Jason Halstead/CFL.ca
WINNIPEG — A week ago, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers got the best of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a 35-33 OK Tire Labour Day Weekend win. While the Riders didn’t make it easy, the Bombers won once again in a 26-21 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Brady Oliveira did it all as he not only led the ground game with 43 yards, but also added another 60 caught through the air, while Zach Collaros threw for 231 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Kenny Lawler for the score who tallied 64 yards in the win.
Here are CFL.ca’s three key stats from the Blue Bombers’ win over the Roughriders.
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103 – COMBINED YARDS FROM BRADY OLIVEIRA
It’s no secret that Oliveira is a workhorse that can dominate on the ground game, a necessary player for the Bombers who signed the 2023 CFL rushing leader to a two-year contract extension earlier this year. But his play translates all over the field, which was seen against the Riders.
Tallying 43 yards on the ground, Oliveira showed up with 60 yards through the air for the Bombers, including a massive 18-yard reception to get to the Saskatchewan 10-yard line, keeping the drive alive before Chris Streveler rushed down the middle for two yards for a touchdown.
Winnipeg’s offence uses a multitude of players which makes them such a threat – Oliveira, Lawler, Nic Demski, and Lucky Whitehead, just to name a few, but Oliveira’s impact in the offence no matter where he is needed stands out in back and forth battles like Saturday’s against Saskatchewan.
4 – SERGIO CASTILLO FIELD GOALS
A lot of amazing offensive and defensive players showed up for both teams in Saturday’s rematch of the Labour Day Classic, but Sergio Castillo‘s perfection through the uprights played a big role in Winnipeg being able to keep their win streak alive and defeat the Riders in back-to-back weeks.
Castillo not only scored the first points of the game, but went a perfect 4-of-4 kicking field goals, including one from as long as 46 yards, while also adding two extra points. His points, including his final kick to give Winnipeg a five-point lead with just over a minute to play, were crucial to securing a win for the Bombers.
2 – INTERCEPTIONS GRABBED BY TYRELL FORD
The Bombers defence needed to step up in order to stop the Riders who were coming into Princess Auto Stadium looking for revenge, and massive plays were made all game long, including two interceptions on Trevor Harris that swung the momentum of the game.
Tyrell Ford stepped up for both of them, first picking off Harris on Saskatchewan’s second drive of the first quarter which subsequently led to a Bombers touchdown on the next drive, but had one of the biggest plays of the game as the Riders got the ball back with one final minute to play.
On second-and-10 at the Saskatchewan 48-yard line, Ford picked off Harris and returned the ball seven yards, sealing a win for the Bombers as they took victory formation on the next play.
