High five: how Josh Love led the Calgary Stampeders to a win over the Ticats

Photo courtesy: Leah Hennel/CFL.ca

Entering what was seen as an absolute must-win game for the  Calgary Stampeders, the team was dealt a blow when it was announced that starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. would not be playing, still suffering from a head injury sustained in their last game before the bye week.

Immediately following the announcement, the markets reacted. The Stamps plunged from heavy favourites at -5.5 to just a home-field-advantage-recognizing -2.5 within a few hours.

This wasn’t a surprise, as the team was handing the playoff hopes of a franchise to a quarterback who has fewer career passing attempts than Adams has thrown touchdowns to this point in the season.

Second-year man Josh Love had only thrown 18 passes in the CFL before being anointed the starter, but it turns out that, with apologies to Cream, the team was ready to bask in the Sunshine of their Love.

Here are the five plays that decided the game, in chronological order:

Guess who’s back? — 9:45 left in Q1

There is no question that when the time comes, Rene Paredes will be in the CFL Hall of Fame on the first ballot he is eligible.

Kicking for the first time this season after a hip injury kept him sidelined at the beginning of the year, Paredes lined up for a 42-yard attempt and calmly sent it through the uprights.

Paredes went five-of-six on the day and, when adding a convert, was responsible for 16 of the team’s 28 points.

His only miss also came from 42 yards out, but the coaching staff didn’t shy away from long attempts. All but one of his field goal tries was from at least 35 yards, including a 51-yard kick in the fourth quarter to take the lead at the time.

After the game, Paredes told 3DownNation that while he thought that his replacement, Jude McAtamney, had played well and felt a bright future is ahead, he was eager to get back in the game.

“It was tough to watch…” Paredes said about having to patrol the sidelines. “When my name was called, I was ready.”

“I was super excited to get out there, especially because it was Family Day and my family was here.”

Paredes’ son was involved in the pre-game festivities, charged with banging the Fan Drum to get the team going.

A pair of firsts — 0:21 left in Q2

The Stampeders receiving corps has taken shape over the last few weeks with the addition of Damien Alford and the reinstatement of Ajou Ajou, allowing the team to start four Nationals and have enough back-ups to cover injury.

This week, the only American receiver on the roster was Erik Brooks.

Clark Barnes, Jalen Philpot, Dejon Brissett, and Alford made up the rest of the starting five, with Ajou and Jesulayomi Ojutalayo acting as backups.

Philpot garnered nine targets to lead the team, while Brissett picked up the most yards at 70 on two catches. But it was Ajou that broke into the end zone for his first touchdown as a Stampeders.

It was also the first passing touchdown for Josh Love in his career.

Ajou became the 13th Stampeders to score a major this year. Calgary came into the weekend tied with the Riders and Alouettes for variety in this category, as both those teams have had 12 unique touchdown scorers as well.

This TD also continues a trend for the Stampeders, who have scored six touchdowns in the last minute of the first half so far this season, and nine total inside the three-minute warning before halftime.

In the four games they didn’t get a TD, they did score a field goal in the dying moments of the first half, meaning they have scored inside the last three minutes in every game this year.

Defence steps up (part one) — 12:38 left in Q3

It is more than safe to say that Calgary’s defence hasn’t lived up to the standard they set for themselves in 2025.

Giving up the second-lowest total points, the Stampeders were among the stingiest in the league last year and behind only the eventual Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders in that category.

This year has been a far different story in that regard, as they sit second-worst in the league, ahead of only winless Ottawa in points surrendered through 11 games.

Coming out of the first half with a slim lead, the defensive line decided they had something to prove.

Hamilton’s first drive of the second half got the team to midfield before Tre Ford was forced into an intentional grounding penalty.

Ford was being chased by multiple Stampeders about 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage when he tossed the ball to the sidelines, but didn’t get enough on it and took the penalty.

He was sacked on the next play by Miles Brown, forcing a punt in a third-and-24 situation.

Defence steps up (part two): Electric boogaloo — 14:11 left in Q4

Clarence Hicks could be described as a one-man wrecking crew, but that would be a disservice to the rest of the Stampeders D-line. The team sits second in the league for QB takedowns after the weekend’s action and came in tied for second in tackles for a loss.

On this particular series, though, it seemed to be all Hicks. He would smother Larry Roundtree III for a three-yard loss, and immediately followed that up with a sack of Ford that led to another 16-yard loss despite fighting through what would end up as a declined holding penalty.

Hicks leads the league in sacks with eight, tied with Shawn Lemon.

When asked about the sequence that forced a punt and led to a Stampeders field goal, Hicks said that every contribution he makes is with one goal in mind.

“This week I wrote in my notebook. I put ‘playoffs.’ That’s the only thing that should be on my mind is we (have to) get to the playoffs,” he said. “Someone has to make the play, and why can’t it be you?”

Mills walks it off — 0:38 left in Q4

Since taking over the Stampeders’ backfield, Dedrick Mills has done everything asked of him.

The 2025 rushing champ has been even better this season, as he has averaged nearly a half-yard per carry more than his total from last season.

When he took the handoff from Josh Love late in the game, everyone in the stadium thought it was to get about five or six yards closer for Rene Paredes to be able to attempt a game-winning field goal.

Mills had another feeling.

“(Vernon Adams) and I were talking on the sideline, and I told him that I feel it, that something’s coming. I don’t care when it comes, but it’s coming,” Mills said. “The coaches made the call, the O-line opened up a hole, and I was able to find my way through it. The receivers were blocking down the field. I just had to make one man miss, and that’s what I did so I could get into the end zone. That’s what they pay me for.”

The 49-yard score is Mills’ longest ever touchdown run and the third-longest rush of his career. It got him to 118 yards for the game.

After the game, head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson reflected on the Stampeders’ season, where they have lost almost every game in the final moments, and mused about Mills potentially stopping just short of the goal line to help the team grind out the rest of the clock.

“When he got through, I was kinda thinking to go down. I was. They didn’t have any timeouts. But it’s hard, and it made us play the full 60 minutes,” he said. “I’m happy for him. He took a big hit last week and didn’t finish the game, but watching the way he ran and produced today, just an excellent effort from Mills.”

Next up

The Stampeders will host the division-leading Edmonton Elks on Labour Day before heading up the highway the following weekend for the traditional back-to-back.