Redblacks snap out of losing doldrums
Late Tate TD the winner for Stamps
OTTAWA — Jonathan Williams scored two touchdowns and had more than 200 total yards as the Ottawa Redblacks trounced the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 42-20 Friday night.
The win was the first for the Redblacks (2-11) since July 18 and halted an nine-game losing streak.
Later in Regina, Drew Tate scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge with 32 seconds remaining as the Calgary Stampeders clinched a playoff berth with a 31-24 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The drive by the Stampeders extinguished any hope of a comeback win by the Riders, who scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to tie the game. The late score was Tate’s second rushing touchdown of the game. He also threw a pair of touchdown passes.
The Blue Bombers (6-8) now have lost five straight and seven of their past eight after starting the season 5-1.
The 42 points scored is the biggest offensive output this season by the Redblacks, who compiled more than 500 yards of total offence. Williams picked up 161 of those yards along the ground and another 49 in receptions.
Ottawa’s Henry Burris threw for 284 yards, completing 24 of 31 passes.
A 32-yard field goal by Brett Maher accounted for the only scoring in the final quarter for the Redblacks. They scored 39 points through the first three quarters.
Winnipeg’s Drew Willy had a night he would rather forget with just 191 yards on 18 completions with two interceptions.
The Redblacks only had two complete possessions in the third quarter, but used them effectively — scoring 11 points to take a 39-20 lead into the fourth quarter.
Their first drive of the quarter ended with a 25-yard field goal from Maher and their second was a two-yard touchdown run by Williams. They added a single on the ensuing kickoff.
In between, the Blue Bombers added three points of their own on a drive that started on their own 35 ended with a 22-yard Lirim Hajrullahu field goal.
A one-yard sneak by Burris got the Redblacks a major with just three seconds remaining in the half and a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown by Travis Brown on just the second play from scrimmage in the first quarter gave the Redblacks an early 7-0 lead after the conversion.
In between was pretty much new terrain for the Redblacks and their fans. The 28 first-half points was nearly half of their 59 total points the team had scored in its first six home games combined.
After Willy had his second pass of the game returned for a touchdown, the Blue Bombers responded with 10 straight points to take a 10-7 lead after the opening quarter.
Winnipeg free safety Maurice Leggett returned a missed 51-yard field goal attempt 114 yards for a touchdown just shy of six minutes into the game.
Then, following a Burris interception, Willy drove the field with the series ending on a nineyard field goal by Hajrullahu.
The Redblacks regained the lead on a 53-yard TD run by Williams in the second quarter.
On the ensuing series the Blue Bombers needed just four plays to take the lead again as they covered 43 yards, including a Robert Marve one-yard TD run at 13:17.
The rest of the half belonged to the Redblacks as they scored 14 points in the final 1:43.