Blue Bombers advance to series with rare home win over Stampeders



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WINNIPEG – Matt Nichols does not care what he's thrown for more than 300 yards for the first time this season.

The only feat that counted for Winnipeg's quarterback was that the Blue Bombers won a playoff spot with a 29-21 win over the Calgary Stampeders on Friday.

"Everyone puts so many actions in that number for whatever reason, I do not know," said Nichols about the 300-yard mark. "I want to win, we won a tough football game tonight."

Nichols completed 24 attempts on 33 pbades for a total of 358 yards and sent touchdown pbades to Darvin Adams and Drew Wolitarsky. He had no interceptions in front of 25 173 spectators at Investors Group Stadium, which was covered with fog for the second half.

The Bombers' fifth consecutive victory (10-7) also eliminated the Edmonton Eskimos (8-9) from the game of the season. Winnipeg is currently third, but she does not know where she will be in the tight rankings of the CFL West. That ends the regular season in Edmonton next weekend.

Calgary (12-5), who lost three times in a row, can still finish first in the division if Saskatchewan (11-6) lose or equal their Saturday game in BC. (9-7). If the Roughriders win, the Stampeders can get first place if they beat the Lions in BC. the following weekend.

"Listen, we know we have lost three games in a row," said Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson. "We understand that we can not continue to do the same thing, we have to try to gain momentum.

"We still have a chance to be first in the West, we have to go out and play a good game against B.C."

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was 22 for 35 for 274 yards with a touchdown for Markeith Ambles and no choice for Calgary.

The Stampeders lost three games in a row at the end of last season after winning first place. Mitchell did not play this last game.

"It's something that we have not felt for a long time and on which we will have to fight," Mitchell said. "And I think that will create something good for us before the playoffs."

Mitchell had been 6-0 in Winnipeg and the Bombers had not beaten their home Stampeders team since July 2009, a run of nine wins.

He was asked how difficult it was to play in the fog.

"It's not fog, it's smoke that releases them from their guns," Mitchell joked.

Adams caught a 50-yard TD pbad and Wolitarsky went to a 60-yard touchdown reception for Winnipeg. Quarterback Chris Streveler had a two-yard run for a touchdown.

Adams finished with five catches for 126 yards, giving him 1,028 receiving yards. It's his second consecutive year, surpbading the 1,000-yard mark.

"I could have had a hold, I would have been happy," Adams said. "The goal tonight was to win the game."

Justin Medlock scored two goals for a total of 13 yards and 35 yards for Winnipeg. He made a pair of converts and Nichols was sacked on a two-point conversion attempt.

Calgary quarterback Nick Arbuckle pushed for a two-yard touchdown and Ambles scored a goal grab. Two Calgary converts failed. René Paredes scored goals of 43, 31 and 51 yards.

Calgary led 3-0 after the first quarter and 12-6 at half-time, but Winnipeg took the 26-18 advantage after the third quarter.

Both teams scored field goals in the first round. Winnipeg ended up forcing three fumbles in Calgary.

Bomber linebacker Adam Bighill caused a big turnaround in the third quarter by beating the Stamp striker on Don Jackson. Streveler used the ball possession change to hit the ball in the end zone at 13:42 to give a lead of 26-18 after the convert.

"These are huge changes in the game and points for our offense," said Bighill, who had three tackles. "These are the things you need to do to help change the pace of the game and beat the best teams."

The Stampeders made it to Winnipeg's five-yard line at the end of the fourth inning, but on the third run and fifth pbad, Mitchell's pbad to Eric Rogers pbaded just past the goal line. After an examination, the incomplete call remained on the ground and it was a turnover of Calgary, while there remained 2:49 to play.

"I'm biased, I'm the guy who throws the ball," Mitchell said. "I thought that once I had seen it on the screen, I thought it was a touched one. I thought it was a trap if we did not." I did not call a touchdown, I'm a little distraught to see how to call it a catch. "

Winnipeg took over and was out of time until Paredes hired a 51-yard halfback with three seconds to go.

© Copyright 2018 Prince George Citizen

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