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Harris, Bombers end decade-long drought in Edmonton

REUTERS/Lyle Stafford

Andrew Harris had the type of night he envisioned when he joined his hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers, leading them to their first win in Edmonton in a decade with a 30-23 victory against the Eskimos on Thursday.

Harris, benefiting from having 6-foot-7, 356-pound guard Travis Bond make his CFL debut, had his first 100-yard performance and first touchdown as a Bomber to help Winnipeg (1-4) triumph at Commonwealth Stadium for the first time since July 20, 2006. Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols got payback against his former team by completing 26-of-33 passes for 304 yards and one touchdown in his first start of the season, .

Winnipeg head coach Michael O'Shea got his first win against Edmonton in six tries. Conversely, Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly, who was 28-of-43 for 346 yards with one TD and one interception, suffered his first loss as a starter against Winnipeg.

The Bombers' reshuffled defensive secondary limited Edmonton (2-3) to two touchdowns, including one that came with just 17 seconds left.

Newcomer Terrence Frederick helped preserve the lead with an interception and a 43-yard return with 3:47 left. Rookie safety Taylor Loffler also slowed Edmonton's comeback effort with a jarring hit on all-star slotback Adarius Bowman that prevented a first-down reception at the 5-yard line. The resulting field goal put Winnipeg ahead by a comfortable 11 points with 10 minutes remaining.

Bowman's bid for a record fifth consecutive 100-yard game to start the season came up short, as he was held to three receptions for 43 yards.

Edmonton is below .500 despite having been at home for four of its five games, and took a half off for the second game in a row. The Eskimos, who allowed 31 unanswered points in a loss against Hamilton on July 22, spotted Winnipeg the first 17 points.

Harris' 22 rushes for 127 yards surpassed his combined total from Winnipeg's past four games. Darvin Adams recroded 10 receptions for 121 yards for Winnipeg, including a 20-yard TD grab that re-opened a 17-point third-quarter lead. Justin Medlock was 5-for-5 on field goals and added an 88-yard single

Winnipeg's other major skill-position addition, slotback Weston Dressler, left in the second quarter with an injured knee. Dressler had got off to a hot start with six receptions for 111 yards, including a 39-yard catch-and-run grab that was part of an 85-yard touchdown drive on the game's first possession. Harris capped that drive on third and goal by running behind Bond for a one-yard touchdown after two failed quarterback sneaks.

Since Edmonton was in catch-up mode the entire second half, Reilly was able to record his eighth consecutive 300-yard game, one shy of the CFL record shared by Sam Etcheverry and Kent Austin.

Derel Walker notched 10 receptions for 146 yards for the Eskimos, while Calvin McCarty scored his first touchdown. Sean Whyte was for 3-for-3 on field goals, improving to 13-for-14 on the season.

Winnipeg wins have both been on the road. They host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Wednesday. Edmonton visits the Ottawa RedBlacks on Aug. 6.

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