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Second-year Toronto Argonauts' quarterback Cody Pickett is still looking for his first win as a CFL starter.

Then again, his coach, the here-he-is-again Don Matthews, is still looking for his first win since replacing the fired Rich Stubler.

Pickett the passer and Matthews the mentor had hoped to reach the win column together Saturday night at McMahon Stadium, home of the surging Calgary Stampeders. Instead, the Argos took to the field like a punctured tire leaking air only to leave at game's end on the wrong side of a 34-4 flattening.

Just how bad were the Argos (and how good was Calgary)?

At halftime, the score was 21-3 for the Stampeders much to the delight of their 33,135 supporters. It got worse for the Argos in the third quarter when a Pickett pass intended for Arland Bruce III was intercepted by Calgary free safety Wes Lysack and returned 56 yards for a touchdown.

That gave Calgary a 27-point advantage in a game that was decidedly Calgary almost from the kickoff.

"It was really a difficult game from our standpoint; giving too many chances to a good football team," said Matthews, whose team committed five turnovers. "Everything that could go wrong went wrong. We had enough chances to make this a very competitive game but we didn't do it. That's what we've got to accomplish."

The only player to excel in Toronto's eighth loss in 12 games was running back Dominique Dorsey, who caught passes and rushed for a combined 342 yards, a career best. Dorsey ripped off a 32-yard dash in the fourth quarter to give his team a first down at the Calgary 12-yard line.

Two plays later, Jamal Robertson fumbled and the Stampeders' recovered.

"We made too many mistakes and it hurt us," said Dorsey. "We have to get together as a team and get better."

Much of the pre-game buzz had to do with Pickett, the 28-year-old import who was given the starting assignment over Kerry Joseph, the CFL's most outstanding player. Joseph was benched after a sloppy showing in Toronto's 39-9 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Pickett started tentatively against Calgary but was plagued by dropped passes and ill-timed penalties. Toronto also fumbled the ball twice. Both miscues led to field goals by Calgary's Sandro DeAngelis (16 yards, 37 yards).

But it was a butter-fingered interception bid by Toronto defensive back Kenny Heatly that drove the Argos to despair. Had Heatly held onto the ball he had nothing but open field in front of him. Instead, the Stampeders kept the football and began a five-play scoring drive that included a 35-yard completion to Ryan Thelwell.

At the Toronto one-yard line, Calgary quarterback Henry Burris faked a hand-off and lobbed a pass to defensive end Mike Labinjo for the touchdown. It was Labinjo's first touchdown to go along with the four sacks he had recorded heading into Saturday's game.

Matthews stuck with Pickett but the misery continued.

"We've got to play better … We've got to get into the end zone," said Pickett, who ended up completing 21 of 36 passes for 193 yards and an interception.

Stampeders' running back Joffrey Reynolds finished the night with 112 yards rushing to top the 1,000-yard mark this season.

Calgary could have added a late touchdown but chose to down the ball three times inside the Toronto five-yard line in the dying seconds of the game.

The two teams meet again in Toronto on Saturday.