Banjo Bowl a blast

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This article was published 10/09/2023 (769 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a near-flawless performance played on a perfect day for three-down football.

Playing in front of a sold-out IG Field crowd on a balmy September afternoon, against an arch rival that delivered them a disappointing and controversial loss a week earlier, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took full advantage in a 51-6 beatdown of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Banjo Bowl Saturday.

Indeed, it was quite the show for the 32,343 in attendance, as the Bombers scored touchdowns on all six of their first-half drives to take a commanding 42-6 lead at the break. Winnipeg would score just nine points – all on Sergio Castillo field goals – in the final two quarters, swapping out starters, including quarterback Zach Collaros, early in the final frame with the game a runaway.

The victory improved the Bombers to 10-3, keeping them atop the West Division, and clinching a postseason berth for a seventh straight year. Saskatchewan dropped to 6-6, and thanks to the struggling clubs from Alberta, are firmly entrenched in the third and final playoff spot in the West.

Let’s dig deeper into Saturday’s win in the latest edition of 5 Takeaways.

1) The Riders learned the hard way about what happens when you poke the bear that is Zach Collaros.

The league’s reigning two-time most outstanding player was seething after last week’s 32-30 overtime loss in Saskatchewan. He was frustrated by the offence’s inconsistent play, but his anger was fuelled by a headbutt from Pete Robertson that later led to a one-game suspension for the Riders defensive lineman.

Known to lead by example, Collaros took a different approach after the game, delivering an impassioned speech that preached accountability and issued a challenge to be better in the Banjo Bowl. Collaros would live up to his end of the deal, finishing the game 18-for-21 passing for 319 yards and five touchdowns, tying his career high for most in a game.

The impact Collaros has had on the Bombers since arriving in 2019 has been well documented, but it’s worth repeating how important his leadership and fierce competitiveness is to the club’s sustained success. Perhaps nothing better exemplifies that than the fact Collaros has never lost in back-to-back weeks, improving to 7-0 in games following a loss.

2) While Collaros was cooking behind centre, the execution from the rest of the offence was equally impressive. The Bombers’ attack combined for an eye-popping 603 yards and didn’t commit a turnover.

Brady Oliveira was once again a human wrecking ball behind a punishing offensive line, combining for 211 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, including a game-high 154 rushing. Dalton Schoen is continuing his torrid pace of finding the end zone, scoring three times to give the second-year receiver 26 touchdowns in 31 career games.

Kenny Lawler also had his best performance in a while, tying Schoen with a game-high 104 receiving yards while also finding the end zone on a 24-yard catch. Drew Wolitarsky reeled in a pair of passes for 38 yards, Rasheed Bailey caught all three of his targets for 29 yards and Johnny Augustine did a nice job with the late-game cleanup, racking up 52 yards on four carries after taking over for Oliveira.

Head coach Mike O’Shea said there wouldn’t be much to correct from the film. The Bombers offence was simply that good.

3) This is going to sound like a broken record and I’m becoming dangerously close to being accused as the leader of the Oliveira fan club, but what the 26-year-old, second-year running back is doing this season is nothing short of sensational.

Oliveira is running away with the rushing title, his 154-yard performance Saturday putting him at 1,144 yards on the year, marking a second straight 1,000-yard season. He’s got six rushing TDs, with an additional three through the air, and with 368 receiving yards he’s at 1,512 all-purpose yards for 2023 – an average of 116 yards per game.

These are the kind of numbers that should have Oliveira in the conversation for the league’s MOP. Only three times has a running back won the award since 1990, with Jon Cornish, another Canadian tailback, claiming it in 2013 and Mike Pringle winning twice, in 1998 and 1995.

What also makes Oliveira such a great story is he’s a local kid that dreamed of playing for his hometown Bombers. He’s a powerful running back and a great teammate, while also leading several charitable initiatives off the field, making him a real easy guy to root for.

4) Let’s give some credit to Winnipeg’s defence. While the offence was scoring on nearly every drive – punting just once, with 25 seconds remaining – the defence was stuffing a Riders attack that had come to life in recent weeks under second-year QB Jake Dolegala.

Dolegala torched Winnipeg for 326 passing yards in the Labour Day Classic but was limited to just 113 on Saturday. That total accounted for more than half of the 204 yards the Riders finished with.

The other big difference between the two games was the Bombers forced two turnovers compared to none in the LDC. The first one came on a turnover on downs near midfield, resulting in a Schoen TD, with the other a strip sack and fumble recovery by Jackson Jeffcoat that led to a Castillo field.

I’ve been saying this all season that if the Bombers offence can consistently move the chains and manage time of possession, even if the result isn’t as fruitful as Saturday, the defence is good enough to take over games. When both units are clicking, the Bombers are simply unbeatable, with a six-point performance and a shutout in the second half just the latest example of what the defence is capable of.

5) It can’t be overstated just how wild IG Field was, as the sold-out crowd did everything they could to make life miserable for the Riders.

It’s been a great game-day experience for years, but this year’s Banjo Bowl seemed to take on a life of its own. I usually get to the game two hours before kickoff and pulling up you could feel the energy in the packed tailgate areas. O’Shea, who said he arrived at the game earlier than usual, about four hours before, noted he couldn’t help but laugh at the number of dressed up fans, adding how proud he was to be on a team with such a passionate fanbase.

There’s a bigger point here. It just goes to show that while winning definitely helps, you get what you put in. The Bombers have treated their fans with such appreciation over the years and they’re reaping that loyalty. There’s another pro franchise in this city that could learn a few things.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton