – as many as Calgary had allowed in its previous eight games. Middle linebacker Bear Woods had two.

The score was 2-0 until Mitchell directed a 12-play, 93-yard touchdown drive late in the second quarter. The drive was sustained by Dickenson successfully challenging for illegal contact on a receiver after Mitchell was sacked in the red zone, which created first-and-10 on the Alouettes' 11 instead of a field-goal situation. Calgary scored the night's first touchdown on the next play.

Mitchell was 26-of-37 for 256 yards with one touchdown. Receiver Anthony Parker and third-string QB Andrew Buckley, both University of Calgary alumni, scored the Stampeders' touchdowns. Rene Paredes was 1-of-3 on field goals. Rob Maver added two punt singles.

Cato was 13-of-29 for 124 yards. Veteran SB Nik Lewis led Montreal with five receptions for 65.

Lewis, with 960 career receptions, is only four behind Allen Pitts for fifth on the CFL career list.