Blue Bombers come out on top in back-and-forth against Calgary Stampeders
WINNIPEG – In a game that saw 46 first half points, multiple momentum swings and lead changes, it was the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who got the better of the Calgary Stampeders as they secured a 41-37 victory at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday night.
Zach Collaros threw for 344 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, Ontaria Wilson had a career night recording his first CFL touchdown as well as 201 yards, and Brady Oliveira led the ground game surpassing 100 yards in back-to-back games, tallying 109 in the win.
Jake Maier threw for 316 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss, while Dedrick Mills led the Stampeders on the ground with 131 rushing yards on 15 carries.
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The visitors got off on the right foot first, as Jalen Philpot grabbed a pass from Maier for a 53-yard reception to put the Stamps on the Winnipeg 23-yard line, before Mills went on a 19-yard run, setting up Tommy Stevens to punch in the touchdown on the first drive of the game.
On the next play, Collaros turned the ball over after being picked off, but as Maier threw an interception of his own on the next drive, the Bombers would settle for a 31-yard field foal from Sergio Castillo for their first points of the game.
With the clock winding down to zero to close out the first quarter, Castillo came in clutch once again with a massive 57-yard field goal to make the game a one-point affair.
A tale of two kickers, Paredes and Castillo traded three more field goals, with Paredes hitting a 41-yard kick to make it 13-9 for Calgary, with kickers going 6-for-6 in the first half.
With four minutes to play, the Bombers found some momentum on offence and Collaros notched his first passing touchdown of the season as he found Ontaria Wilson for 30 yards, tallying his first career touchdown in the CFL.
On the first play of the very next drive, Deatrick Nichols grabbed a pick-six off Maier and took the ball to the house for a 55-yard score, his first pick-six since Week 7 of the 2022 season.
The Bombers suddenly went from trailing to leading by 10, but the Stampeders did not let the two quick scores deflate them as a 32-yard grab from Erik Brooks cut the deficit to just three.
As the Stampeders defence forced a two-and-out from Collaros and the Bombers, a 22-yard chip shot from Paredes ended the quarter as the two teams were tied after a 46-point first half.
Despite a high-scoring, high intensity first half, the two teams showed the strength in each of their defences in the second quarter, as both remained scoreless until the Bombers took back the lead with just over three minutes to go.
The play started as Tanner Cadwallader blocked Calgary’s punt, setting up the Bombers on the Calgary 33-yard line, with Brady Oliveira rushing for 30 yards on the drive across three plays before Chris Streveler rushed for three yards into the end zone.
In Stampeders fashion, they opened the fourth quarter with a response touchdown, as Maier found Cole Tucker for 22 yards before Tommy Stevens rushed in for three yards himself, notching two touchdowns in a game in back-to-back weeks and evening the score for Calgary.
After the Stampeders tied the game once again, Castillo gave Winnipeg a three-point lead with just under 10 minutes to play as he kicked his fourth successful field goal of the night from 38 yards away.
Three plays later Calgary was back on top as Maier found Reggie Begelton for 28 yards to get to the Winnipeg five-yard line, before finding Marken Michel for five yards and the score to take a four-point lead.
Just when it seemed like the Stamps may have had the win secured, a 42-yard grab from Wilson allowed the Bombers to move down to Calgary’s 23-yard line, and two plays later Collaros found Nic Demski for 10 yards, the lead, and Demski’s first touchdown of the season.
The two connected once again to convert on the two-point attempt, forcing the Stamps to need a touchdown to win with just over three minutes to play.
Winnipeg’s first sack of the night couldn’t have come at a better time, as Josh Thomas took down Maier, just the third sack Calgary has given up all season, and an incomplete pass on second-and-17 forced the Stamps to punt and give the Bombers the ball back.
In Week 7 action, the Blue Bombers will head on the road to face off against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium on July 19 at 9:30 p.m. EDT, while the Stampeders will head home to McMahon Stadium to host the BC Lions at 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 21.
