In a game that looked like a loss at first but turned into tension at the end, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers held on to beat the Toronto Argonauts on Monday and remain unbeaten on the season.
After taking a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, the Bombers allowed the Argos to get back in the game, and after a touchdown late in the fourth quarter cut the lead to one, Argos kicker Boris Bede he missed the extra point, allowing the Bombers to escape with a 23-22 win.
Just as they did in two games against Ottawa earlier this season, the Bombers’ defense gave up a ton of yards (426), but kept the damage on the scoreboard low.
Winnipeg eliminated QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson from Toronto three times and scored 17 points on turnovers.
For the second straight game, the Bombers’ defense recorded a pick-six when Winston Rose caught a pass from Bethel-Thompson and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown.
Later in the quarter, the Argos QB threw his second interception of the opening frame as the Bombers’ Nick Taylor joined the interception party. The offense took advantage when Zach Collaros found Drew Wolitarsky for a 15-yard touchdown and the converted extra point made it 14-0.
Before the first 15 minutes expired, Collaros found Dalton Schoen for a 35-yard reception, setting up Marc Liegghio for a 15-yard field goal early in the second quarter to make it 17-0.
The Bombers would get their third turnover of the game with just under 10 minutes left in the quarter, as Andrew Harris received a third-and-one run from the Winnipeg 25-yard line.
Toronto would get on the board before the end of the fourth when Boris Bede fired a 52-yard field goal through the posts with 1:06 remaining after a sack by Adam Bighill abruptly ended a Toronto drive.
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The Bombers looked to score points before the first half ended by moving into field goal range, but Jamal Peters intercepted Collaros after throwing one into the end zone.
Toronto continued to cut the lead just over a minute into the third quarter when Bethel-Thompson found Brandon Banks in the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown. Initially, the pitch appeared to have been intercepted by Bombers DB Demerio Houston as the two battled for it at the goal line, but it ended up slipping into Banks’ hands.
A promising Argos drive later in the quarter that came to Winnipeg 10, was thwarted after a Bethel-Thompson pass went from Banks to Bombers DB Malcolm Thompson, who ended up lobbing it laterally to Taylor, who took it all the way to the Winnipeg 49-yard line.
The Bombers got him into field goal range and on the first play of the fourth quarter, Liegghio hit a 20-yard field goal to put the Bombers ahead by two scores.
However, Toronto kept moving the ball and cut the lead to 20-13 when Bede made a 42-yard field goal with less than 11 minutes left after a sack by Jake Thomas ended the drive.
The two teams then traded shots from the field and the Argos won the ball 23-16 with less than two minutes left. Another drive down the field ended in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bethel-Thompson to Markeith Ambles, but Bede’s leg betrayed him on the extra point attempt.
On an injury note, Bombers linebacker Kyrie Wilson left the game and did not return.
Despite not finding the end zone, Harris had a great first game against his former club, recording 111 yards on 22 carries.
Meanwhile, the Bombers’ running game struggled as Brady Oliveira led the way with just 28 yards on seven carries.
Next up for the Bombers is a battle with the 3-0 BC Lions on Saturday in Vancouver. Pregame show starts at 4 p.m. at 680 CJOB and starts shortly after 6 p.m.
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