On Saturday night at McMahan Stadium, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took on the Calgary Stampeders in round two. In their last meeting, the Blue Bombers beat the Stampeders 26-19 a couple of weeks ago, and Calgary was looking to even the score.
In the first quarter, the Stampeders took a 3-0 lead on a Rene Paredes 25-yard field goal with 10:32 left. After Winnipeg went three-and-out, Calgary got the ball back. Running back, Ka’Deem Carey broke out for a 23-yard run, and quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw a 19-yard pass to Malik Henry. The drive stalled on the Blue Bombers’ 31-yard line, and Stampeders’ kicker Rene Paredes made a 38-yard field goal for a 6-0 lead with 6:06 left.
On Winnipeg’s next possession, quarterback Zach Collaros threw several short passes along with a 16-yard run by Brady Oliveira to get the Blue Bombers’ down to the four-yard line. Then, Collaros scrambled out of the pocket before throwing a touchdown to Nic Demski for the touchdown, putting Winnipeg up 7-6 with 56-seconds left. Calgary had the ball to begin the second quarter facing 2nd and 10.
Stampeders’ quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw a 20-yard pass to Ka’Deem Carey, followed by a short pass to Kamar Jordan. Mitchell tried to go to Jordan again, but his pass was incomplete, setting up third down. Kicker Rene Paredes made his third field goal for 53-yards to take a 9-7 lead with 13:23 left.
The Blue Bombers began their next possession by handing the ball off twice to Brady Oliveira for 39 yards. Winnipeg reached the Stampeders’ 16-yard line before Zach Collaros threw a pass down the middle to Nic Demski for the touchdown to take a 14-9 lead with 9:36 left.
For the rest of the second quarter, both teams traded field goals. Stampeders’ kicker Rene Paredes made a 38-yard field goal, cutting Winnipeg’s lead 14-12, and Blue Bombers’ kicker Marc Liegghio made a 12-yard field goal for a 17-12 lead at halftime. Calgary got the ball to start the third quarter.
In the third quarter, the Stampeders made a comeback. Running back, Ka’Deem Carey broke out to a 31-yard run, followed by Bo Levi Mitchell finding Reggie Begelton for 23-yards. Calgary’s offense got to Winnipeg’s two-yard line, and Ka’Deem Carey finished the drive with a touchdown. Calgary tried to go for a two-point conversion but didn’t get it and was up by one, 18-17, with 8:02 left.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros threw three passes, plus backup quarterback Dakota Prukop’s 11-yard run got them to Calgary’s 26-yard line. Then, Collaros threw his third touchdown pass with an over-the-should catch by Dalton Schoen for a 26-yard touchdown, putting Winnipeg back in the lead, 24-18, with 4:57 left.
On Calgary’s next possession, Bo Levi Mitchell threw four passes 53 yards plus a Ka’Deem Carey ten-yard run that led them to Winnipeg’s two-yard line. Ka’Deem Carey scored his second touchdown up the middle that put Calgary back up 25-24, heading into the fourth quarter.
Winnipeg had the ball to begin the fourth quarter. They were able to get to Calgary’s 52-yard line before Marc Liegghio punted the ball that bounced in the endzone and out of bounds for a single point, tying the game 25-25 with 13:17 left in the game.
On Calgary’s next possession, the offense moved the ball towards the Blue Bombers’ 26-yard line before Rene Paredes made a 33-yard field goal to give them a 28-25 lead with 8:03 left.
Blue Bombers’ quarterback Zach Collaros and running back Brady Oliveira led the offense down to Calgary’s 25-yard line. On 2nd and 5, Collaros threw his fourth touchdown pass to Dalton Schoen for 25-yards, putting them up 32-28 with 4:10 left in the game.
Winnipeg kicker Marc Liegghio put the game away with a 40-yard field goal with 40-seconds left, and the Blue Bombers defeated the Calgary Stampeders 35-28. The Blue Bombers are now 8-0, while the Stampeders drop to 4-2.
Winnipeg’s defense continues to show why they are the best in the CFL. Stopping Calgary’s offense and only giving up five field goals was huge. Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s offense was faster than Calgary’s defense. There is a reason why they’re 8-0 and the way they are playing. It’s going to be hard for any team to stop them from winning a third straight Grey Cup title.
For Calgary, they need to score touchdowns, not field goals. Bo Levi Mitchell did not throw a touchdown pass. The only touchdowns for Calgary came from Ka’Deem Carey. The Stampeders must find ways to finish drives that result in touchdowns.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros went 22/30 for 270 yards, four touchdowns, and one carry for nine yards. Running back, Brady Oliveira had 15 carries for 110 yards, while wide receivers Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski combined with 11 catches for 149 yards and four touchdowns. Winnipeg’s defense allowed 358 yards, 50 tackles, and four pass breakups. The Blue Bombers play Montreal next Thursday at 7:30 pm on ESPN+.
Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was 21/32 for 219 yards and one carry for 11 yards. Running back, Ka’Deem Carey had 14 carries for 92 yards, two touchdowns, and four catches for 32 yards, while wide receiver Reggie Begelton had five catches for 74 yards. Calgary’s defense allowed 430 yards, 44 tackles, one forced fumble, and three pass breakups. Calgary plays the Ottawa Redblacks next Friday at 7:30 pm on ESPN+.
