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Stampeders bomb

Terrence Edwards doesn’t care if the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ convincing 42-30 win Friday night over the Calgary Stampeders will convert some doubting fans to believers, as long as his teammates show the same confidence in each other that helped knock off the defending Grey Cup champions.
CFL Stampeders Blue Bombers 20090710
Winnipeg Blue Bomber Fred Reid

Blue Bombers 42 Stampeders 30

WINNIPEG — Terrence Edwards doesn’t care if the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ convincing 42-30 win Friday night over the Calgary Stampeders will convert some doubting fans to believers, as long as his teammates show the same confidence in each other that helped knock off the defending Grey Cup champions.

“They can doubt us all they want,” said Edwards, who had a pair of touchdown catches of eight and 12 yards in Winnipeg’s first win of the season.

“What matters is we don’t doubt each other in this locker-room.

“I want the fans to jump on and help us out and be that 13th man, but we’ve got the support in this locker-room from these coaches, from the organization, from all the players. We know that if we work hard we can be good.”

The first victory of the season for rookie CFL head coach Mike Kelly (1-1) came before a sellout of 29,533 fans at Canad Inns Stadium.

The Stampeders had five turnovers that led to 28 points for Winnipeg and drop to 0-2.

“We’re not a very good football team right now,” Calgary head coach John Hufnagel said.

“Everyone in the CFL understands that. Everybody in that locker-room understands it, if they didn’t already understand it.

“That means we need to work hard, do what we need to in order to get better real quick.”

Lavarus Giles added TD runs of two and four yards for Winnipeg, while linebacker Siddeeq Shabazz recorded a 36-yard interception return for a TD. Alexis Serna hit field goals from 24 and 40 yards and added a single on a missed 47-yard attempt.

Calgary quarterback Henry Burris and running back Joffrey Reynolds ran in one-yard TDs Reynolds’ after a Bomber turnover — and added a two-point convert.

Stampeders quarterback Barrick Nealy, who replaced Burris late in the game, tossed TD passes of 25 yards to Jeremaine Copeland and 12 yards to Teyo Johnson. Kicker Sandro DeAngelis was good on a 45-yard field goal and had a 62-yard punt single.

“It was just ugly,” said Burris, who completed 25 of 39 passes for 247 yards and three interceptions.

“Winnipeg did what they needed to do to be victorious and we pretty much did the opposite.”

Nealy was 5-of-9 for 64 yards.

“Right now it’s a different monster for us, but we can fight our way through this,” Burris said.

“We’ve been there, done it before. Right now, the biggest thing for us is to stick together and fight for each other.”

Winnipeg opened the game with a 13-yard onside kick by Serna that was caught by Bombers defensive back Jonathan Hefney.

Winnipeg took over at its own 54-yard line and finished the drive with Serna’s 24-yarder at 2:02.

It was a gutsy call by Kelly.

“When the bully’s in town and he’s coming at you, you punch him in the mouth first and see what happens after that,” Kelly said.

Bombers quarterback Stefan LeFors earned his first win as a CFL starter. He was 13-of-27 for 156 yards, two TDs and one interception that led to Reynolds’ TD.