Winnipeg Blue Bombers 27 Toronto Argonauts 31 (November 5, 2006)
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Michael Bishop threw two fourth-quarter passes to rally the Toronto Argonauts to a wild 31-27 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Division semifinal Sunday afternoon.
Bishop replaced veteran Damon Allen after Allen was hit hard by Winnipeg's Doug Brown midway through the fourth. With Toronto trailing 27-17, Bishop hit Arland Bruce III on a 68-yard TD strike on his first snap from centre at 7:26.
After Toronto's Jordan Younger recovered a Charles Roberts fumble at the Winnipeg 34, Bishop threw a 15-yard bullet to R. Jay Soward for the touchdown and a 31-27 lead, delighting the loud but disappointing Rogers Centre gathering of 26,214.
The Argos had been hoping for as many as 40,000 fans.
Winnipeg made it very interesting by driving to the Toronto 31-yard line with under a minute left. But Argos safety Orlondo Steinauer cemented the victory with a big interception at the 22-yard line with 44 seconds remaining.
Toronto will now meet the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division final next weekend.
The fumble was the lone blemish on an outstanding effort by Roberts. The East Division's nominee for the league's outstanding player award ran for 178 yards on 30 carries and scored two third-quarter touchdowns to erase a 14-6 deficit and put Winnipeg ahead 20-14.
Kevin Glenn, showing no ill effects of the sprained left ankle he suffered last week, hit Chris Brazzell with a 27-yard touchdown pass at 3:36 of the fourth to boost Winnipeg's lead to 27-17.
Toronto seemed to do itself in and take the crowd out of the game in the third with two terrible plays. The first was Bishop's failure to convert on third-and-short, which gave Winnipeg the ball at centre field.
The Bombers didn't score on their ensuing series, but Troy Westwood's 62-yard punt pinned Toronto returner Keith Stokes in the end zone. Rather than give up the single, Stokes tried to run it out, and was caught at the Toronto three-yard line. The Argos ended up punting deep in their zone, giving Winnipeg a short field to work with - a no-no in Canadian football.
Glenn hit Milt Stegall on a 60-yard completion before Roberts lugged the ball on the next play the final 11 yards for the TD.
Michael Palmer scored Toronto's other touchdown. Noel Prefontaine kicked two field goals, three converts and a single.
Winnipeg's Troy Westwood booted three converts and two field goals.
Palmer's 23-yard touchdown catch staked Toronto to a 14-6 half-time lead. Allen hit Palmer to cap a 63-yard, six-play drive at 13:34 of the second.
Toronto threatened to extend its lead late in the quarter after Khalil Carter's interception return put the ball on Winnipeg's 30-yard line with under a minute left. However, Bomber Kyries Hebert ended that threat with an interception in the end zone.
Earlier, Ricky Williams' 43-yard reception put Toronto on Winnipeg's 19-yard line, but it was negated by a holding penalty.
The star of the first half, though, clearly was Roberts. He ran 99 yards on 15 carries, at one point in the second lugging the ball on seven of the Bombers' eight offensive plays for 49 yards to set up a field goal.
Notes:
Prior to Winnipeg's first offensive play, a message on the Jumbotron reminded fans of Stegall's critical comments about Toronto's lack of support of the CFL. Predictably, Stegall was roundly booted . . . Late in the first, Westwood had a 23-yard punt go out of bounds. Argos coach Mike (Pinball) Clemons, a stellar kick returner during his playing days, gathered in the punt on the sidelines and began running upfield, to a loud ovation from the Rogers Centre faithful . . . Receiver Andrae Thurman, centre Dominic Picard, receiver Kwame Cavil and defensive lineman Cameron Legault didn't dress for Winnipeg. Miles, defensive backs Jermaine Mays and Dave Donaldson and offensive lineman Cliff Washburn were Toronto's scratches.
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER
- WPG -- T. WESTWOOD Field Goal (42 yds) - Field Goal (4:39)
- TOR -- N. PREFONTAINE Field Goal (37 yds) - Field Goal (11:19)
- TOR -- N. PREFONTAINE Field Goal (28 yds) - Field Goal (14:27)
SECOND QUARTER
- TOR -- N. PREFONTAINE Missed Field Goal (38 yds) - Single (3:56)
- WPG -- T. WESTWOOD Field Goal (23 yds) - Field Goal (8:53)
- TOR -- D. ALLEN Completed Pass to M. PALMER (23 yds) - Touchdown (13:34)
- TOR -- N. PREFONTAINE Convert - Convert(1) (13:34)
THIRD QUARTER
- WPG -- C. ROBERTS Run (1 yds) - Touchdown (11:29)
- WPG -- T. WESTWOOD Convert - Convert(1) (11:39)
- WPG -- C. ROBERTS Run (11 yds) - Touchdown (13:42)
- WPG -- T. WESTWOOD Convert - Convert(1) (13:56)
FOURTH QUARTER
- TOR -- N. PREFONTAINE Field Goal (38 yds) - Field Goal (1:31)
- WPG -- K. GLENN Completed Pass to C. BRAZZELL (27 yds) - Touchdown (3:36)
- WPG -- T. WESTWOOD Convert - Convert(1) (3:53)
- TOR -- M. BISHOP Completed Pass to A. BRUCE (77 yds) - Touchdown (7:26)
- TOR -- N. PREFONTAINE Convert - Convert(1) (7:33)
- TOR -- M. BISHOP Completed Pass to R. SOWARD (14 yds) - Touchdown (9:11)
- TOR -- N. PREFONTAINE Convert - Convert(1) (9:18)
courtesy of cfl.ca
Date
November 5, 2006
