Zach Collaros threw his first touchdown pass of the season into the hot hands of rookie Ontaria Wilson and Deatrick Nichols recorded a 55-interception return for a score as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Calgary Stampeders 41-37 in a see-saw battle on Friday.
Calgary led 37-33 with 7:32 to go in the fourth quarter when Collaros guided the Bombers on a nine-play, 102-yard drive that ended with Nic Demski’s 10-yard touchdown catch and two-point convert grab with 3:25 left.
Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier was sacked for a loss and threw an incompletion to force Calgary to punt. The Bombers chewed up some yards and ran the clock out.
It was Winnipeg’s second straight victory and bumped their record to 2-4. Calgary lost its second consecutive game and moved to 2-3.
Wilson’s score was the Georgia native’s first CFL touchdown. He finished with 13 receptions for 201 yards in front of 29,467 fans at Princess Auto Stadium.
Collaros completed 27 of 36 pass attempts for 344 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.
Maier was 20-of-31 passing for 316 yards with two TDs and two picks.
Bombers running back Brady Oliveira rushed 15 times for 109 yards. Calgary counterpart Dedrick Mills also carried the ball 15 times for 131 yards.
Backup Winnipeg quarterback Chris Streveler ran three yards for a score. Placekicker Sergio Castillo hit field goals from 31, 57, 28 and 38 yards. He missed one attempt from 55 yards, but made three converts.
The Stampeders got a pair of touchdown runs by backup quarterback Tommy Stevens. Receivers Erik Brooks and Marken Michel also caught TD passes.
Calgary kicker Rene Paredes booted field goals from 38, 41, 22 yards and made four converts.
The Stampeders led 7-6 after the first quarter, it was tied 23-23 at halftime and Winnipeg led 30-23 heading into the fourth.
There was a lot of action in the first half, with Calgary turning the ball over three times and Winnipeg scoring 13 points off the gifts.
The Stampeders opened the game strong with a five-play, 76-yard drive capped by Stevens’ one-yard TD run.
The teams then exchanged interceptions.
Collaros was picked off by defensive back Tre Roberson, but when Maier lined up after the turnover, he was intercepted on his first throw by Bombers DB Tyrell Ford.
Winnipeg used the turnover for Castillo’s 31-yard field goal to make it 7-3 at 6:16.
Calgary gave up another turnover when running back Peyton Logan was forced to fumble by Nichols. The ball was recovered by Bombers defensive end Lucky Ogbevoen, who was making his CFL debut.
Winnipeg’s new drive ended with a 57-yard Castillo field goal as time expired.
The second quarter featured three field goals from Paredes, one by Castillo, back-to-back Winnipeg touchdowns and a Calgary TD.
Collaros notched his first TD pass of the season with a 30-yard strike to Wilson in the corner of the end zone, who was falling as he hauled in the pass.
Maier was then intercepted again, this time by Nichols who took it down the sidelines for 55-yard TD run to make it 23-13 for Winnipeg.
Brooks caught a 32-yard pass in the end zone and Paredes booted a 22-yarder as time expired on the first half.
Castillo missed a 55-yard attempt on the opening series of the third quarter and Calgary ran it out.
On Winnipeg’s next series, Collaros was intercepted by Roberson again, this time in the end zone. It wasn’t costly as the Stamps were forced to punt and Bombers linebacker Tanner Cadwallader partially blocked it and Nick Hallett recovered the ball.
Oliveira then ran three times for 30 yards, followed by Streveler’s three-yard keeper for the touchdown at 11:40 to give Winnipeg a 30-23 lead.
Calgary regained a 37-33 lead by 7:32 of the fourth after a Stevens’ three-yard TD run around the side and Michel’s five-yard reception for a major.