Bombers fall to Eskimos 32-3 after explosive second half from Edmonton

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This article was published 25/07/2015 (3757 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a slow start for both teams but it was the Edmonton Eskimos who would eventually hit stride, defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32-3 at Commonwealth Stadium Saturday night.

With the win, the Eskimos improve to 3-1 on the year while the Bombers fall to 2-3 and find themselves below .500 for the first time this season.

Edmonton carried a 4-3 lead in to halftime before coming alive in the second half.

The Eskimos finally snapped the touchdown drought with 6:48 left in the third quarter to give the home side an 11-3 lead. Backup QB Jordan Lynch finished the one-play drive, punching the ball in from the four-yard line which came after a 50-yard punt return by Kendial Lawrence.

Edmonton would add to their lead, this time with a drive from yet another backup QB, James Franklin, who replaced starter Matt Nichols. Franklin connected with Adarius Bowman for a 25-yard TD, giving the Eskimos an 18-3 cushion.

Franklin threw for his second TD soon after, this time from 15 yards out, finding a wide-open Kenny Stafford in the end zone for a 25-3 edge. The drive only took two plays, set up by a JC Sherritt interception at the Bombers 17-yard line. The Esks’ pivot would complete the hat-trick, throwing for his third touchdown – and second to Bowman – from 11 yards out to put the game out of reach at 32-3.

If things weren’t bad enough for the Bombers – who fell to the Calgary Stampeders in a crushing 26-25 loss last week – they now may be out two of their star players as slot back Nick Moore left the game with a lower body injury and didn’t play the second half and quarterback Drew Willy, who was favouring his right knee following a sack from Edmonton’s defensive tackle Eddie Steele in the third, was also knocked out of the game.

Brian Brohm came in as relief for Willy but offered little hope, throwing for two interceptions in his first seven attempts and would have been credited for a third had it not been overturned by a defensive interference call.

The Bombers only points came after Willy orchestrated a 73-yard scoring drive in the first quarter, which was capped off by a 10-yard field goal from Lirim Hajrullahu.

The Bombers will have little time to lick their wounds as they’ll get ready for a short week of practice to prepare for the B.C. Lions, who come to Investors Group Field for a game Thursday night.

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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