Last-minute Liegghio field goal gives Blue Bombers thrilling 18-16 win over Stamps
Rookie kicker Marc Liegghio made a 45-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in his first CFL start and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Calgary Stampeders 18-16 on Sunday.
Calgary veteran kicker Rene Paredes had a chance to win the game with two seconds remaining, but he missed a 52-yarder -- his first miss of the season.
Liegghio also connected on field goals from 50, 42 and 37 yards out. The Western University product from Woodbridge, Ont., was making his pro debut in place of injured Tyler Crapigna.
Paredes had booted a 33-yard field goal with 1:49 remaining to give his team a 16-15 edge before Winnipeg came back for Liegghio's memorable kick. Paredes also made field goals from 35 and 39 yards out, putting him at 12 of 13 on the season.
Bombers (3-1) star running back Andrew Harris, making his CFL season debut after missing the first three games with a calf injury, finished with 17 carries for 81 yards and one touchdown in front of 22,806 fans at IG Field that cheered after his first run.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed 16-of-25 pass attempts for 243 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Stampeders (1-3) rookie quarterback Jake Maier threw a Calgary club-record 17 straight completions. He finished 30 of 39 for 307 yards with no TDs and no picks.
Maier, making his second start in place of injured veteran Bo Levi Mitchell (broken leg), was a perfect 16 of 16 through the first half, added another completion early in the third and then had a pass go incomplete.
Calgary running back Ka'Deem Carey rushed eight times for 66 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown.
Winnipeg led 6-3 after the first quarter. Calgary was up 13-9 at halftime and had a 13-12 edge after three quarters.
The Bombers responded to a Paredes 35-yard field goal midway through the first quarter with Harris' touchdown.
The drive got a huge boost with a 50-yard catch-and-run by receiver Rasheed Bailey, who sped down the sidelines and got a key block before being tripped up at Calgary's two-yard line.
After pushing in for the TD on the next play, an elated Harris spiked the ball in the end zone. Liegghio went wide on the convert attempt and Winnipeg was up 6-3.
Paredes hit a 39-yard field goal at 4:36 of the second quarter, a drive aided by Hergy Mayala's 22-yard reception with his team on second down and 14.
Liegghio made his 50-yarder at 9:14 of the second quarter, capitalizing on a turnover after Calgary receiver Josh Huff was the victim of a forced fumble recovered by Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill.
The Stampeders replied with a four-play, 75-yard drive that Carey finished with a 17-yard run up the middle into the end zone at 11:44.
Maier was 16 of 16 for 168 yards at halftime.
Bombers receiver Kenny Lawler had a 77-yard touchdown reception wiped out early in the third after it was ruled he was down by contact. It ended up being a 33-yard reception and Liegghio capped the drive with a 42-yard field goal at 7:19 to make it 13-12.
Liegghio put the Bombers ahead 15-13 at 9:26 of the fourth, but Paredes put through his 33-yarder at 13:11.
Winnipeg's next drive was aided by a Calgary roughing-the-passer penalty that got the Bombers close enough for Liegghio's winning kick.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.