Game Summary

On another lovely August Manitoba evening, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers played host to the much improving B.C. Lions. The Lions, earlier in the week, had given the Calgary Stampeders all they could handle coming up just shy of an upset. At 1-8 they were looking for their second win of the season, meanwhile the Bombers sat comfortably in third place in the Western Division with a 5-3 record. It was the Lions who opened up the scoring when veteran K Lui Passaglia connected from 34 yards out at 7:33. Winnipeg countered when WR Milt Stegall hauled in a 51 yard TD pass from QB Kent Austin. The Troy Westwood convert put the Bombers up by 4 after one quarter of play. Passaglia cut the lead to just 3 when he scored a single off a 40 yard missed FG. Winnipeg LB Greg Clark upped their lead to 5 when he broke through and dropped Lion QB Damon Allen in the end zone for a safety touch. P Bob Cameron would add to that lead at 9:43 with a 68 yard punting single before the newest Lion, WR Larry Thompson hooked up with Allen for a 19 yard TD. Passaglia added the convert putting the Leos up by a 11-10 score at the end of the first half. Passaglia increased the Lions’ lead to 4 by booting a 19 yard FG at 11:33 of the third frame. This would account for all of the third quarter scoring. The two teams would trade singles to open up the fourth quarter, then B.C. RB Ronald Williams scampered in from 38 yards out. The Passaglia extra point increased the Lions lead to 11 points at 22-11. Stegall would trim that lead to 5 at 13:59 as he hooked up with Austin for a 9 yard TD strike. The two-point convert attempt was no good. Passaglia conceded a two-point safety at 14:48 to ensure that a punting attempt would not get blocked. With a chance to tie the game with no time remaining, Troy Westwood’s 49 yard FG attempt was no good and the ensuing single made the final 22-20 in favour of the Lions.