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August 29, 2021

Quick Hits | Bombers 18 Stampeders 16

Andrew Harris 33 (2)

5 Quick Hits from the Bombers 18-16 win over the Calgary Stampeders Sunday night at IG Field:

1.  OPENING THOUGHTS: Andrew Harris is back, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are starting to flash some of their old magic again. And, yes, one is absolutely positively linked to the other. It was far from perfect, but the Bombers rallied for a dramatic 18-16 win over the Calgary Stampeders in front of 22,806 on a spectacular Sunday night in south Winnipeg.

Overcoming a serious case of the dropsies on offence and a gritty performance by Stampeder QB Jake Maier, who was making just his second pro start, the Bombers got a 45-yard field goal by rookie Marc Liegghio with just 37 seconds remaining to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Maier almost counter-rallied the Bombers late dramatics, leading the Stamps into a position to win it, but a 53-yard field-goal attempt by Rene Paredes came up just short.


2. HARRIS RETURN: Making his first start of the 2021 season — and first since being named the 2019 Grey Cup MVP and Most Outstanding Canadian — Harris rushed for 72 yards and a TD on 15 carries and pulled in another two passes for five yards in the win.
His longest carry covered 20 yards and his TD was the 81st of his career.


3. LEGGZ GETS IT DONE: Stepping in for an injured Tyler Crapigna, the Bombers got some heroics from Liegghio — nicknamed ‘Leggz’ He missed a convert to start the game, but then hit all four of his field-goal attempts from 50, 42, 37 and the game-winner from 45.


4. QB NUMBERS: Zach Collaros finished 14 of 21 for 213 yards and connected twice with Rasheed Bailey for 30 yards total on the critical fourth-quarter drive to set up the winning field goal.


5. FYI: The Bombers inactive player for the fourth straight week was OL Geoff Gray… Defensively the Bombers started the game with Shayne Gauthier at LB alongside Adam Bighill and Jesse Briggs, although he did come off the field in some second-and-long situations in favour of Alden Darby… Mike Miller was saluted in the pre-game for becoming the CFL’s all-time leader in special-teams tackles last week in Toronto and added two more to that total to give him 194… Calgary QB Jake Maier connected on 17 straight before an incompletion on the first drive of second half… The Bombers are now 14-1 in their last 15 at IG Field.