Tommy Stevens ended a long game with a short gain.

Stevens ran for a one-yard touchdown that concluded Saturday’s second overtime session and gave the Saskatchewan Roughriders a 40-37 victory over his former CFL team, the Calgary Stampeders, at McMahon Stadium.

Calgary, which trailed 23-7 late in the first half, forced overtime by scoring a converted touchdown with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

However, the Saskatchewan defence held Calgary to a field goal on both of its possessions in overtime.

After the second stop, the Roughriders scored a touchdown to improve their record to 2-0. Calgary fell to 0-2, with both losses coming at home.

“My jaw hurts, because I had to put that fifth piece of gum in for overtime,” victorious Head Coach Corey Mace said after the nailbiter. “My jaw is clicking, but my heart’s OK. The ticker’s still ticking.

“It’s just a character win. There were multiple opportunities when we could have put the team away. Ultimately, we did not do that, but this is a team and they stuck together.

“Call me crazy, but I’ll take this kind of win today for this team moving forward.”

On the final possession of overtime, quarterback Trevor Harris moved the Roughriders 34 yards in four plays before Stevens, the short-yardage specialist, entered the game and settled matters.

“We have some things to clean up, but I’m glad we have some things to clean up after a win as opposed to taking a loss,” Harris said.

“We’re 2-and-0. We’ll try to flush this one after tonight and go 1-and-0 next week.”

The Roughriders are to return to action on Friday against the Toronto Argonauts (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). Tickets are AVAILABLE HERE.

In Calgary, Harris threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns. His favourite target was Kian Schaffer-Baker, who caught eight passes for 130 yards and two scores.

Schaffer-Baker has 19 receptions for 295 yards over the first two games of the season. His receiving-yardage total is the second-best in Roughriders history after the first two regular-season contests. Jeff Fairholm had 324 yards (310 in regulation time) at the two-game mark in 1993.

“None of that is possible without every single guy in our room,” the popular-pass catcher said. “A game is never won by just one person.”

Saskatchewan’s Alex Hale opened the scoring with a 27-yard field goal at 2:58 of the first quarter. A 38-yard completion to KeeSean Johnson had put the Roughriders in field-goal range.

Saskatchewan went up 10-0 when Hale converted a two-yard touchdown run by Stevens, who completed a seven-play, 80-yard march.

The big plays on that possession were a 38-yard reception by Samuel Emilus and runs of 13 and 12 yards by A.J. Ouellette. Ouellette’s 13-yarder, on a second-and-eight draw play, took him to Calgary’s two-yard line.

The Stampeders got on the board when Quincy Vaughn plunged for a one-yard TD at 7:09 of the second quarter. Jude McAtamney added the convert to reduce the Roughriders’ lead to 10-7.

Calgary capitalized two plays after recovering a fumble on Saskatchewan’s 14-yard line. It was the Roughriders’ first turnover of the season.

Saskatchewan soon responded with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Schaffer-Baker, who scored at 10:12 of the second quarter. Hale’s convert gave the Roughriders a 17-7 lead.

Harris and Schaffer-Baker struck again with 13 seconds left in the second quarter, connecting for a four-yard major. Hale’s convert attempt was wide.

Calgary’s Tyreik McAllister scored on a 120-yard missed field goal late in the second quarter to help the Stampeders narrow the gap to 23-14.

McAtamney’s 22-yard field goal at 4:26 of the third quarter made it 23-17.

Saskatchewan answered with a three-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Johnson at 10:04 of the third frame. Ouellette ran for a two-point conversion to put Saskatchewan up 31-17.

The Stampeders answered with the final 14 points of regulation time.

Vaughn’s second TD of the game, at 1:09 of the fourth quarter, and the convert moved Calgary to within 31-24.

Calgary tied the game with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Vernon Adams Jr. found ex-Roughrider Tevin Jones for a 12-yard major and McAtamney added the convert. The Stampeders marched 88 yards in nine plays.

McAtamney’s 17-yard field goal gave Calgary a 34-31 lead to conclude the first offensive series of overtime. Hale countered with a 37-yard field goal to force a second OT session.

McAtamney’s 24-yard field goal restored Calgary’s lead, at 37-34, but the Roughriders responded with the game-winning drive.

Saskatchewan began its final possession with a 12-yard pass from Harris to a diving Emilus. After a three-yard run by Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, Harris found Dhel Duncan-Busby for eight yards and a first down. An 11-yard completion to Schaffer-Baker put the ball on Calgary’s one-yard line. Stevens took it from there.

KIAN’S COOKIN’

The two-touchdown game was Schaffer-Baker’s second in the CFL. He also caught two TD passes from Harris on June 16, 2024, helping the Roughriders defeat the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-30.

Schaffer-Baker has the Roughriders’ two gains of 50-plus yards this season. He had a 52-yard reception in a season-opening, 31-27 victory over the visiting B.C. Lions on June 13.

On Saturday, he scored the second-longest touchdown of his career — a 53-yarder. He scored on an 85-yard connection with Cody Fajardo in B.C. on Aug. 26, 2022.

EXTRA POINTS

• Following the game, Mace did not have anything to update on Ouellette and defensive halfback JuJu Hughes, both of whom left the game due to injuries. Ouellette, who had 18 carries for 84 yards, limped off the field late in the third quarter. Hughes, making his first CFL start in place of the injured Rolan Milligan Jr., was hurt four minutes into the fourth frame.

• Stevens has two touchdown runs in two of his past three games. He previously scored twice in the Roughriders’ 25-17 Grey Cup victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Nov. 16 in Winnipeg.

• The Roughriders scored a touchdown all four times they were in the red zone on Saturday.

• Calgary had three yards passing and no first downs during the first quarter. The Stampeders did not move the chains until 2:03 of the second quarter. At halftime, Saskatchewan had 316 yards of net offence, compared to 52 for Calgary, and was ahead 15-4 in first downs.

• James Vaughters has a sack in each of his first two games with the Roughriders.

• Jameer Thurman led the Roughriders in defensive tackles, with eight, on Saturday. Fellow linebacker Josh Woods added seven stops, including one for a loss. Marcus Sayles added two pass knockdowns.

• Kerfalla Exume registered the Roughriders’ first onside kick recovery since Sept. 1, 2024, when Adam Auclair pounced on a loose football against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

• Roughriders fullback Albert Awachie played in his 100th CFL game.