Kenny Lawler caught a 10-yard pass in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers avoided a Hamilton Tiger-Cats comeback with a 26-23 victory on Friday.
The Blue Bombers (5-6) extended their win streak to three games in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,343 at Princess Auto Stadium, while the Tiger-Cats (2-9) dropped their fourth game in row.
Hamilton trailed 16-3 at halftime, but a pair of Greg Bell rushing touchdowns helped the visitors hold a 23-19 lead with 1:48 left in the CFL contest.
A Ticats’ illegal contact penalty kept the Blue Bombers’ winning drive alive.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed 18 of 36 pass attempts for 177 yards with three interceptions.
Bo Levi Mitchell was 14-of-28 passing for 220 yards with no interceptions or TDs for Hamilton.
Blue Bombers rookie linebacker Michael Ayers picked up a fumbled ball after a punt and ran 27 yards for a touchdown. Sergio Castillo connected on field goals from 43, 18, 41 and 45 yards, and made two converts.
Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira had 120 yards off 18 carries. Hamilton receiver Tim White hauled in seven catches for 134 yards.
Marc Liegghio booted field goals from 27, 50 and 45 yards for Hamilton, but missed a 45-yard attempt. He was good on his convert.
After the game was delayed early in the first quarter following an injury that sent Bombers’ offensive tackle Stanley Bryant to hospital, Winnipeg continued the drive and capped it off with Castillo’s 43-yard field goal at 4:59.
The Ticats were held scoreless in the first quarter for the fourth consecutive game.
Castillo made it 6-0 a minute into the second quarter when he chipped through an 18-yarder, but Hamilton responded on its next possession with Liegghio’s 28-yarder.
Collaros was intercepted by Ticats’ defensive back Jamal Peters late in the quarter, but the Ticats couldn’t capitalize.
Ayers, a rookie out of Columbus, Ohio, who attended Division 2 Ashland University, then notched his first-ever TD after a smart play by teammate Tony Jones.
The fellow linebacker forced Hamilton receiver Jordan Byrd to fumble a punt return. Ayers scooped up the ball and crossed into the end zone at 12:08 of the second quarter to give Winnipeg a 13-3 lead after Castillo knocked through the convert.
Castillo made it 16-3 when his 41-yard field goal was good with three seconds remaining in the half.
Hamilton only had three first downs in the first half compared to Winnipeg’s 14. The Ticats’ net offence at that point was 88 yards, while the Bombers had 176.
It was all Ticats early and late in the third quarter.
Bell ran in his first TD at 7:09, followed by Liegghio’s 50-yarder at 9:42 after Collaros was intercepted by Richard Leonard.
Winnipeg responded with Castillo’s 45-yarder at 12:41 to make it 19-13, but Bell gave Hamilton its first lead of the game with a six-yard TD run as time expired in the third quarter.
Liegghio went wide left on a 45-yard attempt and the ball was brought out by Lucky Whitehead with 4:09 remaining. Winnipeg ended up punting.
Ticats linebacker Kyle Wilson then intercepted Collaros, leading to Liegghio’s 45-yarder with 1:48 left that made it 23-19.
BRYANT TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
Bryant put a scare into fans and players 3:23 into the first quarter.
After a Winnipeg run play in which he didn’t make a tackle, Bryant bent down on his right knee and training staff came out to him. He then got up, started walking toward the sideline, but stopped again and went to one knee.
A stretcher was brought out for the 38 year old, who was hooked up to intravenous and waved to fans as he was rolled off the field and taken to hospital by ambulance.
“Stanley Bryant is alert and is currently undergoing further evaluation at the hospital. He is stable and with team medical personnel,” the Blue Bombers posted on their X page, formerly known as Twitter.
Winnipeg was under a heat warning, with an evening temperature of 25 Celsius and the humidex at 31C.
With 50 seconds remaining in the first half, Bombers offensive lineman Gabe Wallace was taken off the field on a cart with what appeared to be a leg injury.
The injuries left Winnipeg with no backup offensive lineman, although defensive tackle Jake Thomas was available.
UP NEXT
Bombers: Visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Tiger-Cats: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Monday, Sept. 2.
