The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-8) hosted the Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-5) on Friday night from Princess Auto Stadium. After clinching the West Division last week, the Roughriders rested most of their starters. Meanwhile, Winnipeg needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive.
First Quarter:
On the opening kickoff, Saskatchewan defensive back Kerfalla Exume was on special teams. He slapped the ball out of Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval’s hand and recovered it on the 43-yard line. On the opening drive for Saskatchewan, the offense ran a flea-flicker play. Quarterback Jake Maier handed the ball off to Mario Anderson Jr. He tossed the ball back to Maier, whose pass intended for Joe Robustelli was incomplete.
A defensive pass interference penalty was called on Winnipeg defensive back Demario Houston. Robustelli came down hard on his left knee and was down for several minutes. He was able to get up slowly and walk to their sideline. The ball was placed on the one-yard line. Backup quarterback Jack Coan came in and scored the touchdown. The Roughriders took a 7-0 lead with 13:53 left.
Winnipeg’s offense had the ball on the 29-yard line. Quarterback Zach Collaros started the drive by throwing a 17-yard pass to Gavin Cobb to the 46-yard line. On second down, Saskatchewan’s defense appeared to have stopped Winnipeg to force third down, but a defensive pass interference penalty on C.J. Reavis gave the Blue Bombers a first down.
Brady Oliveira rushed for eight yards, and backup quarterback Chris Streveler rushed for three yards to the 43-yard line. Next, Collaros threw a 15-yard pass to Gavin Cobb to the 28-yard line. On the next play, Collaros threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Ontaria Wilson, who made the catch on his right shoulder. The game was tied 7-7 with 9:43 left to cap off a seven-play drive for 81 yards.
On the kickoff, Saskatchewan returner Mario Alford ran for 54 yards to the 44-yard line. Running back Mario Anderson Jr. had two carries for one yard and caught a pass for a three-yard loss. Maier also completed a 16-yard pass to Shawn Bane Jr. The ball was on the 31-yard line when kicker Brett Lauther made a 39-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead with 6:26 left.
Winnipeg began its next drive when Zach Collaros threw an 11-yard pass to Ontaria Wilson to the 51-yard line. Running back Brady Oliveira had one carry for six yards and caught a 22-yard pass that included him leaping over Saskatchewan defensive back Tevaughn Campbell to the 28-yard line.
On the next play, Collaros threw a short pass to Jerreth Sterns, who used his speed to get past a couple of players before getting tackled on the one-yard line. That play was wiped out on a penalty, and the ball was placed on the 13-yard line. Brady Oliveira rushed for nine yards to the four-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Sergio Castillo made a 12-yard field goal, and the game was tied 10-10 heading into the second quarter.
Winnipeg’s offense had 152 yards (121 yards passing, 31 yards rushing), and Saskatchewan’s offense had 14 yards (12 yards passing, 2 yards rushing).
Second Quarter:
For the majority of the second quarter, it was a defensive battle. Winnipeg defensive lineman James Vaughters sacked Jake Maier for a 13-yard loss, and Saskatchewan linebacker Antoine Brooks Jr. sacked Collaros for a four-yard loss.
Later, Winnipeg’s offense moved the ball to the 51-yard line. On third down, punter Jamieson Sheahan punted the ball 55 yards into the end zone for a single point. The Blue Bombers took an 11-10 lead with 2:23 left.
Late in the second quarter, Saskatchewan quarterback Jake Maier threw three consecutive passes for 30 yards to the 34-yard line. Kicker Brett Lauther made a 42-yard field goal to give the Roughriders a 13-11 lead at halftime.
First Half Stats:
Saskatchewan’s offense had 48 yards (49 yards passing, 12 yards rushing, 13 yards lost), 5 first downs, 1 for 1 in the red zone, and the team was penalized four times for 41 yards. Quarterback Jake Maier completed 8 of 12 passes (66%) for 49 yards and one carry for nine yards.
Running back Mario Anderson Jr. had three carries for two yards and two catches for two yards. Wide receiver Shawn Bane Jr. made two catches for 17 yards, while Ajou Ajou made one catch for 16 yards. The defense made one tackle for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Winnipeg’s offense had 194 yards (130 yards passing, 68 yards rushing, 4 yards lost), 11 first downs, 0 for 1 in the red zone, and the team was penalized four times for 87 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 9 of 12 passes (75%) for 130 yards, one touchdown, and two carries for 17 yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira had 10 carries for 47 yards and two catches for 17 yards. Wide receiver Ontaria Wilson made three catches for 46 yards and one touchdown, while Gavin Cobb made three catches for 39 yards. The defense made two tackles for loss and one sack.
Third Quarter:
Saskatchewan got the ball to start the third quarter on the 37-yard line. On the opening drive, Jake Maier fumbled the ball attempting to fake a handoff to Mario Anderson Jr. There was a scramble for the ball before it was recovered by Winnipeg linebacker Jaiden Woodbey on the 29-yard line.
Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira rushed for nine yards, and Chris Streveler rushed for two yards to the 18-yard line. Zach Collaros completed a seven-yard pass to Jerreth Sterns. On the next play, Collaros was sacked by Antoine Brooks Jr. for a three-yard loss on the 14-yard line. Kicker Sergio Castillo made a 23-yard field goal to give the Blue Bombers a 14-13 lead with 11:38 left.
Later, Saskatchewan had the ball on the 47-yard line. Jake Maier began the drive by throwing two passes for 13 yards to the 50-yard line. The offense continued to move the ball until reaching the 23-yard line. Kicker Brett Lauther made a 31-yard field goal to give the Roughriders a 16-14 lead with 2:44 left.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros took a couple of shots and had a hard time getting up. He limped off to their sideline but managed to stay in the game. They punted the ball back to Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan quarterback Jake Maier threw two passes for 24 yards to the 54-yard line to end the third quarter up 16-14.
Fourth Quarter:
Saskatchewan began the fourth quarter with punter Jesse Mirco punting the ball 52 yards out of bounds on the four-yard line. Winnipeg’s offense gained six yards before punting the ball to Mario Alford, who returned it for 12 yards to the 54-yard line with 12:44 left.
Jake Maier’s night was done, and Jack Coan was in at quarterback for Saskatchewan. Maier finished the night completing 15 of 20 passes (75%) for 123 yards and three carries for four yards. The Roughriders went two-and-out.
Later, Saskatchewan’s offense moved the ball to the 41-yard line. Kicker Brett Lauther had a chance to make a 49-yard field goal. He missed it wide right, and Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval returned it for 64 yards to the 50-yard line with 8:09 left.
Moving ahead, Winnipeg had the ball on the 54-yard line. Zach Collaros threw a 23-yard pass to Keric Wheatfall to the 33-yard line. On the next play, Collaros’ pass intended for Jerreth Sterns was intercepted by Damarcus Fields on the 16-yard line.
Late in the game, Winnipeg’s offense moved the ball to the 20-yard line. On third down, kicker Sergio Castillo made a 42-yard field goal for a 17-16 lead with 42 seconds left. However, a penalty on Saskatchewan gave them a first down, and the score remained 16-14. Winnipeg took a couple of kneel-downs to set up Castillo for a 22-yard field goal. He made it, and the Blue Bombers defeated the Roughriders 17-16 to keep their playoff hopes alive and avoid getting swept for the season. The Roughriders win the season series 2-1.
Final Stats:
Winnipeg’s offense had 278 yards (182 yards passing, 107 yards rushing, 11 yards lost), 17 first downs, 0 for 3 in the red zone, and the team was penalized six times for 92 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 15 of 24 passes (62.5%) for 182 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and four carries for 25 yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira had 16 carries for 75 yards and three catches for 29 yards. Wide receiver Ontaria Wilson made three catches for 46 yards and one touchdown, while Gavin Cobb made four catches for 44 yards. The defense made 28 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and one fumble recovery.
Saskatchewan’s offense had 169 yards (161 yards passing, 21 yards rushing, 13 yards lost), 11 first downs, 1 for 1 in the red zone, and the team was penalized eight times for 65 yards. Quarterback Jack Coan completed 2 of 8 passes (25%) for 38 yards, three carries for 12 yards, and one rushing touchdown.
Running back Mario Anderson Jr. had seven carries for five yards and two catches for two yards. Wide receiver Mitchell Picton made five catches for 71 yards, while Tommy Nield made three catches for 31 yards. The defense made 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Next Saturday, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers wrap up the 2025 season hosting the Montreal Alouettes at 3 pm on TSN, CTV, and CFL+, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the B.C. Lions at 7 pm on TSN and CFL+.
