Ti-Cats remain last in Canadian Football League
Charles Roberts and Keith Stokes may have been two of the smallest guys on the field, but they had the biggest impact as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kept the Hamilton Tiger-Cats winless with a 44-14 victory Saturday night.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Milt Stegall is hit by Hamilton Tiger Cats' Airabin Justin and loses the ball during second half CFL action in Winnipeg, on Saturday. Roberts rushed 18 times for 99 yards and three touchdowns, while kick returner Stokes, making his first start this season at receiver, had five catches for 139 yards and one TD and racked up 265 all-purpose yards.
Winnipeg improved to 2-6 and Hamilton remains the only winless CFL team at 0-7.
"Everybody knows what we're both capable of, we just need to get opportunities in the game - good opportunities," Roberts said.
"Things were schemed better for us tonight and we were able to get out and make people miss like we do."
The Bombers also got TDs from second-year receiver Gilles Colon, a Bishop's University grad making his first CFL start, and veteran slotback Milt Stegall in front of 24,326 fans at Canad Inns Stadium.
Hamilton kicker Jamie Boreham conceded a safety to round out Winnipeg's scoring.
Former Winnipeg quarterback Khari Jones, replacing Marcus Brady late in the first half after he hurt his ankle, scored Hamilton's first TD on a one-yard keeper in the third quarter. Receiver Kamau Peterson, traded from the Bombers last week, had a 12-yard TD catch in the fourth.
Bomber kicker Troy Westwood, playing in his 250th consecutive regular-season game, went wide on both his field goals from 48 and 54 yards.
Boreham, who had been on a streak of 10 straight field goals, missed his one try from 45 yards.
After Boreham missed his kick in the second quarter - the first quarter was scoreless - Stokes put on a show for the fans.
He grabbed the ball in the end zone and dashed 66 yards, stopping only when he ran into a teammate. A couple plays later, he pulled off a 22-yard catch-run display that included a quick two-step at the sideline that avoided a Ticat and got him down to Hamilton's two-yard line.
Roberts finished the six-play, 59-yard drive with a two-yard dart into the end zone for a 14-0 Bomber lead at 10:35. Colon had notched the game's first TD 11 seconds into the second quarter.
Stokes also hauled in a 66-yard catch-run TD after dragging players with him over the goal-line at 14:41 of the third quarter for a 35-7 lead.
"I just got an opportunity to play (receiver) today and I seized the moment," Stokes said. "I don't get 'em often so whenever I'm gonna get the chance to go out there and do it, I'm going to try and make the best of my opportunity."
The victory put smiles on the faces of the Bombers, but there was no jumping up and down with joy.
"It was fun, but we were playing a team that had a worse record than we did so we can be positive about the win and motivated and hope to build on it, but by far there's better teams out there that we must get ready to be prepared for," Roberts said.
The Ticats are staying in Winnipeg until they travel to B.C. for a game next Friday against the 7-0 Lions.
"The worst thing that can happen in this situation is for guys to start pointing fingers," Hamilton head coach Greg Marshall said.
"It's all of us. All of us need to take a good hard look at what we're doing, coaches included."
Marshall said quarterback Danny McManus, who was out with a finger injury, may start against B.C., but it's doubtful.
Winnipeg quarterback Kevin Glenn, replaced by Russ Michna late in the fourth, was 18-of-28 passing for 374 yards, three TDs and one interception. Jones was 17-of-24 for one TD and no interceptions.
Notes: Hamilton has only led at halftime in one of its seven games a Ticats defensive lineman James Cotton (knee) and defensive back Antwoine Sanders (arm) left the game with injuries.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Milt Stegall is hit by Hamilton Tiger Cats' Airabin Justin and loses the ball during second half CFL action in Winnipeg, on Saturday. Roberts rushed 18 times for 99 yards and three touchdowns, while kick returner Stokes, making his first start this season at receiver, had five catches for 139 yards and one TD and racked up 265 all-purpose yards.
Winnipeg improved to 2-6 and Hamilton remains the only winless CFL team at 0-7.
"Everybody knows what we're both capable of, we just need to get opportunities in the game - good opportunities," Roberts said.
"Things were schemed better for us tonight and we were able to get out and make people miss like we do."
The Bombers also got TDs from second-year receiver Gilles Colon, a Bishop's University grad making his first CFL start, and veteran slotback Milt Stegall in front of 24,326 fans at Canad Inns Stadium.
Hamilton kicker Jamie Boreham conceded a safety to round out Winnipeg's scoring.
Former Winnipeg quarterback Khari Jones, replacing Marcus Brady late in the first half after he hurt his ankle, scored Hamilton's first TD on a one-yard keeper in the third quarter. Receiver Kamau Peterson, traded from the Bombers last week, had a 12-yard TD catch in the fourth.
Bomber kicker Troy Westwood, playing in his 250th consecutive regular-season game, went wide on both his field goals from 48 and 54 yards.
Boreham, who had been on a streak of 10 straight field goals, missed his one try from 45 yards.
After Boreham missed his kick in the second quarter - the first quarter was scoreless - Stokes put on a show for the fans.
He grabbed the ball in the end zone and dashed 66 yards, stopping only when he ran into a teammate. A couple plays later, he pulled off a 22-yard catch-run display that included a quick two-step at the sideline that avoided a Ticat and got him down to Hamilton's two-yard line.
Roberts finished the six-play, 59-yard drive with a two-yard dart into the end zone for a 14-0 Bomber lead at 10:35. Colon had notched the game's first TD 11 seconds into the second quarter.
Stokes also hauled in a 66-yard catch-run TD after dragging players with him over the goal-line at 14:41 of the third quarter for a 35-7 lead.
"I just got an opportunity to play (receiver) today and I seized the moment," Stokes said. "I don't get 'em often so whenever I'm gonna get the chance to go out there and do it, I'm going to try and make the best of my opportunity."
The victory put smiles on the faces of the Bombers, but there was no jumping up and down with joy.
"It was fun, but we were playing a team that had a worse record than we did so we can be positive about the win and motivated and hope to build on it, but by far there's better teams out there that we must get ready to be prepared for," Roberts said.
The Ticats are staying in Winnipeg until they travel to B.C. for a game next Friday against the 7-0 Lions.
"The worst thing that can happen in this situation is for guys to start pointing fingers," Hamilton head coach Greg Marshall said.
"It's all of us. All of us need to take a good hard look at what we're doing, coaches included."
Marshall said quarterback Danny McManus, who was out with a finger injury, may start against B.C., but it's doubtful.
Winnipeg quarterback Kevin Glenn, replaced by Russ Michna late in the fourth, was 18-of-28 passing for 374 yards, three TDs and one interception. Jones was 17-of-24 for one TD and no interceptions.
Notes: Hamilton has only led at halftime in one of its seven games a Ticats defensive lineman James Cotton (knee) and defensive back Antwoine Sanders (arm) left the game with injuries.
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