Blue Bombers 40 Redblacks 32 (OT)
OTTAWA — Lewis Ward kicked three field goals to set the CFL record for consecutive field goals made, but his Ottawa Redblacks ended up on the wrong end of a 40-32 overtime decision to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday.
Ward tied Rene Paredes’s record of 39 made kicks, set over the 2012-13 season with the Calgary Stampeders, at 11:41 of the third quarter with a 42-yard boot.
After Winnipeg fumbled on the next possession, Ward quickly tied the record with a 40-yard field goal at 14:17, cutting the Bombers lead to 22-17.
Winnipeg QB Matt Nichols completed 27-of-36 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns, including a 12-yard strike in overtime.
Trevor Harris led Ottawa with 349 passing yards and three TDS on a 33-for-45 performance.
The loss cost the Redblacks (8-7) a chance to clinch a playoff spot and a post-season home game. The Bombers (8-7), meanwhile, gave themselves a bit of breathing room in their playoff push in the very tight West Division.
After Nichols connected on a 12-yard TD pass to Weston Dressler and Justin Medlock had a 27-yard field goal to take a 32-17 lead with just over 11 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Redblacks went to work.
Harris threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Julian Feoli-Gudino at 11:15 cutting the lead to 32-24, and with 12 seconds to play in regulation, Harris hit Greg Ellingson for a six-yard touchdown pass and a two-point conversion to tie the game at 32.
The Bombers scored a touchdown on their first possession of overtime as Nichols hit Dressler from 12-yards out and followed with a two-point conversion.
The Redblacks fumbled on the Winnipeg six-line on their only possession of overtime.
The Bombers had gone into the second half with 19-11 lead but that was increased to 22-11 at 6:43 of the third quarter on Medlock’s 12-yard field goal.
Medlock opened the scoring with his first of four field goals in the first half, giving Winnipeg a 3-0 lead at 6:53 of the first quarter following his 38-yard boot.
On their opening possession the Redblacks got an eight-yard touchdown reception by William Powell, followed by a two-point passing conversion to Brad Sinopoli, both from Harris, to take an 8-3 lead at 8:18.
The Bombers responded just over four minutes later as Nichols connected with Darvin Adams on an 11-yard catch-and-run TD.
Ward then gave the Redblacks an 11-10 lead with a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter, giving him 38 straight field goals, one off the record of 39.
Medlock connected from 40 and 44 yards giving Winnipeg a 16-11 lead late in the half.
The Redblacks did line up to give Ward a chance to tie the record with a 46-yard attempt, but instead ran a fake but the play ended up with a turnover on downs with less than two minutes to play in the second.
The Bombers took possession and ended their drive with a 32-yard Medlock field goal as time expired in the second quarter giving them a 19-11 lead.