Hardly a masterpiece on either side

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This article was published 02/07/2011 (5247 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — As works of art go, the Calgary Stampeders didn’t exactly serve up a Group of Seven masterpiece in honour of Canada Day Friday at McMahon Stadium.

They would have settled for a Dogs Playing Poker poster, but couldn’t even muster that in a truly dreadful Canadian Football League regular-season debut.

Instead, the Stampeders bumbled and booted (literally at times) their way to a well-deserved 23-21 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in front of 27,428 disgruntled fans.

And, in the process, the Stamps showed that there is plenty of work to be done if they are to start living up to the expectations of CFL prognosticators from coast to coast.

Henry Burris was inconsistent. The offensive line looked overmatched at times. Kicker Rob Maver had his worst game as a pro, going 1-for-4.

And give credit where it’s due: the Argo defence lived up to its advance billing, and while Toronto quarterback Cleo Lemon wasn’t spectacular, he kept his mistakes to a minimum and made plays when he needed to, particularly on the game-winning drive, capped by Noel Prefontaine’s 42-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play.

The Argos took a 7-5 lead at halftime, and then got a huge break to open the second half when Stamps returner Larry Taylor fumbled; the Argos didn’t get the touchdown, but they got more confidence after Prefontaine’s 24-yard field goal.

And then to close out the fourth, moments after Maver’s third wide-left miss of the night — this one from 21 yards, producing a chorus of boos — Argo running back Cory Boyd ran the ball down the Stamps’ throats, scampering 33 yards to the Calgary two, and then diving in for the major.

The Stamps struck back with a pair of rapid-fire rushing touchdowns — Joffrey Reynolds from two yards, Jon Cornish from three — to take the lead, but a Prefontaine 25-yard field goal reduced the Calgary margin to one, setting the stage for his game-winner a few minutes later.

Maver, by the way, was clearly still feeling the effects of a leg injury he suffered in training camp, and punter Burke Dales was handling kickoffs late in the game.

The first half featured the Stamps at their best and worst. Burris engineered some long, clock-killing drives in the opening quarter, but couldn’t find a way into the end zone. Most impressive was the 15-play, 91-yard march that featured Burris hookups with six different receivers. But at the end, the Stamps could only muster a 17-yard field goal from Maver, who had been wide left on a 32-yard attempt on Calgary’s first drive.

But after a tentative start, the Argos found their sea legs. Defensively, there was never a question about the Argos’ skill level, and they started winning battles at the line of scrimmage against the Stamps’ rebuilt, and young, offensive line.

And, as Toronto coach Jim Barker suggested a day earlier, his quarterback Lemon looked far more poised, far more comfortable than he did a year ago when he struggled to grasp the intricacies of running a CFL offence.

Lemon was at his best on a secondquarter touchdown march that spanned nine plays and 75 yards, and was capped by his perfect 18-yard throw to Brandon Rideau, putting it in the only spot that Stamps cornerback Geoff Tisdale couldn’t get his mitt on.

The Stamps hit the road for Vancouver next week, as they battle the Lions on Friday night at Empire Field. The Argos battle the Bombers in Winnipeg in the early game.

— Postmedia News