By Stampeders.com Staff

As luck would have it, Saturday’s Calgary-Winnipeg clash comes on the 36th anniversary of another Stampeders-Blue Bombers confrontation at McMahon Stadium.

It was on July 18, 1979, that the Stamps played host to the Bombers. It was Week 2 of the season but it was Calgary’s first contest as the Red and White had been on a bye during the opening week. It was the dawn of an important season for the home side, which was entering its third season under the tutelage of head coach Jack Gotta.

Calgary was coming off a nine-win performance in 1978, the club’s first winning season in seven years. The hated Edmonton Eskimos were defending champions and had posted an impressive 28-10 victory over the Bombers in Week 1.

The Stampeders wanted to build on their improvement from the previous season and show they were ready to challenge the Esks for West Division supremacy.

With a record crowd of more than 33,000 on hand, the Stamps made a solid first impression as they waxed the Bombers 35-7.

Ken Johnson, a former World Football League and Buffalo Bills quarterback who had joined the Stamps late in the 1978 season, made the start for Calgary and connected with Willie Armstead for a couple of first-quarter touchdowns.

In the second quarter, he hit tight end — and future Stamps ownership group member — Bob Viccars for a major as the Red and White built a 23-6 halftime lead.

John Hufnagel, who later returned to Calgary to make an important contribution to the franchise, capped the Calgary victory with a touchdown run.

The defence, led that season by standouts such as Terry Irvin, Al Burleson, Ray Odums, Doug Battershill, Andy Jonassen and Reggie Lewis, held the Blue Bombers without a touchdown as all the visitors’ scoring came off the foot of kicker Bernie Ruoff.

It was the kickoff to a great season for the Stamps, who finished the regular season with a 12-4 — their best win total since 1967.