Running back Fred Reid has a message for his CFL opponents: the Blue Bombers mean business.
Reid ran in a four-yard touchdown with 74 seconds left as Winnipeg held on for a 30-23 win over the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday night.
It was the Bombers' third straight victory and took their record to 5-8. Edmonton has lost two in a row and falls to 7-6.
What's even more important is the win came over a legitimate contender, unlike the Bombers' previous two victories over Hamilton (2-10) and Toronto (4-8), Reid said.
''It's most definitely a statement game,'' said Reid, who had 16 carries for 93 yards. ''We're more confident right now as a unit and we're coming out and playing hard every week.''
Winnipeg's other TDs came from a 31-yard catch by Milt Stegall, a 73-yard catch-and run by Arjei Franklin - the first TD of his three-year career - and an 84-yard punt return by Jason Armstead.
Bombers kicker Alexis Serna was booed loudly after missing his three field-goal attempts from 33, 40 and 30 yards. He got singles from two of them.
Franklin was mobbed by his teammates in the end zone after his TD as a sold-out crowd of 29,794 fans at Canad Inns Stadium cheered.
''I think if anyone were to look at the fact that we beat a good team like Edmonton, you know, maybe they'll start taking us a little more seriously,'' Franklin said.
''But, to be honest, we don't really even care how they take us. They can think that we're a joke coming into their stadium or they can think that we're a team to be reckoned with.
''Either way, we're going to play as hard as we can to get that W.''
The Bombers travel to Edmonton for the rematch next Saturday.
Edmonton scored its TDs on a three-yard run by Ron McClendon, a 13-yard TD catch by Maurice Mann, a 44-yard reception by Fred Stamps and two singles by kicker Noel Prefontaine.
It was a wild final five minutes for the crowd.
Winnipeg was leading 22-16 with five minutes left in the game when Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray attempted a lateral pass to a teammate while being sacked and fumbled the ball. Bombers linebacker Cam Hall jumped on the ball at his own 34-yard line.
But on the next play, Winnipeg receiver Terrence Edwards fumbled a catch and the Esks recovered at the Bombers' 44-yard line.
Ray then tossed a pass to Stamps, who turned it into the TD that gave Edmonton the 23-22 lead with less than four minutes to go.
Reid ran in his second TD of the season and Bombers quarterback Kevin Glenn completed a pass to Jamie Stoddard for the two-point convert and 30-23 lead at 13:46.
Fighting broke out following the convert after Glenn was hit helmet to helmet by Esks linebacker Agustin Barrenechea and Bombers receiver Romby Bryant shoved Barrenechea. Bryant was ejected and Barrenenchea penalized.
Glenn, who was 18-of-26 for 268 yards, two TDs and one interception, had minor concussion-like symptoms and wasn't available to talk to reporters after the game.
Ray, who completed 36 of 43 pass attempts for 434 yards, two TDs and one interception, couldn't march his team down to score and Winnipeg ran out the clock.
''We just find ways to self-destruct,'' Edmonton head coach Danny Maciocia said.
''We're taking silly penalties offensively when we're in an area that we feel like we can score.''
Ray's two TD tosses gave him 146 career TD passes and moved him past Warren Moon (144) on Edmonton's all-time list, but he wasn't smiling in a silent Esks dressing room.
''Right now we're on a two-game skid here so we need to put an end to it and get a win,'' Ray said.
''Offensively, we've just got to try and find a way to get a lead and take some of the pressure off our defence. That's going to be our goal (next) week.''
Stegall was honoured in a pre-game ceremony for breaking Allen Pitts' CFL career receiving yardage record of 14,891 yards against Toronto Sept. 12. His two catches for 56 yards gives him 15,071 yards.
His gifts included the ball he caught breaking the record - which he did with a 92-yard TD - a photo of the record catch and a one-week trip to Disney World for he and his wife and two young sons.
