Final
Elliott, Ford help Winnipeg rally past Hamilton
Aug 17, 2012 - 5:02 AM Winnipeg, MB (Sports Network) - Making his first start since 2010, Joey Elliott threw for 406 yards and a touchdown, and Will Ford ran for the go- ahead score in the final two minutes, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers rallied for a 32-25 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.Elliott, Winnipeg's third starting quarterback this season, started in place of Alex Brink, who went 0-2 as a starter. First-string quarterback Buck Pierce is out with a left foot injury. That opened the door for Elliott to win his first CFL game under center.
"Offensively we got into a groove, they were playing a lot of zone and we were able to check the ball down when we needed to. And we were putting ourselves in a lot of second down and medium's," Elliott said.
Chris Matthews caught eight balls for 118 yards and a score, while Cory Watson hauled in 10 passes for 105 yards for Winnipeg (2-5), which scored 17 points off of six Hamilton turnovers.
Chris Williams had five receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns for Hamilton (3-4), which has lost two straight on the heels of a three-game winning streak.
With the game tied 17-17 heading into the fourth quarter, the Blue Bombers went in front early in the stanza on Matthews' 12-yard touchdown catch.
A single put the Blue Bombers up the eight, but Henry Burris found Williams for an 84-yard touchdown strike and Aaron Kelly hauled in the two-point conversion to tie the score at 25-25 with less than five minutes to play.
Led by Elliott, Winnipeg countered as Ford capped an eight-play drive with a four-yard TD run to put the Blue Bombers up 32-25 with 1:28 to go.
Burris' pass on 3rd-and-1 on Hamilton's ensuing possession fell incomplete, essentially sealing the outcome.
Earlier, a 37-yard touchdown reception in the opening frame and 72-yard punt return in the second stanza by Williams, wrapped around a Justin Palardy field goal and Winnipeg single, gave Hamilton a 14-4 lead.
Palardy added another field goal right before the half to cut the deficit to 14-7 entering the break.
Palardy and Luca Congi exchanged field goals in the third quarter before Chad Simpson's five-yard major tied the contest at 17-17.
Game Notes
This was Elliott's third career start ... Williams' punt return touchdown was his fourth of the season ... Burris was 17-of-25 for 368 yards ... Clarence Denmark caught five passes for 77 yards for Winnipeg.
- HAMILTON: 25
WINNIPEG: 32
Final
Aug 16 11:01 PM - HAMILTON: 25
WINNIPEG: 32
End of Regulation
Aug 16 11:01 PM - Winnipeg Touchdown - Will Ford rushed for 4 yards.
Tiger-Cats 25, Blue Bombers 31 4th - 1:25Aug 16 10:51 PM - 171
roots - 156
roots - Henry Burris pass to Aaron Kelly for the two-point conversion.
Tiger-Cats 25, Blue Bombers 25 4th - 4:12Aug 16 10:40 PM - Hamilton Touchdown - Henry Burris pass to Chris Williams for 84 yards.
Tiger-Cats 23, Blue Bombers 25 4th - 4:12Aug 16 10:40 PM - 142
roots - 99
roots - 79
roots - 69
roots - 43
roots - Hamilton Single - 80-yarder by Justin Palardy.
Tiger-Cats 17, Blue Bombers 25 4th - 12:21Aug 16 10:18 PM - Winnipeg Touchdown - Joey Elliott pass to Chris Matthews for 12 yards.
Tiger-Cats 17, Blue Bombers 23 4th - 12:42Aug 16 10:15 PM - HAMILTON: 17
WINNIPEG: 17
End of 3rd
Aug 16 10:11 PM - Winnipeg Touchdown - Chad Simpson rushed for 5 yards.
Tiger-Cats 17, Blue Bombers 16 3rd - 0:53Aug 16 10:08 PM - Hamilton Field Goal - 43-yarder by Luca Congi.
Tiger-Cats 17, Blue Bombers 10 3rd - 4:45Aug 16 10:04 PM - Winnipeg Field Goal - 14-yarder by Justin Palardy.
Tiger-Cats 14, Blue Bombers 10 3rd - 10:47Aug 16 9:57 PM - HAMILTON: 14
WINNIPEG: 7
Halftime
Aug 16 9:21 PM - Hamilton Touchdown - Mike Renaud punted 29 yards from the Winnipeg 43 to the Hamilton 38. Chris Williams returned for 72 yards.
Tiger-Cats 13, Blue Bombers 4 2nd - 4:15Aug 16 9:08 PM - Winnipeg Field Goal - 28-yarder by Justin Palardy.
Tiger-Cats 7, Blue Bombers 4 2nd - 11:37Aug 16 8:50 PM - HAMILTON: 7
WINNIPEG: 1
End of 1st
Aug 16 8:43 PM - Hamilton Touchdown - Henry Burris pass to Chris Williams for 38 yards.
Tiger-Cats 6, Blue Bombers 0 1st - 10:48Aug 16 8:15 PM - HAMILTON: 0
WINNIPEG: 0
1st Quarter - 15:00
Aug 16 8:07 PM
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