Defence digs deep hole

Crandell's brilliant recovery can't make up for major first-quarter lapses

Marcus Crandell was awful in the first quarter yesterday, with the 26,884 frozen fans in the stands pointing that out by serving up a round of boos.

Yet the Calgary Stampeders defence and special teams were sharing the blame in the locker-room after a 41-34 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, with enough sets of goat horns to fit almost everyone.

Those two units thrived through Week 1 and 2 but dug the club a huge hole in the opening half, so deep even Crandell's brilliant recovery couldn't help the team escape.

Cornerback William Fields and halfback Milo Lewis were both burned for first-half touchdowns from the arm of ancient Ticats pivot Danny McManus as Hamilton built a 25-0 lead in the opening quarter. The 39-year-old QB tossed three TDs in the first 30 minutes.

McManus, who appeared washed up last season, completed 11 passes for 262 yards in the first half.

"We had chances but didn't make plays," Fields said.

"Me personally, I had a couple of chances to make plays but it just didn't happen.

"They put up 41 points and we've got to play defence whether or not the offence is going two-and-out."

Crandell earned his share of the blame with two-and-outs on the Stamps' first five possessions while posting just eight yards total offence in the opening quarter.

"Everything was there in the first quarter, I was just a little overanxious," admitted the Stamps fourth-year starter, vilified last week after a loss to Montreal in which he was pulled at halftime.

"You just can't spot teams 25 points and expect to win. Even though we battled back hard, we have to come out firing and help our defence out early to make it a game."

Crandell completed only three passes for 17 yards in the opening quarter, hopping a pass off the turf intended for Albert Connell and tossing a ball over the head of an open Wane McGarity in the opening series.

With a miracle finish within reach in the final 90 seconds and the Stamps scrimmaging at Hamilton's 11, Crandell's passing arm was jolted by a defender, causing him to underthrow Denis Montana in the endzone with Wayne Shaw picking off the pass to seal the win.

"It was a stupid mistake on my part, that's on me," said Crandell, who one play earlier feathered a pass that Mike Juhasz should have caught for the tying points.

"We were in three-down territory and I need to make something positive out of it, take a sack or anything to give us another chance at the endzone."

Stamps linebacker John Grace also had a McManus pass hit him in the hands near midfield with four minutes left in the game while trailing by four points, the outcome still in doubt.

"I read the play, saw the ball coming and did everything but catch the ball," Grace shrugged.

"That's something I've got to deal with because I'm not used to that. I'm used to making plays.

"I pride myself on making those plays and tonight I didn't. The play was there to be made and I didn't make it."

Although linebacker Scott Coe put the Stamps on the board with a 34-yard interception return for a score in the second quarter, the D was McManus' fountain of youth in the opening half.

"You can't give teams like that 25 points in the first quarter," Coe said. "Danny saw some weaknesses in whatever he did and he capitalized right off the start and I don't know where we were in the first quarter.

"Two and outs (by the Stamps) are going to happen and it's our job to get them back onto the field as quick as possible. We gave up 41 points so we can't be pointing fingers at the offence for that one."

Aiding McManus in the first quarter were feeble punts off the foot of Stampeders kicker Charlie Hebert, who posted just a 34-yard average in the first half while Hamilton scored points after Calgary punts of 30, 38 and 25 yards into the wind in the first 15 minutes.

"It wasn't working out for me (in the first quarter)," Hebert acknowledged.

"I was trying to punt into the wind and keep it low and driving and hopefully, I'd get a bounce but the ball just wasn't bouncing our way in the first quarter."

Sure-handed returner McGarity also bobbled a punt at his own six-yard line in the dying seconds of the opening half, leading to a Hamilton field goal.

Although the fans on hand were quick to criticize Crandell (and rightly so), there was plenty of blame for almost everyone wearing red.