Winnipeg Blue Bombers Game Day

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015 HOME GAME PLAYBOOK 3 vs August 14 at Investors Group Field - 7:00 p.m. Home Field Advantage H uddle with the Winnipeg Free Press before every Winnipeg Blue Bombers home game throughout the regular season. Meet members of the Blue Bomber Cheer & Dance Team, collect player profiles, catch up with Blue Bomber alumni and peruse the latest news on concessions, entertainment and Bombers in the community. Leading up to the 103rd Grey Cup Festival in Winnipeg Nov. 25 - 29, we're revisiting the home team's championship wins from 1935 to 1990 — and looking forward to a home field advantage with a special Grey Cup edition. Z 2015 Home Game Schedule See www.bluebombers.com or www.ticketmaster.ca for season and single-game ticket information. Playoff Schedule Sunday, Nov. 15 Eastern and Western Semi-Finals Sunday, Nov. 22 Eastern and Western Finals Sunday, Nov. 29 103rd Grey Cup in Winnipeg 5 p.m. Friday, June 19 Hamilton vs Winnipeg 26 15 Thursday, July 2 Hamilton vs Winnipeg 52 26 Friday, July 10 Montreal vs Winnipeg 23 25 Thursday, July 30 B.C. vs Winnipeg 13 23 Friday, Aug. 14 Toronto vs Winnipeg 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 Calgary vs Winnipeg 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 Saskatchewan vs Winnipeg 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 Calgary vs Winnipeg 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 Edmonton vs Winnipeg 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 Ottawa vs Winnipeg 3 p.m. Share and Share Alike Blue Bomber fans are contributing to the future of the sport in Manitoba in a big way. So far this season, sales of 50/50 tickets during home games at Investors Group Field have been brisk, with half the proceeds from sales going to support amateur football and half going to the winning ticket holder. Last season, the Blue Bombers raised more than $200,000 for the Winnipeg Rifles Football Club and Football Manitoba — which paid it forward, dispersing funds to 10 clubs and organizations, including the Portage Pitbulls, Transcona Nationals and the Manitoba Girls Football Association. So far, 50/50 sales have earned more than $193,000 for amateur football — and for lucky fans. The June 19 preseason game netted one ticket holder $36,695. On July 2, the prize rose to $58,623. The winning ticket at the July 10 home game was worth $46,658, while the 50/50 winner from the July 30 game picked up a cheque for $51,748. ❚ Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Brian Brohm (12) hands off to running back Cameron Marshall (right) during first half CFL action against the Toronto Argonauts in Toronto on Tuesday June 9, 2015. Photo by Frank Gunn A fter bouncing back with a win at home two weeks ago against the B.C. Lions, the Bombers' rollercoaster took another steep drop when they fell 38-8 last week at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. If the comeback pattern were to hold, the team should be due for another bounce heading into Week 8, if not for one catch — and it's a big one. Quarterback Drew Willy left the game with another injury to his right knee in the third quarter last Sunday, and the word from the Bombers is he'll need six to eight weeks to recover. That leaves the club without its star player, and with a lot of pressure on backup quarterbacks Brian Brohm — who is second on the quarterback depth chart and the most similar to Willy in terms of style and playbook — and Robert Marve, the team's third-string choice, who comes with a different style altogether. For what it's worth, Brohm, who came on to replace the injured Willy last week, was 2-for-4 for 18 yards. Marve was 4-for-7 for 49 yards with a late-game pick-six that sealed the final score 38-8. In games where Willy has been knocked out, the Bombers have just 19 points for and 70 points against. Bombers' quarterbacks were sacked seven times last week, the most in a single game this season. But the show goes on, and the Bombers face another unknown today with their first meeting against the Argos, who improved their record to 4-2 last week with a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Argonauts enter the week with the league's best passing yards per game average with 313.7 and are second in the league in total yards per game with 385.5, only trailing, surprisingly enough, the 0-7 Saskatchewan Roughriders. Winnipeg could benefit from a strong ground attack against Toronto, as the Argos are giving up 95 yards a game to opposing running backs, third worst in the league. Speaking of running game, it looks like tailback Paris Cotton will miss field time with an arm injury sustained in Hamilton last week. Preseason games don't count for a hill of beans on the road to the Grey Cup, but the Bombers did beat the Argos 34-27 back in June. Both teams split their home-and-home last season, with the Bombers winning in convincing style with a 45-21 score line in Week 1. The Argos came within a touchdown of reversing that score in Week 8 when they beat the Bombers 38-21. The Bombers now have three games settled by very close margins: one, two and four points, to be exact. They've also had three contests now settled by large margins: 26, 29 and most recently 30 points. Khalil Bass continued his torrid tackling last week, registering six tackles and a sack. A week earlier against the Lions, Bass recorded 10 tackles and led the CFL in Week 6. Defensive lineman Jamaal Westerman had two sacks of his own last week. Meanwhile, receiver Clarence Denmark has just eight catches for 53 yards over his last three games. The veteran receiver has slowed down significantly since posting 238 yards on 12 catches through his first three games of the season. Whatever happens tonight, it's sure to be interesting. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m at Investors Group Field. ❚ BOMBERS FACE ARGONAUTS FOR FIRST TIME IN REGULAR-SEASON PLAY By Scott Billeck for the Winnipeg Free Press The Winnipeg Blue Bombers may have an uphill battle in their home matchup tonight against the Toronto Argonauts. THE SHOW MUST GO ON You're the Tops S o he's not a Teflon man, after all. Blue Bombers quarterback Drew Willy is out of commission with a knee injury, but he has given fans a lot to cheer about in 2015. He was twice named a Shaw CFL Top Performer of the Week during the first six games of the season. Willy captured the #1 spot and also earned Fan Choice of the Week honours after the team's July 30 win over the B.C. Lions at Investors Group Field. After suffering an injury in Edmonton July 25, Willy threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions, helping the team to a 23- 13 win. Willy took the #3 spot following the June 27 victory in Regina during Week 1 of the regular season, completing 22 of 25 passes, for 325 yards and three touchdowns. A CFL panel chooses three top performers each week and each month during the season, awarding points for each winner (100 points for #1, 50 points for #2 and 25 points for #3). Players pick up 10 bonus points — along with the Fan Choice title — when fans retweet Top Performer Twitter posts. ❚

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