Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 14, 2013, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B2 THE FIFTH QUARTER B 2 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2013 winnipegfreepress. com GAME BALLS HEAR SAY �� OFFENCE Bombers tailback Chad Simpson had a breakout game. After rushing for just 90 yards in his team's first two games of 2013, Simpson busted off 116 yards and two TDs on Saturday night, including a 75- yard romp in the second quarter that was the longest of his Bombers career. �� DEFENCE Bombers middle linebacker Henoc Muamba had seven defensive tackles, a special teams tackle and a quarterback sack. But this night belonged to defensive end Alex Hall, who had a hat trick of sacks all on his own and added three defensive tackles. �� SPECIAL TEAMS Dan West had a pair of specialteams tackles and the Bombers did a good job of containing explosive Hamilton returner Lindsey Lamar. But this night was otherwise an abomination for Bombers special teams - see missed convert; botched fake punt; goal post clang; two kickoffs out of bounds etc. FAN- O- METER: A crowd of 13,085 - just shy of a sellout at tiny Alumni Stadium - got into the game very early as Hamilton QB Henry Burris led his team on a four- play, 73- yard opening drive that was punctuated by a 61- yard TD catch by receiver Sam Giguere just two minutes into the game. CRITICAL NUMBERS 391 Net offence in yards by Hamilton 261 Net offence in yards by Winnipeg 362 Yards passing by Hamilton QB Henry Burris 186 Yards passing by Winnipeg QB Buck Pierce 10 Number of turnovers by Winnipeg through the first two weeks 1 Number of turnovers by Winnipeg Saturday night 2 The last time the Blue Bombers won two straight games was August, 2011. EXTRA POINT A compelling question coming into Saturday night was whether Winnipeg's stifling defensive performance against Montreal last week was strictly the work of a dominating Bombers defence or whether a struggling Montreal offence helped Winnipeg look good. So, what about it? What does it say about a Bombers defence that they followed up that masterpiece against Montreal with a game that saw them sack Hamilton QB Henry Burris seven times, yet give up 391 yards of net offence and lose the game 25- 20? " Yeah, we did some good things at times but we wore out late in the game," said defensive co- ordinator Casey Creehan. " We did some really good things. There were times in that game when they weren't doing much on us. But you know, the more the possessions go on a hot night like this, covering kicks and chasing Henry ( Burris) around, we just wore down." - Wiecek BOMBERS QB BUCK PIERCE AFTER GETTING SACKED SIX TIMES SATURDAY: " I'm sore but I will be better tomorrow." PIERCE ON WHY THE BOMBERS DIDN'T GIVE THE BALL MORE TO TAILBACK CHAD SIMPSON, WHO HAD 116 YARDS AND TWO TDS ON JUST 11 CARRIES: " I don't know. He made a lot of effort out of what he got tonight. He ran the ball well. They were stacking the box the second half and we just couldn't hit the balls down the field." BOMBERS TAILBACK CHAD SIMPSON ON THE EMPTINESS OF HAVING A HUGE NIGHT PERSONALLY IN A TEAM LOSS: " Yeah, we had a good game on the ground but we play to win. We're out here to win. I could have a million yards and we could lose every game. Does that solve our problem? No. One guy's feeling good, but this is a team sport. If I wanted to be an individual, I'd have been a boxer, something by myself. This is a team sport and I wanted to win." SIMPSON ON WHY HE DIDN'T CARRY THE BALL MORE: " I don't know. I don't know. I don't know... I'm not wondering why. I'm whatever our team wants to do. My coach don't want to run the ball - wants to do something different - I've got to go with that. I can't go against that." BOMBERS HEAD COACH TIM BURKE ON THE IMMEDIATE STATUS OF LINEBACKER TERRELL PARKER AND NICKELBACK DESIA DUNN, WHO BOTH LEFT WITH INJURIES: " Probably right now, we're looking at them not playing this ( coming) week. " BURKE ON THE IMMEDIATE STATUS OF THE MAN HE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE HIS NICKELBACK THIS SEASON: " Fortunately, we should get Johnny Sears back." BURKE ON WHY SIMPSON DIDN'T HAVE MORE CARRIES: " I will ask ( offensive co- ordinator) Gary ( Crowton) and find out." BURKE ON WHETHER HE CONSIDERED TURNING THE BALL OVER TO BACKUP QB JUSTIN GOLTZ IN THE SECOND HALF: " No." BURKE ON PIERCE: " I wouldn't say Buck had his best game. He was 10- for- 14 in the first half and then he struggled in the third quarter, tried to push through that, got going late. And unfortunately, it was too late." BOMBERS DB JOVON JOHNSON ON THE 61- YARD TD CATCH BY TICATS RECEIVER SAM GIGUERE THAT PUT HAMILTON UP 7- 0 JUST TWO MINUTES INTO THE GAME: " They had a great call on that defence... He made a great throw. I recovered on it, tried to make a play, but he made a better throw." BOMBERS DEFENSIVE END ALEX HALL, WHO HAD A HAT TRICK OF SACKS IN THE BOMBERS LOSS: " It's a good feeling. Individual accomplishments are great. But like I said before, you want to add a victory... It's bittersweet." BOMBERS GUARD STEVE MORLEY ON THE VIEW FROM THE TRENCHES IN HIS 100TH CFL GAME: " We lost, so I'd have to say not very good." - Compiled by Paul Wiecek AARON LYNETT / THE CANADIAN PRESS Tiger- Cats quarterback Henry Burris shakes off a tackle by Winnipeg Blue Bomber Marquis Frazier on Saturday night. EDMONTON - Quarterback Travis Lulay passed for a pair of third- quarter touchdowns as the B. C. Lions came away with a 17- 3 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on a rain- soaked Saturday night. The Lions, who trailed 3- 1 at the half, won their second game in a row to improve to 2- 1. The Eskimos ( 1- 2) sit four points behind the undefeated Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL's West Division. There was a very slow start to the game as both teams struggled to gain any ground during a torrential downpour rivalling the intensity of the storm that plagued the Eskimos game against the Hamilton Tiger- Cats in Guelph, Ont., last weekend. Edmonton finally got on the board with four minutes to play in the opening quarter on a 32- yard field goal by Grant Shaw. The Lions put together their best drive of the game in the final couple minutes of the first half, setting up a 31- yard field goal attempt by O'Neill. The wet weather would strike again, though, as the snap was bobbled and O'Neill was forced to punt it into the end zone for a single to make it seem more like a hockey score at 3- 1 before both teams gratefully scurried into the dressing rooms at the half. Edmonton had just four first downs and 71 yards in net offence in the first half, while B. C. had five first downs and 99 yards net. Even though the downpour continued, the Lions put up the first significant points of the match just under five minutes into the third quarter as Lulay hit Emmanuel Arceneaux for a 12- yard touchdown pass to surge ahead 8- 3. B. C. continued to take control of the game with another TD drive that was capped off when Eskimo defenders T. J Hill and Joe Burnett collided, allowing Lions receiver Andrew Harris to take a Lulay pass 16 yards into the end zone. The rain let up for the start of the fourth quarter, but the offences dried up again, too. - The Canadian Press Leos send stumbling Esks to watery grave LIONS 17 ESKIMOS 3 B_ 02_ Jul- 14- 13_ FP_ 01. indd B2 7/ 13/ 13 11: 41: 03 PM ;