No Collaros, no Oliveira, no problem, as Blue Bombers handle B.C. Lions in season opener
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the B.C. Lions 34-20 in their season opener on Thursday without starting quarterback Zach Collaros and star running back Brady Oliveira.
Collaros was serving a one-game suspension for failing to respond to an off-season drug-testing request. He was replaced by Chris Streveler, who threw two of his three touchdown passes to Nic Demski.
Streveler completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 246 yards and one interception in front of a sellout of 32,343 at Princess Auto Stadium.
Oliveira, the CFL's reigning most outstanding player and top Canadian, went to the locker room after a Winnipeg scoring drive in the first three minutes of the game. The Bombers (1-0) announced he wouldn't return because of an upper-body injury.
Rookie Matthew Peterson from Brooks, Alta., took his place, scoring his first career touchdown off a 38-yard run in the second quarter. He ended up with 23 carries for 130 yards.
B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke left the game midway in the fourth quarter after an apparent injury. He was 12 of 27 passing for 249 yards with one TD and one interception. He also ran two yards for a score.
Rourke was replaced by Jeremiah Masoli as the Lions fell to 1-1.
Keric Wheatfall had Winnipeg's other TD reception, finishing with five catches for 127 yards.
Sergio Castillo booted field goals from 49 and 50 yards for Winnipeg, but missed from 47 yards out. He made three of his four convert attempts and the Bombers also picked up a point off a punt single.
Keon Hatcher caught a 77-yard TD pass for the Lions and finished with four catches for 150 yards. Sean Whyte hit field goals from 21 and 37 yards and connected on two converts.
The Bombers led 10-3 after the first quarter, 18-10 at halftime and 28-20 heading into the fourth.
Winnipeg opened the game with a four-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Oliveira burst out of the gates for a 43-yard gain, the longest carry of his career.
Streveler followed up with a 20-yard TD pass to Demski in the end zone at 2:29, marking his 72nd consecutive game with at least one reception. Oliveira went to the locker room after the score.
The Bombers boosted their lead after his departure, thanks to a turnover. Defensive back Marquise Bridges intercepted a tipped Rourke pass attempt, leading to Castillo's 49-yarder and a 10-0 lead at 8:39.
Rourke, who was pressured by Winnipeg's defence all game, ran for 36 yards to get his team to Winnipeg's 13-yard line but the Lions settled for Whyte's 21-yarder at 10:23.
Peterson notched his touchdown at 7:25 of the second quarter and Winnipeg got the punt single four minutes later to go up 18-3.
Rourke ran two yards for a score with nine seconds remaining in the half.
After Wheatfall's 30-yard TD catch at 7:57 of the third quarter, Hatcher made an over-the-shoulder grab for his 77-yard score. Whyte's 37-yard field goal squeezed the score to 28-20 at 11:28.
Demski hauled in a four-yard TD catch in the corner of the end zone at 3:48 of the fourth.
Winnipeg got another turnover off a fumbled B.C. kickoff return, but the opportunity ended with Castillo going wide on his field-goal attempt and the ball was run out.
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It was a good sign for an offensive line that was starting two second-year players in left guard Micah Vanterpool and right tackle Kendall Randolph. The Bombers helped stymie Lions standout defensive end Mathieu Betts by chipping him throughout the contest, and his running mate, Kemoko Turay, was also a non-factor. The fact that this was only the first game for this new-look starting five is promising for an offence that will return with its No. 1 quarterback next week. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. X: @jfreysam 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. Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
