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CALGARY – The Calgary Stampeders avoided elimination from playoff contention Saturday, but will have to rely on division rivals to extend their CFL season.
The Stampeders (9-9) beat the BC Lions (10-7) 32-13 in Calgary’s final game of the regular season.
The Stampeders head into their season-ending bye week needing the team they just beat to beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-9) next Friday to get into the 2026 playoffs.
So the Stampeder coaches and players will spend several days in awkward limbo without knowing whether their season is finished.
The Lions have already locked up second place in the West Division, and will have the right to host the division semifinals Oct. 31, when the Blue Bombers lost to the Edmonton Elks on Friday.
The Elks (13-4) secured first place in the West with a win over Winnipeg and host the division final on Nov. 7. The winner of the game advances to the Gray Cup in Calgary on November 15.
The defending Gray Cup champion Roughriders (9-8) could finish no worse than fourth in the West after beating the Montreal Alouettes 16-12 earlier Saturday.
The fourth team in the West will cross over and meet the Toronto Argonauts in the East Division semifinals. The third seed travels to Vancouver to face the Lions in the West semifinal.
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The Blue Bombers are 2-1 against the Stampeders this season, and will finish higher if they tie.
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Quincy Vaughn scored a pair of rushing yardage touchdowns and Ajou Ajou caught a touchdown pass for Calgary in front of an announced crowd of 21,968 at McMahon Stadium.
Rene Paredes, who intended to retire after 15 years as a Stampeder, kicked field goals from 24, 22, 29 and 32 yards and contributed a two-point conversion, but missed a 57-yard field goal attempt.
Vernon Adams Jr. completed 30 of 43 pass attempts for 324 yards, one touchdown pass, and one interception
Lions starting quarterback Nathan Rourke was 8-for-11 passing for 149 yards and one touchdown pass in the first half.
Rourke was replaced by Kaidon Salter in the second half, as the backup went 6-of-14 passing for 113 yards and one interception.
Justin McInnis caught a touchdown pass for BC
Sean Whyte kicked field goals from the 48th and 26th minutes, but missed from the 46th minute, and resulted in a one-point conversion.
Saturday’s kick-off was held in sunshine and temperatures of 16 C, but the wind blew at 53 kilometers per hour from the west before easing during the game.
Tied 13-13 at halftime, the Stampeders took the lead for the first time in the game on Paredes’ 29-yard field goal early in the third quarter.
He was 57 short due to the wind and Whyte was also 47 short before the end of the third quarter.
The Lions brought the wind with them in the fourth quarter, which was interrupted for several minutes by two rabbits running amok on the field.
Paredes’ 32-yard field goal five minutes into the quarter gave Calgary a 19-13 lead.
Adams threw his first touchdown pass of the game — to Ajou — after five plays, driving 84 yards with five minutes remaining. Vaughn’s short-yardage second plunge for a touchdown sealed the win for Calgary.
BC took a 13-10 lead on Whyte’s 26-yard field goal, but Paredes answered with a 22-yard shot late in the first half to tie the score.
The Lions took a 10-3 lead in the first quarter when Rourke capped a four-play, 75-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to McInnis.
Calgary successfully challenged pass interference early in the second quarter to extend the drive. Vaughn scored on a one-yard run and Paredes converted it for a draw for the hosts.
With the wind at their back, the Lions scored on the first drive of the game when Whyte scored from 48 yards out. Fellow Paredes responded with a 24-yard gain on the next drive.
NEXT
The Lions will host the Blue Bombers on Friday in the regular season finale for both clubs before hosting the division semifinals on Oct. 31. Calgary is on its bye week awaiting the results of Friday’s game to find out its playoff fate.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
© 2026 Canadian Press
