CFL

• Calgary tops BC in season opener

  
  

  Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Henry Burris tossed two touchdown passes and ran for another score, leading the Calgary Stampeders to a 28-18 win over the British Columbia Lions in the season opener for both teams at McMahon Stadium.

  Burris finished 22-of-32 for 274 yards for Calgary, which played its first game under new head coach John Hufnagel. Former coach Tom Higgins was fired after the Stampeders finished 7-10-1 last season. Ken-Yon Rambo caught eight passes for 136 yards and a touchdown while Joffrey Reynolds gained 125 yards on 23 carries in the win.

  Buck Pierce started under center and completed 9-of-14 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown for British Columbia, which finished with the best regular- season record in 2007, but lost to Saskatchewan in the playoffs. Both Pierce and Jarious Jackson are sharing the quarterback duties this season. Jackson completed 8-of-18 passes for 95 yards with a touchdown. Cory Rodgers caught two touchdowns and Joe Smith gained 54 yards on 11 carries in the losing effort.

  The Stampeders opened the scoring at the 7:27 mark of the first quarter when Burris ran into the end zone around the right side. On the fifth and final play of the 55-yard drive, Burris took the snap out of the shotgun, but bobbled the ball. Burris regained control, ran toward the right side and pumped-faked to gain a bit of space before his speed led him around the right end for a 7-0 Calgary lead.

  Early in the second quarter, with the score 7-1, Burris engineered a quick four-play, 75-yard scoring drive that was capped by his 32-yard touchdown pass to Rambo. Burris fooled the British Columbia linebackers with strong play- action. He faked a handoff to Reynolds, took two steps back and tossed a perfect fade pass to Rambo down the right side. Rambo hauled in the pass and trotted over the goal line for a 14-1 lead.

  Sandro DeAngelis' 40-yard field goal with under four minutes to go before halftime made it 17-1, and after the Lions gained a safety when Burke Dales conceded in the end zone, the Lions closed the first-half scoring with a 37- yard TD pass from Pierce to Rodgers. Calgary took a 17-10 lead into the locker room.

  After the visitors got a single early in the third quarter, Burris was sharp during Calgary's opening drive of the second half. He completed several mid- range passes over the middle to Nik Lewis and scrambled up the middle to set up a 45-yard field goal attempt that DeAngelis missed, but still gained a single.

  The Stampeders' defense remained strong throughout the third quarter and their offense added some insurance early in the fourth. A nine-play, 93-yard scoring drive was capped by Burris' 7-yard scoring strike to Chris Jackson. Burris rolled to his right and pumped-faked before spotting Jackson open in the right side of the end zone with 12:03 to play in regulation.

  A short 12-yard boot by DeAngelis late in the fourth capped the Calgary scoring before a late touchdown pass from Jackson to Rodgers inside the final minute created the final margin.

  Game Notes Burris was the CFL's second-leading passer last season...Hufnagel was formerly an assistant under current BC coach Wally Buono.

  06/27 02:05:37 ET