WINNIPEG — Kenny Lawler believes determination and desire pushed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 26-23 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday.
“Basically, it came down to who wanted it more, what’s in your heart,” Lawler said. “We had to go out there, put our hard hat on and pull it out, and that’s what happened.”
Lawler caught a 10-yard pass in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining as the Blue Bombers avoided a Tiger-Cats’ comeback.
Hamilton trailed 16-3 at halftime, but a pair of Greg Bell rushing touchdowns helped the visitors build a 23-19 lead with 1:48 left in the CFL contest.
A Ticats’ illegal contact penalty kept the Bombers' winning drive alive.
Winnipeg (5-6) extended its win streak to three games in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,343 at Princess Auto Stadium, while the Tiger-Cats (2-9) dropped their fourth game in row.
“They just played a little bit harder than us, man,” Hamilton defensive end Nick Usher said of the Bombers’ winning drive.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed 18 of 36 pass attempts for 177 yards with three interceptions.
“He's as competitive as there is,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “He's so hard on himself. We've been around him long enough. He's just (expletive) awesome.”
Tiger-Cats head coach Scott Milanovich credited Collaros for leading the late charge.
“Zach’s a champion for a reason and he got it done when he had to,” Milanovich said.
Bo Levi Mitchell was 14-of-28 passing for 220 yards with no interceptions or TDs for Hamilton.
“He didn’t put the ball in harm’s way, that’s definitely a plus,” Milanovich said of Mitchell, who got the start after Taylor Powell suffered a concussion in the last game and was placed on the six-game injured list.
Bombers rookie linebacker Michael Ayers picked up a fumbled ball after a punt and ran 27 yards for a touchdown. Sergio Castillo connected on field goals from 43, 18, 41 and 45 yards, and made two converts.
Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira had 120 yards off 18 carries. Hamilton receiver Tim White hauled in seven catches for 134 yards.
Marc Liegghio booted field goals from 27, 50 and 45 yards for Hamilton, but missed a 45-yard attempt. He was good on his convert.
The game was delayed 3:23 into the first quarter because of a health scare with Bombers all-star offensive lineman Stanley Bryant.
After a Winnipeg run play in which he didn’t make a tackle, Bryant bent down on his right knee and the training staff came out to him. He then got up, started walking toward the sideline, but stopped again and went to one knee.
A stretcher was brought out for the 38 year old, who was hooked up to intravenous and waved to fans as he was rolled off the field and taken to hospital by ambulance.
“I wouldn't normally do this, but because of what people would see on TV, I just want to let everybody know that he called, he says he's feeling a lot better,” O’Shea said of Bryant.
“A combination of the heat and being sick. I think he was sick all week. And a short week. I just think it all added up in him not feeling good for a second.”
Winnipeg was under a heat warning, with an evening temperature of 25 Celsius and the humidex at 31C.
With 50 seconds remaining in the first half, Bombers offensive lineman Gabe Wallace was taken off the field on a cart with what appeared to be a leg injury.
The injuries left Winnipeg with no backup offensive lineman, although defensive tackle Jake Thomas was available.
Winnipeg led 3-0 after the first quarter. It was the fourth consecutive game the Ticats were held scoreless in the first quarter.
After the Bombers went ahead 6-3, Ayers, a rookie out of Columbus, Ohio, who attended Division 2 Ashland University, notched his first-ever TD after a smart play by teammate Tony Jones.
The fellow linebacker forced Hamilton receiver Jordan Byrd to fumble a punt return. Ayers scooped up the ball and crossed into the end zone at 12:08 of the second quarter.
Castillo made it 16-3 when his 41-yard field goal was good with three seconds remaining in the half.
Hamilton only had three first downs in the first half compared to Winnipeg’s 14.
It was all Ticats early and late in the third quarter.
Bell ran in his first TD at 7:09 and Liegghio booted a 50-yarder at 9:42 after Collaros was intercepted by Richard Leonard.
Castillo hit a 45-yarder at 12:41 to make it 19-13, but Bell gave Hamilton its first lead of the game with a six-yard TD run as time expired in the third quarter.
Ticats linebacker Kyle Wilson then intercepted Collaros, leading to Liegghio’s 45-yarder with 1:48 left that made it 23-19.
UP NEXT
Bombers: Visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Tiger-Cats: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Monday, Sept. 2.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2024.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press