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Jyles earns first win as starting QB, leads Blue Bombers past Eskimos

Jul 25, 2010 - 2:33 AM WINNIPEG (CP) - Steven Jyles earned his first victory as a starting quarterback when he threw for 267 yards and ran in a pair of touchdowns as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 47-21 Saturday night.

Edmonton has now lost four straight. It's the first time the team has opened a season 0-4 since 1965.

Winnipeg evened its record to 2-2 in front of a crowd of 26,041 at Canad Inns Stadium.

Jyles, 27, was making only the second start in his five-year CFL career after replacing Buck Pierce, who sprained his knee last week.

His first start was in October 2008 for Saskatchewan, but he was pulled part way through the game.

Jyles went the distance Saturday, completing 14-of-22 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. His TDs came on runs of two and one yards.

The Bombers scored 21 points off Edmonton turnovers.

Winnipeg's other TDs came from a 36-yard interception return by rookie defensive lineman Moton Hopkins, a four-yard run by Fred Reid, a 46-yard catch-and-run by Terence Jeffers-Harris and an 83-yard punt return by Jovon Johnson.

Bomber placekicker Alexis Serna made a 45-yard field goal and had a 36-yard attempt blocked. Edmonton kicker Noel Prefontaine conceded a safety to add two more points to Winnipeg's total.

Eskimo receiver Jason Barnes pulled in a 15-yard TD reception, running back Calvin McCarty took a shovel pass seven yards for a TD and Arkee Whitlock scored on a late five-yard run. Prefontaine missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt that was run out of the end zone.

Winnipeg led 16-0 after the first quarter and 23-7 at halftime.

Eight-year Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray had a miserable start.

Ray was sacked by linebacker Joe Lobendahn in his team's first series. During his next possession, he tripped and was sacked by defensive end Odell Willis after he got up.

Then things got worse.

Later in the second series, Ray was being wrapped up by Willis when the ball came out of his hands. It flew into the hands of Hopkins, who ran into the end zone at 4:04.

Ray was also sacked by Hopkins in his third series deep in Edmonton territory, forcing Prefontaine to run back into the end zone and concede a safety for a 9-0 Bomber lead.

Winnipeg used its next possession to go ahead 16-0 when Reid galloped for 37 yards and then finished the drive with his TD run at 7:23.

The Bombers; 16-0 first-quarter lead was a rarity this season. Heading into the game, they'd been outscored in the opening quarter 25-6.

Even when Winnipeg was unsuccessful in challenging a call that Bomber receiver Adarius Bowman fumbled the ball, Edmonton couldn't take advantage of the turnover and the offence went two and out.

Jyles gave Winnipeg a 23-0 lead when he started scrambling and threw a short pass to Jeffers-Harris, who turned it into one-play scoring drive at 4:06 of the second quarter.

Bad luck struck Ray again after he connected with Kelly Campbell on a long pass over the middle. Campbell fumbled after Bomber defensive back Brandon Stewart smacked him and DB Brady Browne recovered the ball at his own 15-yard line. Winnipeg couldn't turn it into points.

Bomber kicker Alexis Serna had a 39-yard field-goal attempt blocked by Esks DB, but Winnipeg punter Mike Renaud recovered the ball.

With four seconds left in the half, Ray connected with Barnes for Edmonton's first TD.

The second half began with Jyles intercepted at midfield by linebacker Javier Glatt, which led to McCarty's TD and a 23-14 score.

After Serna booted a 45-yard field goal it looked like Edmonton was making a strong push, but Ray was intercepted by cornerback LaVar Glover.

Winnipeg took over at Edmonton's 50-yard line and Jyles ended the drive with his first TD at 1:32 of the fourth that boosted the lead to 33-14.

Jason Maas replaced Ray with about 11 minutes left to go, but his series ended with a turnover on downs.

Ray finished 18-of-25 for 202 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. Maas went 1-of-9 for 29 yards.

Jyles used the turnover on downs for his second TD of the game at 11:19 and Johnson notched his punt return at 12:42.

Stewart almost had an end-to-end interception return for a TD with one minute left, but it was nixed when Winnipeg was called for roughing the passer.

Edmonton used the reprieve to add Whitlock's score with 51 seconds left.

Notes: Ray moved past Calgary QB Henry Burris (33,390 yards) into 11th place on the CFL career passing-yards list, but Burris and the Stampeders were hosting Saskatchewan later in the night . . . Winnipeg defensive tackle Doug Brown got the one tackle he needed to bump Paul Randolph out of third place (360) on the team's career list.