Last-minute touchdown keeps Elks unbeaten in 23-18 victory over Blue Bombers - BERITAJA

A first half afloat of mistakes was excessively overmuch for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to flooded connected Thursday night.

And for the first clip since 2017, the Edmonton Elks are 3-o to statesman the CFL season.

The Elks dropped the Bombers to 1-2 connected the play pinch a 23-18 triumph successful beforehand of a afloat location astatine Princess Auto Stadium, the 16th consecutive sellout successful Winnipeg.

The packed stadium watched the Bombers move the shot complete twice, miss 2 section goals and let much than 250 yards successful the game’s first 30 minutes, falling down 17-0 successful the 2nd quarter.

On the Elks opening drive, they marched the shot 100 yards down the section and opened the scoring connected a Justin Rankin 5-yard touchdown run.

Rankin, the CFL’s starring rusher, had 106 yards connected 15 carries.

The Bombers offence moved the shot wrong the Elks 20 connected the adjacent drive, but Brady Oliveira coughed up the shot and the fumble was returned 93 yards by the Elks to the Bombers three-yard line. They would settee for a section extremity to return a 10-0 lead aft the first quarter.

Another lengthy Elks thrust early successful the 2nd 4th put them wrong the Bombers 5, but they turned it complete connected downs, going for a touchdown connected 3rd down. But the Bombers talented them the shot correct backmost aft a Dante Daniels fumble and this clip the Elks would punch it successful connected Cole Snyder’s one-yard touchdown plunge.

The Bombers were capable to get connected the committee seconds earlier halftime arsenic Zach Collaros recovered Tim White for a 26-yard awesome pinch 4 seconds left, cutting the lead to 17-7.

And aft a nightmare first half, the Bombers defence locked it down for about of the 2nd half.

Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo provided each the points successful the 3rd quarter, signaling a kickoff azygous and a 53-yard section extremity to trim the Edmonton lead to 17-11 heading into the fourth.

And the Bombers took their first lead of the crippled pinch conscionable complete 8 minutes to play, arsenic Collaros deed Oliveira for a 14-yard touchdown pass.

But the Elks were yet capable to find immoderate violative momentum, and pinch 53 seconds left, Cody Fajardo deed T.J. Luther for an eight-yard touchdown to springiness the Elks the lead for good.

On the wounded front, Bombers receiver Ontaria Wilson near the crippled successful the first 4th and did not return.

Bombers violative lineman Patrick Neufeld was a precocious scratch owed to a individual matter, and was replaced astatine correct defender by Tyler Elsbury, while Tui Eli started astatine centre.

The Bombers will caput backmost retired connected the roadworthy to play their adjacent crippled connected Sunday, July 5, wherever they will effort to get revenge connected a Hamilton Tiger-Cats squad they mislaid to successful Week 2.