Redblacks 44 Blue Bombers 21
WINNIPEG — Quarterback Trevor Harris turned in another marquee performance Friday night as his pinpoint passing led the Ottawa Redblacks to a commanding 44-21 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Harris finished 29 for 39 with 361 yards in the air and connected with Dominique Rhymes on a touchdown, while William Powell ran for 106 yards and a TD and Dominique Davis punched in two scores for the Redblacks (6-3).
Matt Nichols was 23 for 35 with 291 yards and had two TD passes to Darvin Adams, who had 162 receiving yards, as well as an interception for the Bombers (5-4). Andrew Harris had 72 yards on the ground and TD.
Harris completed 22 of his 29 throws in the first half alone for 241 yards, while Nichols was nine for 13 and just 84 yards. Things didn’t get much better for the Bombers in the second.
Both quarterbacks were sacked and gave up fumbles, but only Winnipeg paid with a touchdown.
The 27,602 fans at Investors Group Field had to listen over and over to the phrase “Harris completes … ” as the Redblacks’ offence proved largely unstoppable and moved the team to the top of the East Division.
The Redblacks snapped Winnipeg’s three-game winning streak and are still stuck at third in the West.
Ottawa has two of the hottest players in the CFL in quarterback Harris and receiver Brad Sinopoli, although Sinopoli didn’t get a lot of chances to add to his league-leading 60 receptions Friday with Harris picking other targets.
One bright note for the Bombers as running back Andrew Harris passed the 7,000-yard mark and got a second-half touchdown. There were three Harrises on the field Friday night — Ottawa receiver R.J. Harris as well.
Ottawa’s backup in Davis scored the team’s first touchdown on a one-yard quarterback sneak, after Harris marched them 73 yards down the field on just his second possession of the game. A two-point convert to Greg Ellingson made it 8-0.
The Bombers came back later in the first to draw within one at 11:53 on a 45-yard touchdown pass by Nichols to Adams, but that was as close as they would get all night.
Harris got the second quarter started with a 78-yard 11-play drive that ended with Davis scoring his second touchdown of the game at 11:20.
It looked like a second try for a two-pointer was lost when the catch went out of bounds, but a Bomber offside penalty gave Harris another shot and he connected with Diontae Spencer to make it 16-7.
Lewis Ward kicked his 23rd consecutive field goal of the season to make it 19-7 at the 11:33 mark and added another from 38 yards to make it 23-7 at the half.
The Bombers finally got back on the scoreboard at the 7:13 mark of the third quarter when Harris ran 13 yards for his touchdown and the Bombers closed the gap to 22-14, but not for long.
Just over two minutes later, Ottawa made it 30-14 on a five-yard throw from Harris to Rhymes, plus another two-point convert. Then salt was rubbed in the wound when Nichols fumbled as he was sacked trying to unload.
The Redblacks made it 38-14 on a 43-yard runback by Avery Williams and another two-pointer.
The Bombers gave fans something to cheer about when they made it 38-21 just seconds into the final quarter after a 72-yard pass from Nichols to Adams.
But the Redblacks were far from finished in the fourth, with a 28-yard touchdown run from running back Powell that made it 44-21 when Ward missed his convert.