Ticats down Bombers to remain unbeaten at Tim Hortons Field

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/08/2015 (3953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It went from bad to horrible for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as they fell 38-8 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field Sunday.

Emanuel Davis returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Zach Collaros threw three more as the Ticats struck early and often to earn a third straight win and improve to 4-2 on the year. They are now a perfect 8-0 at Tim Hortons Field.

With the loss, the Bombers fall to 3-4 and are set to host the Toronto Argonauts Aug. 14.

Davis got the ball rolling for the home side, picking off Bombers quarterback Drew Willy on Winnipeg’s game-opening drive, returning the ball 65 yards for an early 7-0 lead. That lead would double just moments later after a blocked punt by Hamilton turned in to a one-play drive for Collaros, who found Bakari Grant from 23 yards out for a 14-0 Hamilton edge.

Then, on the ensuing kickoff, returner Troy Stoudermire lost control of the ball, giving Hamilton the rock at the Bombers 26-yard line. Collaros made quick work of the Bombers defence once again, capping off a four-play drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Bomben for a 21-0 lead after the first quarter.

Collaros completed 20 of his 32 throws for 280 yards and threw touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice in the game, but the Bombers were unable to turn that into any points despite good field position.

If the present isn’t bad enough for the Blue and Gold, the future may be even worse. No. 1 running back Paris Cotton was forced to leave the game in the second quarter, along with receiver Darvin Adams, both of whom did not return.

And with just seconds left in the third quarter Willy took a hit to the right knee and had to be helped off the field. His diagnosis has not yet been reported but the video replay doesn’t bode well for the Blue and Gold. Willy finished 16-for-27 for 171 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Hamilton added to their lead before the first half, making it 28-0 after Collaros’ third touchdown pass, this time a 58-yard toss to Terrence Toliver with 5:29 to go in the second quarter. A 35-yard field goal from Justin Medlock gave Hamilton a 31-0 edge after two quarters.

The Bombers would finally hit the scoreboard, turning the team’s first two-and-out on the Tiger-Cats to open the third quarter into a eight-play drive that ended with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Willy to Justin Veltung, cutting the deficit to 31-7. Veltung caught a team-high five passes for 57 yards and now has two touchdowns in two games since replacing Nick Moore, who is out with a lower-body injury.

With the game all but finished, Davis scored his second touchdown of the game, picking off Robert Marve and returning the ball 52 yards to the house to make it 38-8.

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.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.