Blue Bombers hope to snap seven-year drought in Calgary

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This article was published 07/08/2009 (5912 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers haven’t won a game in Calgary in seven years, are facing an angry champion that blew a fourth-quarter lead in their last game and, because of their struggling offence, are listed as more than two-touchdown underdogs.

But what the hey, they’ll go ahead and line up opposite the Stampeders on Saturday night anyway.

“We’re walking into a wounded animal’s cage,” said Bomber head coach Mike Kelly not long after Friday’s final practice. “The Stampeders aren’t used to blowing a lead here at McMahon Stadium… that’s not of their character. I’ve always had great respect for Coach Hufnagel and how he operates things and I know they’re going to be a well-prepared football team. And certainly because of the outcome of the last time these two clubs met I’m sure they have a little bit of a nasty on.”

Yes, it was just under a month ago when the Bombers pushed around the Stamps in Winnipeg in their home opener with a 42-30 victory that opened eyes across the Canadian Football League. Since then the Bombers have gone 1-2 as their defence continues to emerge as a force while the offence tries to find a gear.

The Stamps, meanwhile, looked to have regained their championship legs after being wobbled with a 0-2 start, but fell 24-23 last week to the Saskatchewan Roughriders after giving up a 65-yard touchdown with just 1:17 remaining in the game. At 2-3 they have a lot of work to do to resemble the club that went 13-5 en route to a Grey Cup title last November.

And they’ll be especially eager to avenge the loss earlier in the year in which they turned the ball over five times to the Bombers and took 14 penalties for 132 yards.

“Winnipeg has a great defence,” said Stampeder quarterback Henry Burris. “But we saw it on film: we had the opportunity to make plays… we had some drops, we had a couple of plays where we were on different pages and that caused the first two interceptions.

It was more the things we were doing and it’s been that way since the season began this year. We do our studying, we know they have great personnel on their side of the ball. I mean, their front four is the best in the league in my eyes and their linebacking corps flies around and their defensive backs are veterans.”

The Bombers, who haven’t won in Calgary since the 2002 season, have made two lineup changes, adding linebacker Joe Lobendahn for Siddeeq Shabazz (ankle) and receiver Adarius Bowman for Craphonso Thorpe.

Kickoff is 8:30 p.m. CT.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca