Redemption for Blue O-line

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This article was published 08/10/2011 (5107 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — They forged gaping holes for Chris Garrett all night long and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back had the gawdy numbers at the end of the night to prove it — 18 carries, 131 yards and a 7.3-yard average.

It marked the first time a Winnipeg running back had rushed for more than 100 yards in this 2011, but the biggest point of pride Friday night for the five burly men who make up the Bombers’ offensive line was not the 131 yards they cleared for Garrett but rather the one yard they got for backup quarterback Alex Brink at the start of the evening.

One week after Brink — and, by extension, the entire Bombers offensive line — failed twice to score the game-winning touchdown from the one-yard line in the dying seconds against the Montreal Alouettes, the opportunity for redemption came early in Friday night’s 33-17 Bombers win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

A pair of Ticat penalties — one for pass interference and the other for roughing the passer — in the final minute of the first quarter had just put the ball on the Hamilton one-yard line and Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice had some instructions for his offensive line as Brink went into the game.

“I said, ‘Go get it,’ ” said LaPolice, “and they went and got it.”

There was no doubt on this night as Brink plunged into the Hamilton end zone and put the Bombers up 10-0 and in control for the rest of the night.

“It was so nice to get that monkey off our back,” said lineman Glenn January. “It felt great to put that in the past.”

With that weight lifted, the Bombers’ offensive line — Andre Douglas, Brendan LaBatte, Obby Khan, Steve Morley and January — then put on a clinic, blowing chasms into a pretty good Hamilton defensive line that the speedy Garrett exploited with devastating effect.

Garrett broke off runs of 15 yards, 10 yards and 22 yards in just over a quarter of football and had 70 yards on just nine carries in the first half alone.

All of which is quite a performance by a man who was on the Bombers practice roster just two weeks ago when star running back, Fred Reid, was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

“The offensive line was just making great holes,” said Garrett. “I was reading them and being patient, but it wasn’t hard with what they were doing in front of me.”

The feeling was mutual.

“He’s tough,” Morley said of Garrett. “One of the toughest guys I’ve ever met. He really puts his body on the line out there.”

Put it altogether and it was the most balanced offensive attack Winnipeg has put together all season — 177 yards rushing and 239 yards passing for a cool 416 total yards.

“I thought it was our most complete game of the season,” said LaPolice. “To beat a good football team three times — twice in their own park — showed a lot of character.

“The offensive line did a tremendous job tonight. And some of that is on Chris Garrett too. He was patient. He really used his blockers well.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca