Oh what a night

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This article was published 16/07/2022 (1202 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you didn’t know who Carlton Agudosi was before Friday night, you certainly do now.

You couldn’t miss him as the 6-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver is taller than every single player on the Calgary Stampeders roster.

But never mind his height. It was his stellar play in his CFL debut that made him stand out in the Bombers’ 26-19 victory over the visiting Stamps.

The 28-year-old Agudosi got the start in place of Brendan O’Leary-Orange who was placed on the six-game injured list earlier in the week. The Rutgers University product made the most of the opportunity as he had six catches for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His first touchdown grab was a 16-yarder in the second quarter with Zach Collaros throwing a fade to the back corner of the end zone. Stampeders defensive back Tre Roberson, who’s six inches shorter, didn’t stand a chance as Agudosi looked like a power forward snatching a rebound. Agudosi would score in a similar fashion in the fourth quarter, this time from 10 yards out, to put the Blue and Gold up 26-19.

“It feels amazing. I’m on cloud nine,” Agudosi told reporters after the game. “I’m going to enjoy it tonight and then move on.”

Agudosi’s wife and newborn daughter made the trip to Winnipeg from New Jersey to watch the game. They won’t be leaving empty handed.

“I kept (both touchdown balls). I got one for my wife and one for my daughter,” Agudosi said.

The big target has had to wait a long time for a chance to shine. Agudosi had brief stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles before playing four games for the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks in 2020. He came up north last year and spent the 2021 campaign on the Bombers’ practice squad. Agudosi suffered an injury in training camp this season, leading to his release, but the club signed him back to the practice roster on June 30.

Fortunately for the Bombers, they didn’t let him slip through the cracks.

“He’s worked extremely hard to get to this point, from the end of last year, to improve to give himself a shot,” head coach Mike O’Shea said.

“Then this year in training camp you can remember him diving for a football to make a great catch at the edge of the end zone. To be able to rehab and get back and get out on the field and get a couple touchdowns. He wins a jump ball against one of the better corners in the league. It was nice to see.”

Quarterback Zach Collaros appeared to have instant chemistry with Agudosi. If Agudosi continues to be as good as he was on Friday, the Bombers have themselves a legit No. 2 option next to Greg Ellingson.

“Carlton’s been working his butt off for two years. And I feel like everybody’s been like ‘This guy needs a shot, he needs a shot.’ And he went out there and did an amazing job tonight,” Collaros said.

“As a quarterback, you want the receivers to know where they align and what their assignment is. I thought he did a great job of that and obviously, high pointing the football… I’m really happy for him.”

Agudosi had just two catches in the XFL and never played a regular season game in the NFL. Even though it’s been a long time since Agudosi has produced on the field, he expected a top notch performance from himself against Calgary.

“That’s the expectation with Winnipeg. All the great receivers who’ve been here, Zach expected me to come in and do what has been going on in the past,” Agudosi said.

“I think he trusts me, we had a good week of practice, and it showed on the field.”

Agudosi will be the talk of the town, but Ellingson led all pass catchers with 10 catches for 152 yards. It didn’t matter what Collaros threw at him, the 33-year-old receiver hauled it in.

“He made some very nice, tough, tough catches, especially going to the sideline. Then he makes catches in the middle, in traffic, and he pays for it. He gets hit hard and he hangs on,” O’Shea said.

“He was certainly on the same page as Zach and he was finding spaces to get open, which is ultimately what you want. When you have a receiver like that, who’s that athletic, and his physical stature, and couple that with his intelligence, it’s pretty easy to throw him the ball.”

Ellingson currently leads the CFL in receiving yards with 518.

Rasheed Bailey continues to be quiet for the Bombers as he had two catches for five yards and one rush for three yards. The third-year Bomber has only caught seven passes for a total of 44 receiving yards in his last four games.

Dalton Schoen, a CFL Top Performer in Week 5 after catching two TDs against the B.C. Lions, was held to three receptions for 24 yards.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31