CFL roundup: Stampeders crush Roughriders in exhibition action
Jennings leads Lions over Blue Bombers
Bo Levi Mitchell is ready for the CFL's regular season to kick off.
His Friday night counterparts, on the other hand, have some work to do before the season begins in a week's time.
Mitchell connected with Kamar Jorden on a 40-yard touchdown strike and helped the Calgary Stampeders roll over the Saskatchewan Roughriders 39-12 Friday night in the final exhibition game for both teams.
"This is a good confidence builder for us ... we put up points," Mitchell said. "Honestly, everyone made plays tonight. It was impressive to see. Our O-line gave us time and allowed us to go over the top a little bit and our receivers made some big plays."
Jorden squeezed behind the coverage for his major score. Rookie receiver Nick Truesdell hauled in a pair of touchdowns for the Stampderes, who were 1-1 in exhibition play. Tailback Terry Williams added an 86-yard touchdown on a punt return and Calgary led 23-3 at halftime.
Williams shows explosiveness
"I'm just doing what I can to make this team," Williams said after he totalled 145 return yards on special teams.
Williams played five games last season and recorded 187 yards and one touchdown and 312 yards on kickoff returns. He also had five catches for 88 yards.
In his only start of 2017, Williams was named the CFL's player of the week in Week 15 after he rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns against the Montreal Alouettes.
"He's so explosive," Mitchell said of the second-year running back. "When he touches the ball he's like a rocket. He just takes off with a quick burst. He's a little different than the guys we've had in years past and I think he's going to add something to this offence."
Riders' quarterback duo struggles
The Riders were less optimistic after Friday's showing, and understandably so. Saskatchewan's quarterback duo of Zach Collaros and Brandon Bridge struggled to get on track. Collaros started the game and finished 6-for-16 for 41 yards before he left with an apparent injury.
The former Tiger-Cats star left the game in the third quarter after he was nailed on a pass attempt by a pair of Stampeders rushers.
Bridge also was ineffective. He completed 2-of-5 pass attempts for 21 yards.
The Riders scored just one touchdown — a 33-yard pass from third-string quarterback David Watford to Caleb Holley — in two exhibition games. The Riders lost both those games.
"I don't see anything positive come out of tonight," said Riders head coach Chris Jones, whose team was penalized 10 times for 139 yards.
Jones said he knows who his starting quarterback will be on Friday when the Riders open the regular season at home against the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts. Though Jones won't reveal who will be under centre until Monday.
"Collaros looks a little bit rusty," Jones said. "The ball didn't come out of his hands the way I would liked, and he missed two deep throws."
"I have the luxury of having a guy who helped us win 10 football games last year [Bridge], so if a guy is struggling then Brandon Bridge will play, or it'll be the opposite.
"Collaros has started a lot of games and has been a good football player for a long time. He has won too many football games to be rusty forever."
Lions top Blue Bombers in final pre-season game
The B.C. Lions are off to an auspicious start to their goal of the erasing any memory of last season's dismal campaign.
Coming off a playoff-missing 7-11 record in 2017, the Lions wrapped their unbeaten pre-season with a 34-21 victory over the Blue Bombers on Friday night.
Jonathon Jennings threw for 182 yards and one touchdown as he looks to be more effective than last season when he finished with 16 touchdowns in 15 games.
"Obviously I wasn't 100 per cent last year, but that's no excuse," said Jennings. "I'm excited to be 100 per cent this year and play well.
"I'm just going to continue to try and get better. Focus on the little things, like not taking silly sacks, don't want to do that in the regular season. I put that on me. I'm going to clean that up."
Important decisions ahead for Winnipeg
For Winnipeg there will be some important decisions to be made at the quarterback position. Starter Matt Nichols went down with a knee injury on Wednesday and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
On Friday, the Bombers fielded all three of their backup QBs, but head coach Mike O'Shea wasn't about to choose a starter for their season opener at home Thursday against Edmonton.
"We're going to look at everything," said O'Shea. "You have to take everything into account. They've given us lots to think about. That's a good thing. We don't have to make a decision right now and it doesn't have to be set in stone.
Backup QBs Bryan Bennett and Chris Streveler combined for 108 yards and two TDs for Winnipeg, which finished 1-1 in pre-season.
QB Alex Ross started for the Bombers, but fumbled on second down, allowing Odell Willis to scoop the ball and run it in 20 yards for a 6-0 B.C. lead just over a minute into the game.
"I wish I had protected the ball better in that situation," said Ross. "We'll see what the coaches decide. That's the coach's decision to make and whoever's number they call is going to be ready."
Ross bounced back, driving the Bombers to the 31-yard line where Felix Menard-Briere kicked an FG to cut the lead.
Lions' Jennings shines
Jennings connected on passes to Shaq Johnson and Emmanuel Arceneaux to put Tyler Long in position to kick a 15-yard field goal to make it 9-3 at 8:51.
Bennett then came into the game and threw a 58-yard bomb to wide receiver Rueben Randle for a TD strike. A converted extra point made it 10-9.
Jennings answered back with a 34-yard heave to Arceneaux, bringing the Lions to Winnipeg's 43. Long kicked a 46-yard field goal for a 12-10 Lions lead.
Menard-Briere made good on a 52-yard field with no time left to make it 13-12 at the half.
Jennings drove the Lions downfield early in the third, getting B.C. to the Winnipeg 22 before finding Bryan Burnham with a TD endzone pass. Minutes later it was 27-13 when defensive back Otha Foster ran back a touchdown interception off a throw by Streveler.
QB Ricky Lloyd came in for Jennings in the fourth and found Burnham, who ran to the Winnipeg 15 for a 38-yard gain. Lloyd dove across the goal-line for a comfortable 33-15 lead.
With under three minutes to play, Kenbrell Thompkins pulled down a 32-yard TD pass from Streveler.