WINNIPEG – Adarius Bowman and C.J. Gable scored two touchdowns each to push the Edmonton Eskimos past the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 39-32 in the CFL Western Semifinal at Investors Group Field on Sunday.
The victory is good for Edmonton’s sixth in a row and sends them to their fourth straight division final.
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Mike Reilly hit a wide open Bowman for a 17-yard touchdown on Edmonton’s first drive to start the scoring. The Bombers replied a few minutes later with a 20-yard Justin Medlock field goal, cutting the Eskimos’ lead to four points.
The Bombers jumped in front early in the second quarter thanks to a seven-yard touchdown catch by L’Damian Washington. The major marked the receiver’s first since the second week of the season. Matt Coates helped set up the score by grabbing a 38-yard pass from Matt Nichols just a few plays earlier.
Edmonton’s Sean Whyte nailed a 28-yard field to make it 10-10 at halftime. The two teams went into the break almost even statistically with just two offensive yards separating them.
The Eskimos controlled the second half, outscoring Winnipeg by seven points. Edmonton took the lead back less than two minutes into the third quarter with a 65-yard Hugh O’Neill punt rouge. They later capitalized off a Winnipeg turnover, calling on Gable for a 15-yard touchdown run. Edmonton took possession following a failed Timothy Flanders third down run off a fake punt. Reilly later found Brandon Zylstra for a 30-yard major. Zylstra led the league this season with 1,678 receiving yards off 100 catches.
Bowman hauled in a 42-yard pass from Reilly in the fourth quarter for his second touchdown of the game shortly before Gable posted another 15-yard touchdown run.
Nichols connected with Weston Dressler for a touchdown twice in the second half. Both majors were followed by successful two-point converts. Winnipeg also posted two Medlock field goals in the third quarter.
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The playoff game was the Bombers’ first in Winnipeg since 2011. Attendance at Investors Group Field was 27,244. The temperature at kick-off felt like -8C with the windchill.
The Calgary Stampeders will host the CFL Western Final next Sunday. The winner of the game will advance to the 105th Grey Cup in Ottawa on Nov. 26.