Collaros itchin' to throw vs. Lions

Winnipeg Free Press

4 hours ago

VANCOUVER — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are looking to build on a stellar season opener in a rematch with the B.C. Lions at BC Place on Saturday (6 p.m.), but they will look a little different while doing it.
Changes at quarterback, running back and along the offensive line punctuate what's been a week of ironing out wrinkles for the Blue and Gold, and they aren't the only ones. The Lions are dealing with some major changes themselves.
The veteran Winnipeg squad is quite comfortable in these situations. The club was 2-0 in home-and-homes last year, and looked good in each rematch, beating the Roughriders by five and the Elks by 28 in their second go-rounds.
Despite their success, head coach Mike O'Shea said he doesn't believe there is a secret sauce in these circumstances.
'I really don't think there is. There's so much time between games. Even on shorter weeks, it's not like you're playing every second night, right? I still don't believe you can carry momentum from one week to the next. In game, there's such a thing as momentum; in-between there really isn't,' he said.
'You have to treat this one like it's a separate entity. So you prepare, and you always believe your opponent's gonna give you their best, and it's really about what we do anyway.'
This week stands to be a bit different than a regular rematch. There are more season debuts, plenty of injuries and enough changes to the depth chart for this to feel like it could take an entirely different path.
This is the final matchup between the West Division foes, so the Bombers can take care of the season series with a win or by avoiding a loss by more than 14 points. It would be the earliest that this season series will have been wrapped up.
Before we start counting eggs, let's look at some of the biggest storylines leading up to kickoff in the latest edition of 5 Storylines.
Zach Collaros might have a hard time sleeping on the eve of this one.
The Bombers' starting pivot will make his season debut after serving a one-game suspension last week.
Collaros detailed the agony he endured during the season-opener, as he paced the hallways inside Princess Auto Stadium and walked on a treadmill while watching his teammates earn a 34-20 victory.
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'I'm pretty fired up,' said Bomber QB Zach Collaros.
He's moved past it now, but those pre-game jitters have been around since he stepped on the field for practice Monday.
'I'm pretty fired up,' said Collaros.
'I don't think that's ever going to go away. If it does, it's probably time to step away. I'm just excited to get out there and play. It's been a long time since the last time I was out there, and I couldn't be taking the field with a better group of guys. And that's the coolest part about it, is you got a lot of old friends on this team, guys that we've accomplished a lot with, and to be back out there with them, it's gonna be a lot of fun.'
Though it was against other regimes, Collaros has enjoyed success against the Lions, boasting a 13-4 record against the coastal squad.
One week after Winnipeg's offence operated with its backup quarterback, it's the Lions' turn.
Lions head coach Buck Pierce confirmed Friday that Jeremiah Masoli will start in place of Nathan Rourke, who suffered an oblique injury in the fourth quarter of the Week 2 contest.
The franchise pivot is labelled a game-time decision, and while he's not going to play, Pierce said he will dress. The Lions roster the minimum requirement of three quarterbacks, so Rourke is listed as the third option on the depth chart but is not expected to play.
It's the cautious and perhaps wise move by Pierce, who is attempting to preserve his signal-caller with 18 weeks to go in the regular season.
Enter the 36-year-old Masoli, who is in his first season with B.C. after eight with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the last three with the Ottawa Redblacks. The veteran pivot completed seven of 10 passes for 84 passing yards while throwing one interception in relief of Rourke last week.
Masoli has endured a brutal stretch of injuries dating to his days in Hamilton. He suffered a torn ACL in 2019, a long-term, bone-based leg injury in 2022 and then ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2023. He's not taking this opportunity for granted.
'I'm super thankful,' Masoli said after Friday's walkthrough. 'I was so thankful just to even get the call to come back up here, and then let alone be here at B.C., a place that I've always wanted to be at. It's not about me at all. It's about our team and just us coming together and really forging our identity early in the season and making sure we are who we want to be on the field.'
The injuries to Brady Oliveira and Rourke are unfortunate in more ways than one. They are two of the league's biggest homegrown stars, and they will be on the sideline for a pivotal early season matchup.
Injuries to star players are never good for the three-down product, but especially so when it's a pair of players who rep the Maple Leaf as proudly as Oliveira and Rourke.
It's not as though this contest is void of any stud national players, however. The Bombers will continue to field Grey Cup Most Outstanding Canadian, receiver Nic Demski and the Lions still have last year's leader in receiving yards, Justin McInnis.
Down their star rusher, the Bombers will roster two running backs with combined experience of one professional game, with 23 carries for 130 yards.
Those numbers belong to rookie Matthew Peterson, who entered last week's contest in relief of Oliveira and looked anything but a player making his pro debut. Bombers fans are still buzzing about his display of power, speed and shiftiness, which were all highlighted on a 38-yard highlight-reel touchdown run.
However, Peterson, who weighs in at 5-9, 203 pounds, could serve in a change-of-pace role this week with fellow rookie Quinton Cooley — 5-7, 220 pounds — who was upgraded from the practice roster.
Cooley shone in pre-season, racking up 92 rushing yards on 13 carries and catching three passes for 45 yards in two exhibition contests.
His punishing play-style impressed the coaching staff enough to keep him around on the practice roster, and perhaps he will have an opportunity to show that in a game which impacts the standings.
'You know, Quinton's got speed to him too, and he's got a lot of power behind him,' said Peterson, who happily accepted the lightning moniker. 'He solidifies that physicality that this team requires, and so it's going to be very fun to go out there and not just watch him, but to be able to play with him.'
It's the second time the Bombers will start without Oliveira since he took the reins from fellow Winnipegger Andrew Harris in 2022.
One of the units that shone brightest in the Bombers' victory was the offensive line. It's a unit that underwent some changes this off-season, with guard Liam Dobson joining the Ticats in free agency and tackle Eric Lofton suffering a knee injury early in camp.
Micah Vanterpool and Kendall Randolph, a pair of sophomores, took over seamlessly, opening lanes for Peterson to run through while keeping Streveler's jersey clean for the most part.
However, with changes elsewhere on the roster, the Bombers will start Gabe Wallace, another second-year player, at left guard in place of Vanterpool to comply with the CFL's ratio rule. Wallace was thought to be one of two battling for the starting gig at left guard (Tui Eli) throughout training camp, but fell out of the running as Vanterpool emerged.
Checking in at a hulking 6-6, 340 pounds, the 24-year-old Wallace is a people-mover with a knack for getting extra nasty when the score counts.
He got some run as a rookie in the 2024 season-opener against Montreal and dressed for the first 11 games of 2024 before suffering a knee injury that knocked him out until the regular season finale.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
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Joshua Frey-SamReporter
Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
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