CANADIAN PRESS
HAMILTON, Ont. — Drew Willy’s two-yard TD pass to Nic Grigsby on the final play of the game rallied the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a stirring 27-26 comeback win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday night.
Willy lofted a high, soft pass to Grigbsy to cap an 11-play drive that began at the Winnipeg 15-yard line with 1:40 remaining. Lirim Hajrullahu’s convert earned Winnipeg (5-1) the victory.
Rookie Quincy McDuffie’s 66-yard punt return TD at 2:15 earned Hamilton a 24-20 advantage, the Ticats’ first lead of the game. McDuffie, making his CFL debut, delighted a Ron Joyce Stadium gathering of 6,500 that was forced to endure a horrendous first half by the Ticats (1-4).
Hamilton managed just two first downs and 22 net yards after accumulating over 550 yards in a 33-23 home win over Ottawa on Saturday night. And when Grigsby put Winnipeg ahead 20-3 with a 16-yard scamper at 2:38 of the third, it looked like the game was over.
But quarterback Dan LeFevour — who threw for 361 yards and a TD and ran for 109 yards and a touchdown against Ottawa — hit C.J. Gable with a 48-yard scoring strike at 6:35. LeFevour, the CFL’s offensive player of the week, scored on a two-yard run 12 seconds into the fourth to cut Hamilton’s deficit to 20-17 before McDuffie’s electrifying return at 2:15.
And Hamilton went ahead 26-20 after Hajrullahu was forced to boot the ball out of the end zone for a safety following a high snap at 3:53. Winnipeg’s woes continued when Julian Feoli-Gudino fumbled after a nine-yard catch that Rico Murray recovered at the Hamilton 31-yard line with under six minutes remaining.
But Feoli-Gudino made up for that with a clutch 22-yard catch that put Winnipeg at the Hamilton two-yard line, setting up Willy’s final-play heroics. The Bombers improved to 4-0 versus East Division competition this year.
Robert Marve had Winnipeg’s other touchdown. Hajrullahu booted two field goals and the converts.
Hamilton’s Justin Medlock added a field goal and the converts.
Marve’s three-yard TD run at 13:13 of the second staked Winnipeg to a 13-3 half-time advantage, capping a smart 74-yard, 10-play drive aided by two unnecessary roughness penalties against Hamilton.
But the score flattered the Ticats, whose offence was non-existent in the first half with just one first down and 31 total yards. On Saturday against Ottawa, Hamilton had two TDs and 158 yards in its first five offensive plays.
LeFevour was a dismal 4-of-12 passing for a paltry 17 yards.
Willy was a workmanlike 18-of-24 passing for 217 yards.
