Aug 11, 2007, 6:00 GMT
Vancouver, BC - Kevin Glenn threw for 226 yards and two scores on 20-of-26 passing and substitute kicker Rob Pikula made all three of his field-goal attempts to lead Winnipeg past B.C., 22-21, in a Week 7 inter-division matchup at B.C. Place.
Terrence Edwards caught five balls for 110 yards and one touchdown for the Blue Bombers (4-2-1), who recovered from a 43-22 loss to lowly Hamilton. Charles Roberts rushed 17 times for 105 yards, and Derick Armstrong had four receptions for 31 yards and a score.
Buck Pierce completed 19-of-31 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown for the Lions (5-2), who have dropped two straight, both at home, for the first time since 2004. B.C. drops into a first-place tie with Saskatchewan, which beat Toronto earlier Friday.
Joe Smith ran for 74 yards and one TD on 16 carries and Chad Mock added a touchdown catch.
Pikula hit from 41 yards just 14 seconds into the fourth to bring Winnipeg within 21-13, and after holding B.C. on its next possession, the Bombers marched 71 yards in five plays, culminating in Edwards' diving six-yard TD catch. Although the two-point conversion failed, Winnipeg was within two.
On the ensuing kick-off, B.C.'s Ian Smart had the ball ripped out of his hands by Winnipeg's Gilles Lezi and returned by Kyries Hebert to the Lions' 35-yard- line. However, the home team held thanks to some ill-timed Bomber penalties and Pikula was called on again, and he hit from 33 yards to give Winnipeg its first lead of the game, 22-21.
The next trip down the field, Paul McCallum missed his second of the night, a 43-yarder with 4:33 remaining, but the tough Lions defense held. Pierce was unable to sustain a drive on the next series and the Bombers escaped with the one-point win.
The first quarter belonged to the home team, as B.C. struck on its first drive of the game, as Pierce connected with Mock for an eight-yard TD score. McCallum hit a 45-yard field goal late in the first and the Lions led 10-0.
Winnipeg went 75 yards in nine plays, culminating in Glenn's nine-yard TD pass to Armstrong to bring the Bombers within 10-7. Pikula then nailed a 31-yarder with 4:19 to play in the half and the game was even, 10-10.
The Lions went to the break with a 17-10 lead, courtesy of a one-yard run by Smith with 49 seconds to go, capping a six-play, 56-yard drive.
B.C. regained control of the contest in the second half, picking up a single to go up 18-10 on a punt concession early in the third quarter, and going up 21-10 later when McCallum hit from 12 yards out.
Game Notes
First-string Lions QB Dave Dickenson, out since suffering a concussion on July 13, was cleared to perform a light workout on Friday...All-time CFL TD reception leader Milt Stegall has 17 touchdown catches in 23 career games against the Lions, but was held without a catch in the contest...Winnipeg did not have a first-down in the opening quarter...In Week 8, B.C. heads to Calgary to take on the Stampeders, while Winnipeg gets a bye and will not play until August 24 hosting Toronto in Week 9...Attendance was 31,525.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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