CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg, MB–The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have booked themselves a date with the Grey Cup in Vancouver.
The Bombers rode a three-yard touchdown reception by Jason Vega and an outstanding ground game from Chris Garrett to an easy 19-3 Eastern Final victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at a chilly CanadInns Stadium.
Garrett had 27 carries for 189 yards and a touchdown as the Bombers coasted through most of the second half with a 10-point lead.
Justin Palardy provided most of the cushion the Bombers enjoyed throughout the game with a pair of field goals in the second and third quarters respectively.
The Ticats were stopped at a few critical points in the game where the team looked primed to mount a comeback.
A pair of 15-yard penalties looked to put the Ticats into good field position to close the gap with 10 minutes left in the fourth. However, an Alex Suber interception quickly turned the tide back into the Bombers favour.
The Ticats had also mounted a threatening-looking drive in the dying seconds of the first half, but were unable to get within field goal-range, getting stopped just before midfield.
Hamilton’s offence was not able to seriously threaten the Bombers after Kevin Glenn limped to the sideline just five minutes into the third quarter. He did not return, with Quinton Porter stepping in halfway through the third quarter.
The game began on a tenuous note with both teams adjusting to the sub-zero conditions, neither team was able to get on the board in their first drive of the game.
Hamilton clung to an early 3-0 lead after the first quarter thanks to a Justin Medlock chip shot from 18 yards out. They were able to keep the Bombers off the board late in the quarter by stopping a failed third-down gamble just inside the Hamilton 30-yard line.
From that point on, however, it was all Winnipeg. The Bombers defence stopped Hamilton’s momentum on every drive, keeping the team out of the red zone for the rest of the game.
The Bombers advance to their first Grey Cup Final since 2007 where they were edged by the Saskatchewan Roughriders by a score of 23-19.
