Pierce gets last laugh on Baggs

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This article was published 09/10/2011 (5168 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — He said it never bothered him, but you could tell from his reaction that it kind of did.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers starting quarterback Buck Pierce didn’t take kindly on Thursday to being told that Hamilton defensive end Stevie Baggs had just held court with the media and made a show of licking his fingers as he talked about how he planned to feast on Pierce and his sore ribs Friday night.

And so after Baggs had done all that talking on Thursday, it seemed only fitting to give Pierce the last word Friday night following a 33-17 Bombers victory at Ivor Wynne Stadium in which Baggs did not so much as lay a glove on Pierce.

Pierce, on the other hand, went 16-for-25 for 239 yards and two touchdowns — one through the air and the second on the ground.

“Stevie’s being Stevie. Stevie’s a good player. I think he’s one of the better D-ends in the league. I wish he wouldn’t use his mouth as much,” Pierce said Friday night. “But some guys do that. We have guys who do that. That’s just the character of the guys and the individuals in this league who make this league great.”

Pierce was sacked twice and roughed up a third time, but said after the game that he felt good and he emerged from the experience no more sore than when he started the game.

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Pierce said he initially didn’t like the coverage on the short side of the field, but he liked the coverage on the wide side even less.

And so four minutes into the third quarter, Pierce looked back to the short side and decided to take his chances with a screen pass to Greg Carr. Fifty-nine yards later, Carr was in the end zone, the Bombers were up 19-3 and the Ticats were effectively done for the night.

“I led (Carr) up field a little bit and he split it and made a play on the free safety and he was gone,” said Pierce. “That’s a great individual effort by him and great blocks by (slotback) Terrence Edwards and our O-lineman pulling out there. It was just a well executed play by everybody.”

Including, also, the men on the sidelines, added Carr.

“It was just a good play call by coach, we knew we were going to get some pressure from them. Terrence threw a great block and once I got the ball in my hands I was just thinking, ‘Run!,'” said Carr.

“We knew that coming out for the second half that they were going to be up and we were going to have to match their intensity and get some momentum ourselves.”

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Bombers running back Chris Garrett — who rushed for 131 yards Friday night — had a reflective moment as he talked about a journey this season that saw him cut in the pre-season — and spend the first half of the summer without a job — only to suddenly find himself in the spotlight this fall as Winnipeg’s lead running back since season-ending injuries to Fred Reid and Carl Volny two weeks ago.

“My family has been very encouraging and believing in me,” said Garrett. “And I believed in myself. I could have thrown it in, but I just kept pressing forward. The rest is history, isn’t it?”

Maybe not history, but noteworthy for sure. In just two games for the Bombers this season, Garrett now has 207 yards rushing on just 29 carries, a 7.1-yard average and a touchdown.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca