Miscommunication.

It almost cost the Renegades two points last night. And a loss to the Calgary Stampeders -- at this time and in this place and in that manner -- might have cost them a whole lot more.

"Wow," coach Joe Paopao said, shaking his head and looking through the window toward a scoreboard that read 31-30 for the home team. "Wow. Wow."

That was after late-game heroics by Demetris Bendross, Darnell Kennedy, Kelly Wiltshire, Josh Ranek and Sandro Sciortino salvaged a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the 1-5 Stamps, putting the skids to Ottawa's three-game losing streak.

The Renegades looked to be headed for yet another defeat when Calgary's Charlie Hebert punted a ball deep into the end zone. The single would put the Stamps ahead 30-21 -- by two scores -- with less than two minutes to go.

But it appeared Ottawa got a break when Calgary was charged with a no-yards penalty. The ball would come out to the Renegades' 15-yard line. The point would be erased. Ottawa would need a drive -- a long drive -- and a two-point convert to tie, but there was hope.

Except the officials thought Renegades captain Chris Burns declined the penalty.

"You can decline the penalty, give up the point and get the ball on the 35, or you can accept the penalty and take it at the 15," Burns said, repeating what the official had told him.

"I did not want to give up the point ... I must have told him 12 to 15 times. But he saw my arms waving (like an umpire's safe sign) and he thought I was declining. I was telling him I didn't want to give up the point. I freaked out when I saw him take it to the 35. No, no, no .... I don't want to give up the point.

"I've never been so mad on a field in all my life."

Anger turned to jubilation when Kennedy led a drive downfield to set up Bendross' third TD of the night, when Wiltshire stripped Stamps QB Tommy Jones of the ball with 49 seconds left, when Ranek made the big run to set up Sciortino for the game-winning field goal with 2.6 seconds on the clock, salvaging the victory over the CFL's doormats.

"In the three years I've been here, that was the biggest, ugliest win we've won," said Paopao.

It sure was.

Wow.

FIRST AND 10: Counting 40 yards in team losses, the Renegades' total offence was a whopping 31 yards in the first half. It was that bad ... Fumbles, dropped balls, sacks, missed assignments -- in the first half, the Renegades looked a lot like the Rough Riders. At their worst ... The Renegades made it through to Calgary's quarterback a few times, but mention Tom Jones and great hits and all I seem to remember is It's Not Unusual, What's New Pussycat?, Delilah and She's A Lady ... Oddly, with the quarterback troubles they were having, the Renegades handed off to Ranek only twice in the first quarter. In fact, the next time they gave the CFL's rushing leader the pill after that was play 61, just past the halfway mark of the second quarter. Ranek took it 11 yards, and on the next play rushed for another 21, with the crowd giving the old it's-about-time roar of approval. Five snaps later, Brad Banks was throwing to Bendross on an eight-yard post pattern toward the coach's building for Ottawa's first TD ... It's never a good sign when your kicker makes the first tackle of the game, but that was the case as last-man back Sciortino had to knock Wane McGarity out of bounds at the Ottawa 46 as stragglers were still crossing the Bank St. bridge ... If the Montreal Alouettes had a spy filming coaches in this one, Don Matthews must be wondering what play the Renegades are supposed to run when Paopao pulls his hair out in clumps.

BETWEEN THE WHITE LINES: The Renegades are almost a full month ahead of last season's pace, when they posted their fourth victory Aug. 29. In Year 1, it took them until Nov. 3 to win their fourth ... Can't gripe about the kiddies playing football during halftime last night. Watching them was still a pretty sad way to spend 15 minutes, but their game was better than the show the pros had put on to that point ... There is 6:48 to go in the fourth quarter and the Renegades are down 29-14. Kennedy drops back, throws and the pass is complete to -- Pat Woodcock! When did he get here, anyway? ... Two plays later, Woodcock catches his second pass of the night. What a great idea!

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM...: After one first-quarter Ottawa punt, two Stampeders lay motionless, three yards apart, near midfield. You thought they were injured? How about asleep, due to boredom ... Not saying it was a total dud, but through Quarter 1 the Sun entertainment rating was a cloud ... With the injury to Kennedy, the Renegades' quarterback depth chart had Banks on top, but it was unclear as to whether Tyler Paopao or his dad Joe was No. 2 ... Last week, the Renegades handed walking papers to popular football administration assistant Guy Napert-Frenette. For the record, this time the dirty duties weren't done by CEO John Lisowksi -- aka. Johnny ("You're Fired!") Trump -- but team president Brad Watters.