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News May 23, 2026

Game Recap | Preseason #1 Sask 31 Wpg 27

Zach Collaros in the first drive of Saturday's preseason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders; photos by Sam Calvert

@EdTaitWFC

SASKATOON — There were moments of brilliance and periods that were sloppy and choppy. And so, in that respect, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers first preseason game was everything you’d expect from a first dress rehearsal.

The Blue Bombers fell 31-27 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Griffiths Stadium here in Bridge City in what was our first look at many of the players who will make up the 2026 edition of the squad, with the final auditions going this Friday at home against the B.C. Lions.

Winnipeg will then open the season on the road in Calgary against the Stampeders on Friday, June 5th.

“I thought our guys battled hard. We asked them to do a couple things that are most important in this game and that was to battle physically,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “It’s tough coming off a camp and we don’t give them much rest at all. I thought they showed well in terms of their compete level.

“You’d like to always win, it didn’t turn out that way, but we got a lot of very valuable snaps for a lot of guys and saw some great stuff that we liked and there’s always stuff that we can correct that will help us for the entire year.”

More on the Blue Bombers first preseason game from our view in the press box here in Saskatoon…

QB WATCH

Right from the get-go let’s affirm what’s already been confirmed: Zach Collaros’ role as QB1 was never ever in question and he certainly hammered that home lickety-split in his only stint at the controls.

Working in Tommy Condell’s offence for the first time, the veteran pivot completed three of his four pass attempts for 57 yards — all of them to new receiver Tim White — as the Blue Bombers marched the ball down the field for a Brady Oliveira TD on their first offensive possession.

Two key takeaways — and yes, probably slightly exaggerated from such a small sample size — but Collaros looked very comfy in the pocket and White could be a massive addition if he’s that busy when the scores truly matter.

“It’s great to be back out there playing against a different defence that we don’t see every day. What you want to do is go out there and try and execute a plan, try to get things to slow down because it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in this game, the first time back out there, things are moving fast.

“I felt like for me that happened during the drive and the guys did a great job up front and Tim had a great drive. It was a lot of fun.”

Taylor Elgersma entered the game after Collaros and that was the big subplot within the story as the big Canadian pivot made his Blue Bombers debut. Don’t fixate entirely on his numbers — he was 6-of-13 for 78 yards with two interceptions– but instead on the simple importance of him getting vital reps, especially after a couple days that saw two QBs, veteran Terry Wilson and rookie Payton Thorne, exit the team; Wilson making his decision after the depth chart had already been issued to the media with his name on it.

“There’s a lot that I can learn from this game,” Elgersma. “Obviously I was pressing for big plays and I think as I grow I can learn to let those come to me instead of seeking them out. If I can do a better job of not pressing the gas pedal and searching those big ones and let them present themselves, having more sustained drives on the field, protect the football, it’s going to be better for our team.

“That’s what I’ll learn from this. This is the first one and those are the lessons you’ve got to learn as a young guy. I want to play better, but those are things that are correctable.”

Bryce Perkins entered the game in the fourth quarter and showed his years of veteran experience in the NFL and UFL as he completed 5-of-9 passes for 67 yards and a late interception while also rushing twice for eight yards.

“I had some good plays, some bad plays and some plays that you can’t make, can’t take,” said Perkins. “I’m really just trying to get in there and get comfortable.

“You get in late in preseason games and there’s a lot of chaos that can happen and you just try to stay in it and try to make some plays. There’s stuff to fix and correct.”

UPDATE ON TERRY WILSON

The veteran QB informed the club on Friday he was leaving, after a depth chart with his name on it had already been released to the media. Here’s Coach O’Shea on the conversation he had with Wilson:

“He came to my office, and we had a decent conversation. It wasn’t short. It wasn’t overly long either. But it was a must for him to gather information, and he just felt it was time for him to go

“It was last minute but it’s something that I don’t think was a rash decision. These things creep into your mind over time and then they eventually come to a point where a conversation has to be had.”

 NOTABLE

With close to 80 players dressed, here are some notable numbers/performances that stood out…

The Blue Bombers got two defensive touchdowns on Pick 6s, the first by Evan Holm and the second by Ja’Kobe Clinton.

-Dorian Singer led the Blue Bombers with three catches for 59 yards, including a 33-yard reception that was Elgersma’s best pass of the day. He also returned three kickoffs for 82 yards.

-Second year linebacker Jaylen Smith led the team with five tackles and a sack.

-Placekicker Brady Lidster was two of three in field goals, including a 50 yarder.

The score doesn’t matter in the standings, but Clinton’s interception was a snapshot of the rookie’s athleticism.

Lean into whatever number you think, but Collaros’s going 3-for-4 for 57 yards must be an important takeaway heading into this week and the regular season.

The Blue Bombers will be back at work on Monday with their final tuneup Friday against the B.C. Lions at Princess Auto Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.