Thanks to a Fred Reid 4-yard touchdown run with 1:14 left in the game, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 30 to 23 at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. With that victory, the Bombers have won three straight games after having started the season 2-8. As for Edmonton, they have lost their second straight game and fell to 7-6 on the season.
Reid, who carried the ball 16 times for 93 yards, said “It’s most definitely a statement game. We’re more confident right now as a unit, and we’re coming out and playing hard every week.”
Winnipeg scored their other touchdowns from a Milt Stegall 31-yard touchdown pass, a 73-yard touchdown pass to Arjei Franklin (first touchdown of his three-year career), and an 84-yard punt return by Jason Armstead.
Bombers kicker Alexis Serna missed all three of his field goal attempts from 33, 40, and 30 yards. He only scored two singles out of hose field goals and was boed loudly for his horrid performance.
The crowd of 29,794 witnessed Arjei Franklin getting mobbed by his Bomber teammates after scoring his first career touchdown. Franklin said, “I think if anyone were to look at the fact that we beat a good team like Edmonton, you know, maybe they’ll start taking us a little more seriously.
“But, to be honest, we don’t really even care how they take us. They can think that we’re a joke coming into their stadium, or they can think that we’re a team to be reckoned with.
“Either way, we’re going to play as hard as we can to get that W.”
The Bombers and Eskimos will play again next Saturday in Edmonton.
Kevin Glenn completed 18 of 26 passes for 268 yards and the two touchdowns to Stegall and Franklin, but threw one pass to the Edmonton defense. As for Eskimos QB Ricky Ray, he went 36-of-43 for 434 yards and two touchdowns, but threw one interception.
