Game Summary

It has been quite some time since the Winnipeg Blue Bombers opened up a CFL campaign with two straight losses. For the Shreveport Pirates, this was a chance for them to do something that many teams before them have had trouble with, coming away with a win at Winnipeg Stadium. The 20,449 fans in attendance were treated to a fine football game and as an added bonus, watched as their Bombers walked away with a 37-39 victory. It was the Bombers who got on the board first as PK Troy Westwood split the uprights from 15 yards out at 4:46 of the opening quarter. The Pirates bounced back with a field goal of their own as K Bjorn Nittmo was good from 55 yards away. The Bombers rounded out the first quarter scoring as Shreveport QB Billy Joe Tolliver was unable to elude the tough Winnipeg pass rush and was dumped for a sack in the Pirates end zone. Shreveport P Robbie Keen drew his team to within 1 as his 65 yard punt went through the end zone for a single. Nittmo then connected from 40 yards away to put the Pirates ahead by 2 at 7:43 of the second period. Winnipeg then regained the lead as Jason Mallett pounced on a Shreveport fumble in the end zone at 12:36. The Troy Westwood convert made the score 12-7 in favour of the Bombers. The Bombers added a Westwood MFG single to their lead before Tolliver and WR Freeman Baysinger hooked up for a 6 yard TD at 14:32. The Nittmo convert put Shreveport up 14-13 at the half. The Blue Bombers opened up the second half scoring at 3:05 as QB Sammy Garza hooked up with RB Mike Oliphant from 25 yards away for his first TD as a Bomber. However, as they had done in the first half, the Pirates came right back with a TD of their own as RB Martin Patton plunged in from 1 yard out at 6:02. Mallett then scooped up a Shreveport fumble and returned it 6 yards for his second such TD of the game. The Westwood convert made the score 27-21 in favour of the Bombers after 3 quarters. The Bombers widened the margin 3:52 into the final frame as Oliphant scored his second TD of the game, this one a 2 yard run. Following a Keen 58 yard punting single, the Pirates got a fumble recovery TD of their own as Mario Perry picked up an errant Winnipeg fumble and scampered 49 yards for the major score. This was as close as they would get however as Westwood rounded out the scoring at 12:44 with a 15 yard chip shot to make the final 37-29 Winnipeg.