(Winnipeg) Brady Oliveira rushed for 109 yards to help the Winnipeg Blue Bombers punch their ticket to a fourth straight Gray Cup with a 24-13 victory over the British Columbia Lions on Saturday in the final of the West.
The Blue Bombers will face the Montreal Alouettes in the 110th Gray Cup on November 19 in Hamilton. And Oliveira is not surprised.
“It wasn’t really a surprise to me,” Oliveira said of Montreal’s victory. I had made my choices for the playoff portrait and I had Montreal in the Gray Cup. »
“[The Alouettes] are an excellent group. Their defense played at full capacity. She’s the one who got them this far and got them to the Gray Cup, so it’s going to be a very, very, very good test for us. »
The Manitoba team will try to get their hands on a third title in four appearances, after losing 24-23 last year against the Toronto Argonauts.
The Bombers won in 2021 and 2019. There was no season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 14 of 21 passes for 158 yards without an interception, much to the delight of the fifth sold-out crowd of the year at IG Field. He was sacked twice in front of 32,343 fans.
Vernon Adams Jr. was tackled nine times behind the line of scrimmage.
“We are a defense that bends, but doesn’t break. But tonight, we really didn’t break, said Willie Jefferson, author of two sacks.
“We were trying to be aggressive, we were physical and we really wanted to go out there and show the league we can play four quarters of football. »
The former Alouettes quarterback connected with his receivers 13 times in 25 attempts for 221 yards and a touchdown. He suffered three interceptions.
“They made tackles quickly and they hit my knee, things like that,” Adams said. We didn’t play up to our standards. There were ups and downs. »
Receivers Nic Demski and Rasheed Bailey as well as running back Greg McCrae all participated in the game despite doubts that persisted before the game due to injuries on the Bombers side.
Star defensive lineman Adam Bighill, however, left the game with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter when he appeared to injure his right leg. He was unable to put weight on that leg on his way to the sideline and was carried by cart to the locker room.
Oliveira scored an eight-yard touchdown, helped by his offensive line to run the final yards.
Nick Hallett blocked a punt, recovered the ball and ran 15 yards for a major. Sergio Castillo made three field goals, but missed attempts of 46 and 34 yards. He added a single.
Justin McInnis scored the Lions’ only touchdown on a 45-yard passing play. Sean Whyte had two from 48 and 45 yards.
