Bombers lose 31-23 to Roughriders in tough Labour Day Classic

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This article was published 02/09/2018 (2565 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA – It had the nail-biting plot both sides thought it would, but in the end the script finished much the same way is has so many times before.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers battled for the better part of four quarters Sunday here at Mosaic Stadium, falling behind early only to rebound and take the lead into halftime.

But with the game on the line in the dying minutes, and with a number of chances to walk away with a victory, the Bombers were unable to summon any late-game heroics, falling 31-23 to their Prairie rival Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“That was a tough one. A good team, tough environment – all the things we talked about before the game – and that’s a hard one to let slip away,” Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols said after the game.

“For me, personally, I felt like I got to be better. We had the ball a couple times down three (points) late in the game and we couldn’t get anything going. I’ve got to find a way to get us going and so, for me, I’m obviously disappointed in myself. No one is going to work hard than me this week, that’s for sure. I’m ready to get back to work right now.”

Nichols completed just 54 per cent of his passes (14-for-26) for 166 yards, and one touchdown to two interceptions. The Bombers offence put up more net yards that their opponent – 358 to 352 – but most of that came from Harris, who had 158 yards on 15 carries – almost as much as Nichols had through the air.

The Bombers starting quarterback has taken a lot of heat in recent weeks for his less-than-stellar play, and that tension among fans, some of whom have been clamouring to see more from backup Chris Streveler, will likely only intensify for next week’s rematch in the Banjo Bowl at Investors Group Field.

But anyone thinking a quarterback change might be on the horizon, Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea seemed to squash that with his post-game evaluation of Nichols.

“He’s our starting quarterback,” O’Shea said. “He’s very good.”

If this is an all-too-familiar feeling for early September, that’s because the Bombers and their fans have been here before. Winnipeg has now lost 13 of the last 14 annual Labour Day Classic games against the Roughriders. Though the feeling is this loss will especially sting, given where it leaves the Bombers with seven games remaining in the regular season.

The Bombers are now 5-6 – extending their losing streak to three games – and with the defeat drop to fourth place in the West Division. The Bombers haven’t loss three straight games since the final three weeks of the 2015 season.

As for the Roughriders, they have now won three consecutive games and at 6-4 move into a tie for second place in the West with the Edmonton Eskimos, both teams behind the 8-1 Calgary Stampeders. Edmonton and Calgary will meet Monday, in one game of a CFL double-header to wrap up the holiday weekend.

“Very frustrating,” was how Bombers running back Andrew Harris explained the day. “I felt like on offence we were able to move the ball well and I thought our defence played well. There were two plays in the first half that really kept them in it. If they don’t have that return and that interception, those were obviously two deciding factors.”

Indeed, it couldn’t have been much worse of a start for the Bombers.

After moving the chains on two quick plays to start the game, Nichols delivered a pass to Corey Washington that sailed behind him and into the arms of Saskatchewan defensive back Matt Elam. Elam returned the ball to Winnipeg’s one-yard line, and shortly after Nick Marshall punched in the ball to make it 7-0 for the home side just minutes in.

The Bombers would answer back with 10 straight points, beginning with a 50-yard field goal from Justin Medlock and then a 31-yard strike from Nichols to Kenbrall Thompkins, which made it 10-7 early in the second quarter.

But right when it looked like the Bombers were sitting comfortable in the driver’s seat, the Roughriders stole the momentum back with a 65-yard punt return touchdown by Kyran Moore. Suddenly, it was Saskatchewan leading 14-10 with minutes to play in the second quarter.

“We haven’t given up a punt-return touchdown all year and we give one up today. They get (essentially) a pick-6 the first drive, so there’s 14 points right there,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea lamented after the game. “I think our guys handled the adversity really well and battled really hard and then to give up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter … that’s tough.”

Harris, who was held to a combined 85 rushing yards in the Bombers’ two previous losses to Ottawa and Calgary, had a 25-yard run to open a drive late in the second quarter, followed by another nine-yard scamper, that eventually led to Streveler entering the game for a second-and-short.

Streveler would get the first down and remain in the game, ultimately hitting Darvin Adams with a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Bombers up by three, 17-14, at halftime.

“(The run game) was a great part of our offence today. Obviously that helps moving the ball and putting up points,” Nichols said. “I think that we just needed to capitalize a couple times on a couple of those drives, put in a couple more touchdowns and try and separate ourselves a little bit and we just couldn’t get that done. It just comes down to they made a few more plays than us.”

After swapping field goals in what was a mostly uneventful third quarter – Saskatchewan’s field goal came after a Kienan LaFrance fumble – it was the Roughriders who would come alive in the final 15 minutes.

Saskatchewan took over the lead just 30 seconds into the fourth quarter, when Zach Collaros – who held mostly in check by the Bombers defence until late, finishing 18-for-30 passing for 250 yards, one touchdown and one interception – launched a ball down field to Marcus Thigpen for a 25-yard score and a 24-20 lead for the home side.

That lead would hold the rest of the way, though a 41-yard field goal by Medlock did cut it to just one point, 24-23, with 7:37 left on the clock, leaving plenty of time for a comeback.

The Bombers had three different drives to win the game, but the first two ended with quick two-and-outs. While Winnipeg struggled to move the chains, Saskatchewan made it count late, with Collaros connecting on a 39-yard pass to Jordan Williams-Lambert that set up another one-yard touchdown for Marshall.

Still a one-possession game, with the home side up 31-23, Nichols had a minute to move the ball down field and tie the game. But on the very first play of the series, hewas picked off by Ed Gainey and the Roughriders kneeled three times to seal the game.

“That’s disappointing for me. I’ve felt like the last couple of years we’ve been really good and I’ve taken pride in leading us down there for game-winning field goals,” Nichols said. “You get that first, first down and you kind of get rolling and we just couldn’t do that. At the very end (Drew Wolitarsky) was completely uncovered when I snapped the ball, and with our silent count I kind of have to look down and wait for the snap so I didn’t see Gainey sprint out there.

“When I initiated the snap he was completely uncovered, which was something that I kind of knew going into the game maybe…if that happens when we’re going fast at the end of the game. So I thought I saw something different; he did a good job of sprinting over there. Just disappointed that I couldn’t get us going in those situations where we had a chance to win.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton