A good 20 yards away from the ball drifting harmlessly to the turf, middle linebacker Alex Singleton leapt in the air and punched ferociously at the stars.

The man was so jacked you’d have thought he, not 53-year-old Mavis Wanczyk of Chicopee, Mass., had the winning ticket on Thursday’s $758.7 million Powerball jackpot.

Down to their last gasp, by then in truth only a fool’s errand, QB Ricky Ray had seconds earlier reared back from the 16-yard-line and let fly one final time.

Third-and-nine. Twenty-two ticks left on the clock. Nursing a 23-7 lead. The two points on offer already tucked away in the Calgary Stampeders’ safety-deposit box.

Time to sluff off?

Hardly.

Time to knuckle down.

Rising to confront Toronto Argonauts slotback S.J. Green, cornerback Tommie Campbell sealed the deal with a knockdown.

Marking consecutive home games in which the Stampders defensive resistance has simply refused to permit a touchdown.

“We want to do that every week,’’ said Singleton of his emotional reaction. “You have to have that mindset.

“I mean, that last drive, we could’ve just let them score. But there was a conscious effort to keep them out. We try to play the same way all the time, every game, every series, no matter what the time of the game is or the score.”

Alex Singleton brings down Brandon Whitaker during Saturday’s win over the Argos (Photo by David Moll)

Campbell certainly wasn’t permitting any late sloppiness on his watch.

“To give up points in, what, the last 20 seconds?” he said, sounding offended, with a soft shake of the head. “Can’t let that happen.

“Without a doubt, I take that kind of thing personally. We all do. It’s on me to make that play. I was a little mad I didn’t come down with the interception, the ball was a little under-thrown. But the main thing is he didn’t catch it.

“That’s the thing about this defence. Every guy has a role to play. No one role is more important than the next and you never know when you’re going to have to step up and be the guy.”

Another masterclass from a Stampeder defence that’s developing into one of the most compelling storylines of this CFL season. Saturday, they didn’t allow the Argonaut offence to creep past the midfield stripe until 7:20 of the third quarter.

Watching them, you’re reminded of the wizard Gandalf facing the mighty Balrog deep in the Mines of Moria in the first Lord of the Rings movie: “You … shall not pass!”

So pitching the TD shutout, not merely winning the game, was very definitely on their minds.

Safety Josh Bell says the Stamps defence is always looking to improve (Photo by Rob McMorris)

“We were actually talkin’ about it on the field at the time,’’ confessed safety Josh Bell. “We did not want them to score. Before the game, we were talkin’ about holding them to zero.

“One of our best games?’’ Bell flashed a wolf’s grin. “Yeah, I guess so. But we just beat a team (Hamilton) 60-1, remember.

“Today, we still talkin’ about the mistakes we made last night. That’s the highlight of this morning. Nobody’s talkin’ about how great we played. Nobody’s satisfied.”

Ten weeks in, co-ordinator DeVone Claybrooks’ gang has allowed 31 few points than any other team. And that team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, has played one less game.

“Kudos to the guys,’’ lauded the big man with the slightly tilted ballcap and bassoon-rich voice. “They’re the ones doing the job. Locking in. Any time in the CFL you can keep the opposition out of the end zone, especially a team with that many weapons . . . they have and a Hall of Fame quarterback.

“The best part is our guys want to be great. They understand how much work that takes and they see the inconsistency of some teams in this league.

“The most consistent team is going to win.

“The difference in this defence and other defences I’ve been around is that rather than play for the coach, these guys play for each other. They hold each other accountable. J-Bell isn’t afraid to say: ‘Smitty, what’re you doing?’ Or someone else will say: ‘Wall, what’re you doing?’ Micah be like: ‘Y’all gotta cover man, we need one more stop!’

“No one takes it personally. They police themelves. If you’re gonna get ridiculed in that locker room, good chance you’re gonna take of your business, right?

“I couldn’t ask for a better group.”

Saturday, the 37-year-old Ray was in downright peril of losing his liberty: Chased and harassed, battered and sacked. Green, meanwhile, had a quiet night, catching only four passes for 48 yards.

“We want to keep teams down as much as we can, not give ’em anything,’’ said rush end James Vaughters.

“One of the more annoying things that happens in games is when you hold a team to, like, no points for three quarters or halfway through the fourth quarter and then give up a touchdown, or a field goal.

“Just cause you relaxed a little bit or got satisfied.

“Then you’re like: ‘Man, I wish we’d really kept that goose-egg.’

“It’s like anything else – when a shark sniffs blood, that’s when it’s active and starts getting after it.

“If you can be perfect, you’re like: Let’s do it.”

Next up, of course, Labour Day Monday, tungsten-tough Mike Reilly, the Edmonton Eskimos and the opportunity to create more separation at the top of a tightly packed West Division.

“Our attitude,’’ vowed Bell, “doesn’t change.

“We start at zero.

“And that’s where we want to keep them.”