Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
REGINA — Zach Collaros may have a new home and a different football family, but for the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ quarterback, tradition is tradition.
Collaros continues to make the most of the annual Mark’s Labour Day Weekend rivalry games, improving to 4-0 as a starter following Sunday’s 31-23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Collaros finished the game with 250 passing yards on 18-of-30 with a touchdown and an interception.
The Riders’ pivot had the best game of his career on Labour Day back in 2015 when he enjoyed the Toronto-Hamilton side of things, following it up with a remarkable come-from-behind win in 2016.
Sunday’s contest, which pulled the Riders into a second-place tie with the Eskimos, who play Monday, will add another memorable chapter for Collaros.
“It was rocking in there for sure,” he said. “It always is, but that was a different feel today. Even in pre-game, a lot more people on the field, more people in the stands.
“Very loud in there and I’m sure it was tough for the Winnipeg guys to get things going there, hearing the huddle and the cadence. It seems like every game’s a playoff game, especially when we’re playing here. It’s a credit to our fans.”
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It was hardly a masterpiece, but Collaros made an impact on the victory, leading three timely second-half scoring drives to preserve the victory, including a go-ahead touchdown to Marcus Thigpen from 25 yards out a minute into the fourth quarter.
“It’s a play we’ve had in our back pocket for a couple of weeks,” Collaros said. “[Receiver Shaquelle Evans] did a great job selling the screen and I saw [Bombers defenders Chris Randle and Adam Bighill] stop their feet. Once you stop your feet on Thigpen, you aren’t catching him. I knew it, just don’t overthrow him. It was a great catch and a great call.”
Collaros would later set up an insurance marker from defensive back and short-yardage quarterback Nick Marshall after a key completion to Jordan Williams-Lambert, extending the lead to eight points in the game’s final moments.
Ed Gainey‘s interception on Matt Nichols sealed the Riders’ third straight win, moving them to 6-4 on the season.
After struggling in the first half with just 97 net yards and eight first downs, the Riders took advantage of their opportunities and scored when they needed to, earning a back-and-forth win that saw four lead changes in total.
“We had the ball more,” Collaros said of the second half. “We were able to extend some drives. We did a really good job, there were still some plays we want to have back but we’re getting better.
“I thought we did a great job of handling the swings of the game,” he added. We kept our composure. Guys really believe in what we’re doing, and we made enough plays at the end of the game to win the game.”
Round two is in less than a week’s time, when the Riders and Bombers do it all over again in the annual Banjo Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Winnipeg’s Investors Group Field.
