The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are back in the postseason and they clinched a spot in dominant fashion Friday night.
A sellout crowd at Princess Auto Stadium saw Bombers QB Zach Collaros have his best game of the season, throwing for six touchdowns and 432 yards as the Bombers crushed the Elks 55-27.
The win is the Bombers seventh straight, ensuring they will be in the playoffs for an eighth straight season.
The Bombers scored points on all of their first four offensive possessions and had 34 points by halftime.
“This time of year you gotta to be playing really clean, focused football,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “And I thought for the most part, we did. Really liked the way the offence responded anytime Edmonton, in the second half, got a little bit of momentum. The offence pretty well came out and answered right away. That’s great team football.”
It was also their 12th straight win against the Elks overall going back to 2019.
“It’s awesome that we got the win obviously,” said Collaros. “It’s awesome we scored lots of touchdowns. Brady’s touchdown – it’s something I’ll never forget. Seeing it on the jumbotron was just amazing. Kenny’s (Lawler) catch was like a glitch in the matrix from my vantage point at least.
“I mean the DB (defensive back) look surprised too. We were all surprised. Guys making plays all night.”
For Collaros, it was his first career six touchdown pass game, which is just one short of the club record. He’s the first player to throw six TD passes in single game in the CFL since 2015.
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“It was fun to watch,” said O’Shea. “He was just so on. And the guys around him were right and were on too. It was pretty cool to see. It’s exciting to watch. Like you get caught up. Coaching staff, me particular, you got to stay focused too, cause you get sorta watching it as a fan, going oh my goodness. And yeah, Zach was on fire tonight.”
With the Bombers playoff bound again, it’s been a remarkable turnaround for a team that started the season at 0-4.
“You just take it one day at a time and you try to win each game,” said Collaros. “You try not to look to far into the future, so it’s not something that you think about but again, you think about winning each and every week. So, if you do that well enough, execution, we like our chances in games.”
Winnipeg wasted no time getting on the board as Collaros found Nic Demski for a 40-yard touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive.
After a Sergio Castillo field goal on the Bombers next drive, Collaros then hit Keric Wheatfall for a 61-yard touchdown pass and the Bombers took a 17-0 lead after one quarter.
They kept the foot on the gas in the second quarter, as Collaros connected with Brady Oliveira for a 33-yard touchdown and then the defence got on the board as Tyjuan Garbutt returned a fumble 62 yards for the score and the Bombers led 34-6 at halftime.
Collaros continued to light it up in the second half finding Kenny Lawler for two touchdowns and Demski for his second of the game.
Lawler had 130 yards on eight receptions while Demski recorded 117 yards on just four catches.
Oliveira had another productive game, rushing for 86 yards on 16 carries.
Winnipeg moved to 9-6 on the season for a four-point lead on the BC Lions for top spot in the West Division pending the outgame of the Hamilton versus BC game later in the night.
The Bombers are back in action Friday October 4, when they head to Hamilton to take on the Tiger-Cats.
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