Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22 British Columbia Lions 21 (August 10, 2007)
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0 commentsThis was an exciting game. The Bombers were the clear underdog to the Grey Cup champions. Now, onto the highlights from cfl.ca.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers scored 10 points in less than three minutes in the fourth quarter, then hung on for a 22-21 victory over the British Columbia Lions in CFL play Friday night.
The Bombers erased a eight-point deficit when wide receiver Terrence Edwards scored on a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin Glenn at 3:57 of the final quarter. That came one play after Edwards hauled in a 52-yard pass.
Winnipeg's two-point convert failed but B.C.'s Ian Smart fumbled the kickoff. That setup a 33-yard Rob Pikula field goal at 6:43.
A last-ditch Lions drive ended when quarterback Buck Pierce threw an incompletion on a third-and-five with about 40 seconds left.
A crowd of 31,523 watched Bombers running back Charles Roberts rush for over 100 yards and make several key catches.
Glenn also threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Derick Armstrong.
Pierce, playing with a painful turf toe, threw one touchdown pass to Chad Mock and running back Joe Smith crashed over from the one-yard line.
Paul McCallum kicked field goals of 12 and 45-yards for the Lions and added a 51-yard single off a punt. He also missed a 41-yard attempt with just under five minutes left that would have given B.C. the lead.
Pikula, who started the season with the Lions, also kicked field goals of 41 and 31 yards.
The win moved Winnipeg back into first place in the CFL East with a 4-2-1 record for nine points, one more than the Montreal Alouettes.
The loss, the second in as many games for B.C., dropped the Lions to 5-2-0. They remain tied for first in the West with Saskatchewan.
It was the first time in 12 games the Lions had lost to an Eastern team and the first time B.C. has suffered consecutive home losses since July 2004.
The Lions led 17-10 at half time, thanks to Smith's touchdown with just 27 seconds left in the quarter.
While Smith got the glory, slotback Geroy Simon set up the play with a 28-yard catch. The Lions also benefited from a pass interference call in the end zone on the next play.
Pierce, who missed last week's game with turf toe and sore ribs, completed his first nine passes. He went 4-for-4 on the opening drive and hit Mock with a seven-yard pass for the major. It was Mock's first CFL touchdown.
The Winnipeg offense struggled early and didn't generate a first down in the opening quarter.
Glenn settled down in the second quarter and began hitting the open man. While Glenn was spreading the ball among his receivers, Roberts started gaining yards on the ground.
The Bomber's first touchdown was set up when Edwards made a pretty 35-yard catch to give Winnipeg a first down on the B.C. eight. Glenn found Armstrong open in the end zone on the next play.
Penalties cost the Bombers.
Early in the third quarter Roberts ripped off a 42-yard run. The promising drive was snuffed out when the Bombers took three consecutive penalties that pushed them out of field goal range.
Later, Pierce threw an incompletion that would have forced the Lions to punt from deep in their own end. But Winnipeg was called for being off-side and on the next play Pierce threw a 34-yard completion to Cory Rodgers. That set up a McCallum field goal.
Both teams were coming off losses. The Lions lost their first game of the season last week against Saskatchewan while the Bombers were beaten by Hamilton.
NOTES: Lions' Otis Floyd, Korey Banks and Dante Marsh all trained with Winnipeg's Milt Stegall last winter in Atlanta. ...Floyd returned to the B.C. lineup after missing three games with an abdominal strain. ...Quarterback Dave Dickenson, out since July 13 with a concussion, began riding the stationary bike this week but there's still no word when he might return to the lineup.
Date
August 10, 2007
