Zach Collaros does it all for unbeaten Blue Bombers in win over Edmonton Elks
Zach Collaros threw three touchdown passes and ran for a critical TD himself to lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 36-23 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Thursday.
The veteran quarterback, who was 25 of 30 for 334 yards, connected on two touchdown strikes to Nic Demski, one for eight yards and another for 60. Keric Wheatfall hauled in a 52-yard TD pass.
Demski, who was a game-time decision with an injured ankle, extended his reception streak to 74 consecutive games.
The Blue Bombers upped their record to 3-0 in front of a seventh consecutive sellout at Princess Auto Stadium. Edmonton remained winless at 0-3.
Winnipeg has won its last 13 meetings against Edmonton and are 16-2 against the club since 2017.
Fans got an exciting finish.
Winnipeg led 23-13 at halftime, but Elks quarterback Tre Ford came out firing in the third quarter, hitting Kaion Julien-Grant with a 68-yard touchdown pass at 2:01.
Edmonton kicker Vincent Blanchard followed that up with a 41-yard field goal to tie the game 23-23.
Winnipeg responded by marching down to Edmonton's 22-yard line, but only came away with a 30-yard Sergio Castillo field goal at 2:36 of the fourth.
The Bombers then chewed up the clock midway through the quarter, putting up an 11-play, 86-yard drive that Collaros capped by escaping from pressure and running 13 yards into the end zone with 5:42 left.
Castillo added a 23-yard field goal with 1:20 remaining.
Ford was 18 of 29 for 252 yards and no interceptions.
Elks backup Cody Fajardo scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. Blanchard was also good on field goals from 38 and 29 yards and made his two converts.
Castillo also booted a 35-yard field goal and made three of four convert attempts.
Both teams scored on their second possession of the game.
Fajardo busted over on a one-yard quarterback sneak, but Winnipeg responded with Demski's eight-yard TD catch. Castillo missed the convert attempt to give the Elks a 7-6 lead.
Blanchard booted a 38-yard field goal one minute into the second quarter.
The Bombers replied with Collaros sailing the ball to Wheatfall along the sidelines, who got by his defender and ran into
the end zone at 2:39.
Three minutes later, Collaros threw a deep pass to Demski, who bumped off his defender and sped into the end zone for a 60-yard score. Castillo was good on his convert to make it 20-10.
Both teams were then hit by fumbles.
Edmonton didn't capitalize but Winnipeg used its turnover for Castillo's 35-yarder that made it 23-10 with under two minutes left in the first half.
Collaros was 16 of 18 passing for 232 yards and three touchdowns at halftime.
After Julien-Grant's TD catch, Bombers defensive back Evan Holm intercepted Ford midway through the third, but he was called for pass interference. Ford was sacked by Kyrie Wilson on the next play.
Up next
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Joy of playing soccer returns for Canada's Jordyn Huitema after harrowing U.S. home invasion
Social Sharing The smile was wiped from Jordyn Huitema's face as quick as the forward's stride on a soccer pitch. She was discussing her and the Canadian national women's team's long-standing rivalry with the United States when a Toronto reporter asked Huitema about being victim to a home invasion last month. With a night off on May 1, the fourth-year member of the National Women's Soccer League's Seattle Reign FC locked all doors of her home in Mercer Island, Wash., at 8:30 p.m. PT and went to bed. Soon, Huitema heard noises downstairs but the home alarm didn't sound. She quickly entered survival mode, grabbing clothes, her phone and barricading herself in the bathroom by hiding in a locked water closet. WATCH | Huitema returning to normalcy after traumatic home invasion scare: CanWNT star Jordyn Huitema on finding her game after frightening home invasion 8 minutes ago Duration 1:56 "I was sitting on the floor with my back against the door and my feet on the toilet, pushing against the door," Huitema, from Chilliwack, B.C., later told the Seattle Times. "But then … there was one person that came into the bathroom with me, and his flashlight was shining, and I could see it going under the door. I knew he was right beside me, and I was just hoping that he didn't touch the door. "That's when I put my hand over my mouth and nose and was just trying to hold in all the tears, trying to hold in all the sounds, just trying to be as quiet as possible." Huitema called 911 and eventually reached a dispatcher, whispering details in a bid to stay hidden. She doesn't know whether the robbers realized she was home but was never spotted. They intruders stole nearly $200,000 US worth of belongings, according to court documents. Weeks later, Huitema and her Canadian teammates are preparing for Friday's Pride Celebration friendly against Costa Rica, a 7:30 p.m. ET start at BMO Field in Toronto. 'It's a journey' Huitema now has more jump in her step. She's having fun hanging out with her teammates on the national squad. And she's excited to play before a home crowd. "A work in progress," is how the 24-year-old Huitema described her return to soccer in a Zoom call this week with Signa Butler of CBC Sports. "It's a journey. I've got my routine back of sleeping and eating; the basics to be a professional [athlete]. "The joy being on the field brings me is something you don't feel anywhere else. I feel like a different person than where I was at [a few weeks ago]." Following the home invasion, Reign head coach Laura Harvey gave Huitema the option to sit out, but she chose to play. "I tried to give everything," the player said, "and that wore me down more without realizing I was slipping away from myself. I was exhausted. "I was struggling so much that when it was time to step on the field my head was in a different world. "I'm very bad at choosing myself in situations where I should," continued Huitema, "but I'm learning." After an "amazing" conversation with Casey Stoney, first-year head coach of Canada's national women's team, Huitema returned to Chilliwack and spent about a week with her parents and siblings. "She agreed I should step away," Huitema said of Stoney, the 42-year-old former England captain hired by Canada Soccer in January. "I never like to wave the white flag and say that I'm down. WATCH | Holly Ward, Evelyne Viens lead Canadian sweep over Haiti: A pair of goals by Viens leads Canada to another win over Haiti 23 days ago Duration 3:08 Made senior national team debut at 15 "[But] it was a good reset. Had I let [the situation] spiral, it could have turned into something where it needed to be a longer-termed [absence] but all I needed in that moment was a week." These days, Huitema is excited about the number of fresh faces with the national team. In March 2017, she made her debut with the senior club as a 15-year-old in Canada's 1-0 Algarve Cup final loss to Spain in Portugal. She was the third-youngest woman to play for Canada behind only record-holder Kara Lang and Jessie Fleming, who were also 15. "We need to start developing the future of Canada soccer," said the five-foot-10 Huitema, who won 2021 Olympic gold in Tokyo and was a member of last year's team in Paris. "You see yourself in [the younger players]. You can relate to them, so you try to give a helping hand or be supportive to make them feel comfortable." After Friday's friendly, the eighth-ranked Canadians travel to Washington to face the top-ranked U.S. on July 2 at Audi Field. Canada, which hasn't won in America since Nov. 11, 2000, has a 4-53-9 record against the U.S. that dates to 1986 when the Canadian women's program was established. "Yeah, we all hate [the U.S. team]," said Huitema, smiling. "It's the rivalry we have. It's funny because I've been playing with so many of [their players] the last three, four years. I'm close friends with 95 per cent of them. "I'll have brief conversations with them, and they'll say, 'We hate you guys. You're so nice, and we love you as people, but we hate you.' It's probably the most exciting game we get to play. It's the [one] you want to win, for sure."
Edmonton Journal
3 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
After only middling results for the Edmonton Oilers in Free Agency 2024, will this be The Summer of Stan?
Article content Will this be the Summer of Stan? Prior to Stan Bowman being hired as the Edmonton Oilers General Manager, CEO Jeff Jackson was at the helm for Free Agency in the Summer of 2024. And he was busy, re-signing and adding multiple pieces to the roster. Article content At the time, the reviews were quite good. Even effusive by some. But time, events and circumstances have whittled away at some of the Jackson's record. Part of that is coloured by the offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. But I digress… Article content Two of the players who arrived in Free Agency last Summer that do not appear to be headed back to Edmonton in 2025-26 are indeed Jackson hires: Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner. Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, the Jeff Skinner buyout in Buffalo should have been seen as a cautionary sign versus an opportunity. Yes, he was a six-time thirty-goal scorer in the NHL. Perhaps the thinking was that, along side a guy like Leon Draisaitl, Skinner might bounce back into that range from twenty-four goals in 2023-24. But right from training camp the coaching staff seemed to have different ideas. It soon became apparent that Skinner did not fit. Never a Selke candidate, his defensive play seemed to be of primary concern. Now, to Skinner's credit, his defensive details came around and he was much better in the second half. But the die was all but cast, it seemed. Skinner ended up at 16-13-29 in 72 GP. And he only played a few games in the post-season (1-2-2 in 5 GP). Article content Then there was the Arvidsson signing. I do not want to be disingenuous. I lauded the decision to bring him in. Arvidsson in all my viewings had always been that tenacious, difficult-to-play-against winger who five times had scored twenty goals. In both Nashville and L.A., he was effective. And while his play in Edmonton was solid enough…it never really rose above, despite considerable time on Draisaitl's wing. Arvidsson ended up the year at 15-12-27 in 67 GP. The numbers were nearly identical to the afore-mentioned Skinner. Deeper into post season Arvidsson was twice a healthy scratch (ended 2-5-7 in 15 GP). And to my eye, Arvidsson ended up on his pants way more often in the heavy going than I had perceived him to be in the past. Like Skinner, the lack of fit became apparent. I do not think either man will return. In fact, the reports have been many about how Arvidsson and the Oilers have agreed that a mutual parting would be best, and Stan Bowman is apparently looking for a potential taker for the final year of player's No Movement Clause and $4m cap hit. Hall of Fame writer Jim Matheson at The Edmonton Journal has even mused whether it may take a 'sweetener' to get that deal done. Skinner, on the other hand, seems destined to hit the UFA market once his $3m deal expires this week. Article content The Edmonton Oilers will have other options available to them on the wings. My take is that they will be looking for guys with a different dimension than Arvidsson or Skinner had. I think they will be looking for someone with size who can beef up the lineup but still produce a bit. Former 6'4 Oiler Klim Kostin comes to mind, who is a pending UFA after his unsuccessful time in San Jose. So does 6'5 Brett Leason, an Albertan who spent last season in Anaheim. He is an RFA. Both would probably cost somewhere between the league minimum and $1m-ish, Leason maybe a shade more. The Oilers also have a couple other exisiting bodies in competition for those winger spots. Matthew Savoie is under contract for $886,666 and has the inside track but he would likely fit better in a Top 9 role. Max Jones has another year at $1m. Right-shot David Tomasek is more of a center as is Noah Philp. Josh Samanski seems more likely to start in Bakersfield. Article content Latest National Stories
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
North Bay Battalion make second off-season signing
North Bay Battalion make second off-season signing North Bay Battalion sign Cam Warren of Vaughan to the team.
