The Tiger-Cats closed out their 2008 season with a 44-30 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Canad Inns Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Prechae Rodriguez caught 6 passes for 129 yards, becoming the Ticats first 1,000-yard receiver since 2005.
The Bombers controlled much of the action in the beginning, as quarterback Kevin Glenn followed up an Alexis Serna field goal and a Ticats conceded safety with a five-yard touchdown pass to Romby Bryant to make the score 12-0 with a little over three minutes left in the opening quarter.
Winnipeg’s defence added to their lead on the Ticats next possession, after Jovan Johnson intercepted a Casey Printers toss and returned the ball 50 yards the other way for a score.
Down 19-0, Printers and the Black and Gold fought their way back into the game on the final play of the first quarter. Printers hit Eddie Cohen with a short pass that the rookie receiver turned into a 67-yard touchdown – the first score of his career.
At the end of one quarter, the Bombers led 19-7.
On their next possession, Winnipeg countered the Ticats long touchdown pass with a big play of their own. Glenn and Bryant connected once again – this time for an 85-yard score – to put the home side ahead 26-7.
After a 57-yard Nick Setta field goal attempt hit the left upright, each team traded short field goals and the Ticats just missed a potential Casey Printers-to-Prechae Rodriguez touchdown on the half’s final play, as the Bombers would hold a 29-10 lead at halftime.
Rookie quarterback Adam Tafralis entered the game on the Ticats first possession of the second half after Casey Printers was forced to exit with an injury. The San Jose State product wasted no time, completing short passes to Cohen and Kenton Keith before hooking up with Prechae Rodriguez on a 29-yard gain which set up a six-yard touchdown toss to Keith.
Nick Setta would tack three more points a few minutes later with a 53-yard field goal to make the score 29-20 with 7:09 left in the third frame.
Following a 43-yard Winnipeg field goal by Serna, Setta booted a 62-yard punt into the Bombers end zone for another single.
After three quarters, the Ticats trailed by 11, 32-21.
A conceded safety by the Bombers would bring the Ticats within nine, then Hamilton’s special teams came up with the final quarter’s first big play. Bombers kick returner Casey McGahee fumbled a punt, allowing Tiger-Cat Nick Setta to pounce on the fumble. Unfortunately for the Black and Gold, they wouldn’t capitalize on the turnover as the Bombers picked off Tafralis a couple of plays later to extinguish the Ticats potential scoring drive.
Winnipeg extended their lead to 12 on their next possession with a short Serna field goal, making the score 35-12 with 8:40 remaining in the game.
Another conceded safety by the Ticats and a Casey McGahee punt return touchdown put nine more points on the board for the Bombers before Tafralis found Chris Davis with a 24-yard touchdown pass with 42 seconds left to make the final 44-30 in Winnipeg’s favour.
