Blue Bombers trounce Lions for 8th straight win
CBC
Zach Collaros passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns to help the Winnipeg Blue Bombers clinch first place in the CFL West Division with a dominant 45-0 blanking of the B.C. Lions on Saturday.
It was Winnipeg's eighth straight victory and boosted the club's record to 10-1 in front of 23,750 fans at IG Field, where the team will host the division final on Dec. 5.
The Bombers will host a divisional final for the first time since 2011 and the first West final since 1972. They also spent time in the East Division.
The last time Winnipeg held an opponent scoreless was Oct. 13, 2018, in a 31-0 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The defending Grey Cup-champion Bombers, who have a bye next week, earned touchdowns on offence, defence and special teams.
WATCH l Bombers claim dominant win over Lions:
Kenny Lawler caught touchdown passes of 14 and five yards and Rasheed Bailey added another with a 17-yard reception. Kicker Ali Mourtada was good on six converts and Marc Liegghio booted a single. B.C. conceded two singles.
Second-year Bombers running back Brady Oliveira, making his fourth start this season in place of injured Andrew Harris, scored his first career TD on a two-yard run in the third quarter. The Winnipeg-born 24-year-old finished with 17 carries for 65 yards.
Winnipeg defensive end Willie Jefferson intercepted Lions quarterback Michael Reilly and ran 39 yards for his TD.
With 2:05 left in the game, Janarion Grant returned a punt 63 yards for a major.
Collaros was replaced by Sean McGuire midway through the fourth quarter after completing 16-of-20 pass attempts with the three TDs and no interceptions. Reilly was 15-for-31 for 131 yards and one interception.
Winnipeg led 15-0 after the first quarter, 16-0 at halftime and 30-0 after the third.
Each of the Bombers' first-quarter TD drives featured big-yardage plays.
A Grant 32-yard punt return got the Bombers started at B.C.'s 34-yard line and then Lawler stretched up for his 14-yard catch in the end zone at 5:38.
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