The Ottawa Redblacks (2-3) hosted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-2) on Saturday afternoon from TD Place. Ottawa quarterback Dustin Crum made his first career start. He is the fourth quarterback to start a game for the Redblacks this season (Nick Arbuckle, Tyrie Adams, Jeremiah Masoli).
The Ottawa crowd was antsy because their starter, Jeremiah Masoli, tore his ACL in his left knee last week against Hamilton and will miss the rest of the season. On the other side, the Blue Bombers were looking for their third straight win and get head coach Mike O’Shea his 87th win as a coach. This would move him up to second of all-time behind the late Bud Grant (102 wins).
In the first quarter, Jamieson Sheahan punted the ball 73 yards inside the endzone for a single point. It was 1-0 Winnipeg with 13:56 left. Ottawa’s offense struggled mightily. They were unable to move the ball. The Blue Bombers sacked Crum four times in the first half.
Later in the first quarter, Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo converted a 52-yard field goal for a 4-0 lead with 8:43 left. When Winnipeg got the ball for their next series, quarterback Zach Collaros threw four passes for 79 yards plus an unnecessary roughness penalty on Ottawa putting Winnipeg on the one-yard line.
Then, Winnipeg backup quarterback Dakota Prukop came in and scored the touchdown with a quarterback sneak. It was 11-0 with 1:57 left. The Blue Bombers led 11-0 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Winnipeg continued to pile on the lead. Quarterback Zach Collaros threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Nick Demski and it was now 18-0 with 5:18. The crowd in Ottawa let their frustrations be known by Ottawa’s performance.
Their offense did not get a first down until 4:13 left in the second quarter. Ottawa kicker Lewis Ward made a 47-yard field goal. It was 18-3 Winnipeg with 2:33 left. Neither team did much the rest of the second quarter and it was still 18-3 at halftime.
Winnipeg had 201 yards on offense. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 13 of 20 passes (65%) for 202 yards and one touchdown. Wide receivers Nick Demski, Drew Wolitarsky, and Dalton Schoen combined with nine catches for 168 yards.
For Ottawa, it was not all bad news in the first half. The defensive front four prevented the Blue Bombers to establish a running game. The running backs combined for 12 yards. Quarterback Dustin Crum completed 5 of 12 passes (41.7%) for 20 yards, running back Devonte Williams had three carries for 13 yards, and wide receiver Savon Scarver had one catch for eight yards. Ottawa had 17 yards on offense.
In the third quarter, Ottawa’s offense started to get going. On the fourth play, quarterback Dustin Crum rushed for a 14-yard gain on Winnipeg’s 31-yard line. After a penalty set them back, kicker Lewis Ward converted a 42-yard field goal. It was now 18-6 Winnipeg with 11:31 left.
Later in the third quarter, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros threw two passes for 78 yards before throwing an eight-yard touchdown pass to Drew Wolitarsky for a 25-6 lead with six minutes left. Ottawa controlled the rest of the third quarter. They made it to the Blue Bombers’ 15-yard line as the third quarter ended down 25-6. It looked like Ottawa was done and buried. However, one thing they did not do was quit.
In the fourth quarter, Ottawa kicker Lewis Ward made a 22-yard field goal. It was 25-9 Winnipeg with 15 minutes left. Winnipeg’s offense went to sleep and the Redblacks capitalized. With 2:38 left in the game, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros’s pass intended for Drew Wolitarsky was outside and Brandin Dandridge intercepted it for a 25-yard touchdown. Next, Ottawa converted a two-point conversion. Suddenly it was now 25-17 with 2:32 left.
After Ottawa’s defense forced a two-and-out, Ottawa quarterback Dustin Crum put the game on his shoulders. He threw six straight passes for 82 yards. Then, he took the ball and ran it in for a 12-yard touchdown. Ottawa needed two points to tie the game to force overtime. They got it when Crum threw the ball to Nat Behar which tied the game 25-25 as time expired. The game went to overtime.
In overtime, Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo made a 48-yard field goal for a 28-25 lead. Ottawa needed a field goal to force another overtime or win it with a touchdown. Ottawa running back Devonte Williams had a six-yard gain reaching Winnipeg’s 29-yard line.
Next, Dustin Crum tried to find a receiver to throw the ball to but took it upon himself to score a game-winning 29-yard touchdown and the team jumped with joy with celebration as they won the game by the final score of 31-28.
You have got to give Ottawa credit for not giving up when they were down by 19 points with three minutes left in the game. The fans and announcers could not believe what they witnessed and this game is a top-five candidate.
Ottawa quarterback Dustin Crum completed 26 of 42 passes (62%) for 261 yards, one interception, and led the rushers with nine carries for 103 yards, and two touchdowns. Running back Devonte Williams had eight carries for 36 yards. Wide receivers Nate Behar, Justin Hardy, and Jaelon Acklin combined with 21 catches for 218 yards.
Ottawa’s defense deserves immense credit for stepping up when they needed to. They allowed 357 yards, with 47 tackles, three sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
For Winnipeg, they will have to wait another game to get head coach Mike O’Shea his 87th win. However, this performance is why you play all four quarters. It does not matter how bad a team looks on paper. When you give them room to improve, they are going to take advantage.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed 22 of 32 passes (68.8%) for 354 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Running back Brady Oliveira had nine carries for 16 yards and led the receivers with three catches for 93 yards.
Wide receivers Drew Wolitarsky and Nic Demski combined with nine catches for 149 yards. Winnipeg’s defense allowed 368 yards, with 57 tackles, six sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Next Thursday, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Edmonton Elks at 8:30 pm on CFL+, while the Ottawa Redblacks take on the Calgary Stampeders from McMahon Stadium next Sunday at 7 pm on CBS Sports Network. Subscribe to Fubo to watch all of the 2023 CFL Season. Purchase CFL tickets today on StubHub and Viagogo.
