Bombers air attack overwhelms Elks

Winnipeg Free Press

6 hours ago

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have prided themselves on their ground game for a long time.
In Thursday night's showdown against the visiting Edmonton Elks, it was an air show that got it done.
The running attack sputtered for most of the evening with reigning Most Outstanding Player Brady Oliveira missing a second consecuvtive game with a shoulder injury. Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros made up for it with his arm in a big way by completing 25-of-30 attempts for 334 passing yards, three touchdown passes, and a rushing touchdown — his first since Week 15 in 2023 — to lead the Bombers to a 36-23 victory over the winless Elks.
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed 25-of-30 passes for 334 yards, three touchdown passes, and a rushing touchdown in the Bombers 36-23 win over the Edmonton Elks, Thursday at Princess Auto Stadium.
Collaros passed for 300-plus yards four times last season.
The victory pushes the Bombers to a perfect 3-0 while the Elks continue their slide as they fall to 0-3.
Winnipeg has now won 13 consecutive against Edmonton — their longest win streak against any opponent in franchise history — and is 16-2 against them dating back to 2017.
The Bombers had 10 rushing yards at the half, but backup tailback Matthew Peterson – a second-year Canadian out of the University of Alberta – picked it up late to end with 65 yards on 12 attempts. American rookie Quinton Cooley chipped in 19 on four rushes.
The Elks opened the scoring midway through the first on a six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by goalline sneak by backup quarterback Cody Fajardo.
After that, the first half was all Big Blue. The home side found paydirt on three drives in a row to take a 23-13 advantage into half.
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Nic Demski had a pair of touchdowns in the first half of the Bombers victory over the Elks.
Collaros's first strike was an eight-yard touchdown pass to Nic Demski — who was a game-time decision after missing practice all week with an ankle injury — from eight yards out. Kicker Sergio Castillo missed the convert, which he did once last season. Winnipeg jumped out in front on their first touch of the second quarter after Collaros dropped a perfect pass into the arms of Keric Wheatfall on a go route for a 52-yard touchdown to go up 13-10.
A tough act to follow, but Demski did just that as he hauled in a pass at the Edmonton 20 and did the rest for a 60-yard touchdown.
It seemed Winnipeg could do no wrong in the first 30 minutes as rookie returner Trey Vaval mishandled a punt near midfield and the Green and Gold recovered. No damage was done, though, as strong-side linebacker Redha Kramdi hit Elks running back Justin Rankin with a peanut punch to force a fumble to give it right back to the Blue and Gold.
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It looked like the Bombers were going to run away with things until Edmonton kicked off the second half in style with quarterback Tre Ford chucking a 68-yard touchdown to receiver Kaion Julien-Grant to cut Edmonton's deficit to 23-20. It was redemption for Julien-Grant — who led all receivers with 115 yards — as he had a ball bounce off his hands in the corner of the end zone at the end of the second quarter.
Two drives later, Julien-Grant had another deep ball thrown in his direction, but he tripped after some minor contact with Bombers halfback Evan Holm. Holm intercepted it, but a questionable pass interference penalty was called to spoil the turnover. The call allowed the Elks to kick a field goal to make it a 23-23 draw with 5:39 left in the third.
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Edmonton Elks' Javon Leake runs for a first down in the first half against the Bombers, Thursday.
Edmonton was backed up in their own end on their next possession and Ford made a crucial mistake with an inaccurate throw to the sideline that should've been picked off by second-year corner Terrell Bonds, but he did not maintain possession of the ball when he hit the ground.
Ford ended the night with 252 passing yards and one touchdown while completing 18-of-29 attempts. The most athletic pivot in the CFL only managed six rushing yards on one carry. He was sacked three times, with linebacker Tony Jones, linebacker Kyrie Wilson, and defensive end Willie Jefferson all taking turns dropping the Canadian QB to the turf. His twin brother, former Bombers corner Tyrell Ford, made two defensive tackles.
Air Collaros never got off the ground in the third frame but started to show signs of life at the start of the fourth by finding Canadian wideout Kevens Clercius for a 45-yard gain to set up a 30-yard field goal by Castillo to reclaim the lead at 26-23.
Then, with just under six minutes left in the contest, the 36-year-old quarterback showed he can still make you pay with his legs as he closed out an 11-play, 86-yard drive with a 13-yard highlight-reel touchdown scramble to give the Bombers a 33-23 edge. He celebrated by hucking the ball to a lucky fan in the 12th row of Section 137.
Despite only having five days to prepare for the Elks, the Bombers looked like a well-oiled machine.
Demski led the Bombers in receiving with 97 yards and five catches. Dalton Schoen had his biggest game of the year with six snags for 75 yards, while Wheatfall added 62 on three catches.
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Edmonton's Chelen Garnes (right) throws the Bombers' Quinton Cooley to the turf.
Princess Auto Stadium was sold out for a seventh consecutive game.
The Bombers will look to carry their momentum to next Thursday when they hit the road to play the Calgary Stampeders (2-1) at McMahon Stadium.
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Taylor AllenReporter
Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.
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