With their starting quarterback under centre once again, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers put on another offensive clinic in front of their home fans.
The Bombers roughed up the Montreal Alouettes 47-17, thrilling a sellout crowd at IG Field Thursday night.
Winnipeg moves to 9-2 with the victory for their fifth straight win and increases their lead in the West Division, two wins ahead of the BC Lions.
It is the fourth time this season the Bombers have scored at least 40 points.
The good and bad of Zach Collaros was on display as he threw for four touchdowns and three interceptions, including two pick-sixes.
“As the quarterback, you can’t spot them seven and then spot them 14,” said Collaros. “The other interception – being in the score zone area and taking points off the board. I can’t hurt our team like that.
“So, the guys rallied around me, defence was unbelievable, like I said. Special teams was awesome all night. I thought we played really well too, if you take away the three mental mistakes.”
“We don’t need to say anything to him,” said running back Brady Oliveira. “He’s proved himself time and time again that he is the best player in this league.
“The morale on the sideline was no panic.”
His first pass back from injury was just like the pass he threw before getting injured in Edmonton two weeks ago — an interception for a touchdown. This one taken back 40 yards for a touchdown by Montreal’s Tyrell Richards 34 seconds into the game.
The Als held onto the lead for much of the first quarter until the Bombers finally hit paydirt with under a minute to play as Collaros found Dalton Schoen for a four-yard score.
After Montreal kicked a field goal early in the second quarter to regain the lead, Collaros and Schoen connected again from 22 yards out to give the Bombers the lead. Schoen now has seven receiving touchdowns on the season, which leads the CFL.
Later in the quarter, Collaros was picked off by Marc-Antoine Dequoy who returned it 57 yards for a major and the Alouettes led once again. But the Bombers quickly responded to take the lead before the half ended on a Brady Oliveira 26-yard touchdown run to go up 20-17.
And then they took over in the second half, as Dakota Prukop punched in a 1-yard touchdown and then Collaros found Kenny Lawler and Oliveira for majors.
Oliveira added to his league-leading rushing total with 119 yards on 18 carries.
“I want to go out there and show my teammates that I truly do give it my all,” said Oliveira. “I lay my body on the line every single week.
“There’s only one way to play this game and that’s balls out, physical for an entire 60 minutes.”
“He should be confident,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “He runs hard behind the pads and it’s all over the tape, and it’s all over the tape every single week. So, once again, from a coaching standpoint, it’s pretty fun to watch.”
The Bombers continued their dominance of Alouettes quarterback and former Rider Cody Fajardo, who threw for just 137 yards and an interception.
Winnipeg’s defence didn’t allow a touchdown for the second straight game, stretching their streak to nine straight quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown.
The defence only gave up three points on a single field goal.
“It’s nice for them to get rewarded like that,” said O’Shea. “I think they’ll be pleased, obviously, when they watch the film.”
Fajardo is now 0-9 against Collaros in head-to-head matchups.
Next up for the Bombers – the Labour Day Classic in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday, September 3 with kickoff scheduled for just after 6 p.m.
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