It was the visitors making themselves feel at home on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium.
While the Saskatchewan Roughriders put up a fight in their home opener, it was the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who once again showed why they are the team to beat in the CFL, with a 45-27 victory in Week 2.
Despite being listed as a game-time decision with hip injury suffered last week, quarterback Trevor Harris drew the start for Saskatchewan and showed no ill effects of the injury, going 29-of-41 for 405 yards and three touchdowns.
However, it came in a losing effort.
“I’d trade (the stats) obviously for the win because that’s what matters is wins and losses,” Harris told reporters post-game. “Frustrating that we didn’t get the win here.”
“I’ve been waiting for that moment,” said Emlius. “Coming out of training camp, I was already ready to prove what I can do.
“It felt good to have a touchdown, but at the end of the day the outcome should have been a W.”
And while the Riders offensive numbers were impressive, Winnipeg had an answer for everything Saskatchewan did.
“They are a good team,” said Riders’ defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. “The margin of error is really slim when it comes to them so you’ve really got to be on your game for four full quarters.”
“That was the back breaker,” Riders’ head coach Craig Dickenson said of the punt return touchdown. “We’ve got to tackle better for sure but (Grant) is a good football player and he made a lot out of nothing there.”
But for most of the night, the Riders did stick with the Blue Bombers, who have been to the Grey Cup in each of the past three seasons.
“I don’t feel like we’re overmatched by any stretch,” said Harris. “We’re a good football team and we’re just learning who each other are.”
On the next play, Harris found Samuel Emilus in the back of the end zone for the touchdown, putting the Riders up 7-3 lead on a seven-play, 84-yard drive.
But Winnipeg didn’t let that lead last long.
Collaros responded with a five-play, 40-yard drive, capped off by a Dalton Schoen touchdown reception, as Winnipeg went up 10-7 a few minutes into the second quarter.
On the Bombers’ next possession, Collaros was crisp again — throwing two passes for 20+ yards — but he used his legs effectively too. On second down, Collaros scampered for a 13-yard gain, before a four-yard touchdown rush two plays later, as Winnipeg went up 17-7 with 2:48 left in the first half.
Harris first hit Shawn Bane Jr. for a 17-yard gain, which was followed by an 18-yarder to Emilus two plays later.
Then on the very next play, Harris went to Emilus again — this time in the end zone — for a 20-yard touchdown pass which was Emilius’ second of the night, as the Riders cut the Bombers lead to 17-14 at the half.
Harris’ stat line at the half showed 16-of-19 for 215 yards and two touchdowns, while Collaros was 13-of-20 for 152 yards, with one touchdown through the air and another along the ground.
In the second half, the Riders got the ball and Harris started with a bang, connecting with Bane Jr. for a 45-yarder. Harris then completed three straight short passes before finding — guess who — Emilus in the end zone for his third touchdown reception of the night, putting the Riders on top 21-17.
Emilus, a 2022 first-round draft pick, became the first Rider to score three receiving touchdowns in a game since Weston Dressler on June 29, 2012.
But once again, Winnipeg had an answer.
Collaros led the Bombers on an eight-play, 65-yard drive, highlighted by a Schoen 31-yard completion and capped off by a Brown quarterback sneak to put Winnipeg back on top, 24-21.
After a Riders two-and-out, the Bombers looked like they extended their lead with the Grant 92-yard punt return touchdown, but it was called back due to an illegal block by Winnipeg.
However, Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea challenged the penalty and it was overturned, giving Winnipeg the touchdown and the 31-21 lead.
After a Brett Lauther 30-yard field goal cut the lead to 31-24, the Bombers put together a nine-play, 39-yard drive — aided by a pass interference call and capped off by Brown’s second QB sneak major of the game — to give Winnipeg a 37-24 lead, their fourth touchdown in their previous six drives.
“I probably could have gone for it. I wanted to win the game though,” Dickenson said of the decision to kick the field goal and not go for it on third down inside the red zone. “I felt if I could kick the field goal and got a quick stop, we could get a quick score and maybe get a chance to score a touchdown to win it.
“In hindsight, I probably should have gone for it.”
That’s because on the next series, the Bombers increased their lead. Collaros put together another efficient, six-play, 72-yard drive, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Drew Wolitarsky, as Winnipeg went in front 45-27, essentially sealing the game for the Blue and Gold.
“They’re disappointed but not dejected,” Dickenson said of his team after the loss. “It’s a long season. There are 16 more of these and we’ve got a lot of opportunities to improve.
“Credit to Winnipeg. That’s a championship-calibre team that just wears you down and they found a way to grind out the win.”
Announced attendance at Mosaic Stadium was 28,299.
Next up for the Riders is a Week 3 road game against the host Calgary Stampeders (1-1) on Saturday at 5 p.m., while Winnipeg hosts the BC Lions on Thursday night.
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — David Lipsky shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Silverado Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Procore Championship.
Winless in 104 events since joining the PGA Tour in 2022, Lipsky went out with the early groups and had eight birdies with one bogey to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall series at the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.
After missing the cut in his three previous tournaments, Lipsky flew from Las Vegas to Arizona to reunite with his college coach at Northwestern to get his focus back. He also spent time playing with some of the Northwestern players, which helped him relax.
“Just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are, not knowing what’s coming for them yet, it’s sort of nice to see that,” Lipsky said. “I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”
Patton Kizzire and Mark Hubbard were a stroke back. Kizzire started on the back nine and made a late run with three consecutive birdies to move into a tie for first. A bogey on No. 8 dropped him back.
“There was a lot of good stuff out there today,” Kizzire said. “I stayed patient and just went through my routines and played well, one shot at a time. I’ve really bee working hard on my mental game and I think that allowed me to rinse and repeat and reset and keep playing.”
Mark Hubbard was at 67. He had nine birdies but fell off the pace with a bogey and triple bogey on back-to-back holes.
Kevin Dougherty also was in the group at 67. He had two eagles and ended his afternoon by holing out from 41 yards on the 383-yard, par-4 18th.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala had to scramble for much of his round of 69.
Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the AT&T at Pebble Beach in February, had a 70.
Max Homa shot 71. The two-time tournament champion and a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup in two weeks had two birdies and overcame a bogey on the par-4 first.
Stewart Cink, the 2020 winner, also opened with a 71. He won The Ally Challenge last month for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
Three players from the Presidents Cup International team had mix results. Min Woo Lee shot 68, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 69 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., 73. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., also had a 69.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 68, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., shot 70 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had a 71.
Lipsky was a little shaky off the tee for much of the afternoon but made up for it with steady iron play that left him in great shape on the greens. He had one-putts on 11 holes and was in position for a bigger day but left five putts short.
Lipsky’s only real problem came on the par-4 ninth when his approach sailed into a bunker just shy of the green. He bounced back nicely with five birdies on his back nine. After missing a 19-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, Lipsky ended his day with a 12-foot par putt.
That was a big change from last year when Lipsky tied for 30th at Silverado when he drove the ball well but had uneven success on the greens.
“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out,” Lipsky said. “You’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that and it seems like it’s working out.”
Laird stayed close after beginning his day with a bogey on the par-4 10th. The Scot got out of the sand nicely but pushed his par putt past the hole.
Homa continued to have issues off the tee and missed birdie putts on his final four holes.
___
AP golf:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic is moving on to the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open.
The Mississauga, Ont., native defeated the tournament top seed, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Stakusic faced a 0-4 deficit in the third and final set before marching back into the match.
The 19-year-old won five of the next six games to even it up before exchanging games to force a tiebreaker, where Stakusic took complete control to win the match.
Stakusic had five aces with 17 double faults in the three-hour, four-minute match.
However, she converted eight of her 18 break-point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
PARIS (AP) — French judicial authorities are investigating the disappearance of two Paralympic athletes from Congo who recently competed in the Paris Games, the prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Bobigny confirmed on Thursday.
Prosecutors opened the investigation on Sept. 7, after members of the athletes’ delegation warned authorities of their disappearance two days before.
Le Parisien newspaper reported that shot putter Mireille Nganga and Emmanuel Grace Mouambako, a visually impaired sprinter who was accompanied by a guide, went missing on Sept. 5, along with a third person.
The athletes’ suitcases were also gone but their passports remained with the Congolese delegation, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation, who asked to remain anonymous as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the case.
The Paralympic Committee of the Democratic Republic of Congo did not respond to requests for information from The Associated Press.
Nganga — who recorded no mark in the seated javelin and shot put competitions — and Mouambako were Congo’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, organizers said.
___
AP Paralympics:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
B.C. to scrap consumer carbon tax if federal government drops legal requirement: Eby
A linebacker at West Virginia State is fatally shot on the eve of a game against his old school
Lawyer says Chinese doping case handled ‘reasonably’ but calls WADA’s lack of action “curious”
Reggie Bush was at his LA-area home when 3 male suspects attempted to break in
Canada’s Marina Stakusic advances to quarterfinals at Guadalajara Open
Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt, who helped Detroit Lions win 2 NFL titles, dies at 92
RCMP say 3 dead, suspects at large in targeted attack at home in Lloydminster, Sask.
Bad weather and boat modifications led to capsizing off Haida Gwaii, TSB says
