Blue Bombers lose Collaros and then lose 21-13 to the Roughrdiers

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Sports Football CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers

“I am pretty close to Collaros, and it is pretty hard to see him go down like that,” Bombers linebacker Redha Kramdi told the Winnipeg Sun. “We have to keep him in our prayers.”

Published Sep 06, 2025 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 3 minute read

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Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) gets sacked by Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Malik Carney (11) and Shane Ray (5) during first half CFL action on Saturday. Photo by John Woods /THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost Zach Collaros to an injury and then lost the game, a 21-13 defeat to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Banjo Bowl on Saturday afternoon.

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Collaros was removed from the game with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter when Roughriders defensive back C.J. Reavis hit Collaros on the side of the head with his helmet while on a pass rush.

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“I am pretty close to Collaros, and it is pretty hard to see him go down like that,” Bombers linebacker Redha Kramdi told the Winnipeg Sun. “We have to keep him in our prayers.”

This occasion marks the third time the Bombers pivot has left a game early with an injury. Collaros departed during the second quarter of the home game against the Calgary Stampeders in Week 7 action. The following week in Toronto, he played the entire first half but did not return to the game for the third quarter.

Collaros fumbled the ball on the Reavis hit, Roughriders defensive lineman Mike Rose with the recovery. Reavis was whistled for roughing the passer on the play.

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“I don’t think it was a dirty hit,” Kramdi said. “It was just a physical play. It is just football and in a perfect world we would love to have seen Reavis keep his head out of that head-to-head (collision), but it happened and it is football. It wasn’t a dirty play, whatsoever. Reavis is a good guy. A couple of guys on (the Roughriders) came up to me to check up on Collaros.”

One of the players on the Roughriders with a keen interest in the status of Collaros was Roughriders offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick.

“Man, it hurts because I love all those guys over there,” Hardrick said. “We’re just at work. Never want to see anybody go down, especially Zach.”

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Hardrick played seven consecutive seasons with the Bombers, starting in 2016, before joining the Roughriders two seasons ago.

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After a lengthy delay Collaros did get up and walk off the field under his own power.

“He is a tough cat,” Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said.

Collaros completed nine of 15 passes for 165 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and two interceptions. Unfortunately, the interceptions led to 9 points for the visitors.

The first Collaros turnover led to a Brett Lauther 35-yard field goal in the second quarter and the second pick resulted in an A.J Ouellette five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Toss in a Chris Streveler interception, which turned into a field goal in the fourth quarter, and the Riders scored 12 points off three Winnipeg turnovers.

Streveler completed five of nine passes for 39 yards and two picks. His second interception came on the final play of the game, a speculative pass that reached the Saskatchewan 13-yard line.

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The Roughriders scored two touchdowns on Winnipeg turnovers last Sunday night in Regina.

“It is well known across football, from minor football all the way to the pro level, if you lose the turnover margin, you have a chance of losing the game,” O’Shea said. “They are a good football team, and we have to find a way to take care of the ball better and limit the damage when it happens and take the ball away a little more.”

Ontaria Wilson had five catches for 89 yards and one touchdown in his first game of the season. The Bombers announced the signing of Wilson on Monday. Wilson signed a two-year deal through next season.

“It just felt good being back and playing with my brothers,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, we came up short and we had some plays we left out there.”

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Nic Demski caught four balls for 80 yards. Brady Oliveira ran the ball 20 times for 83 yards. He caught two passes for 19 yards.

Sergio Castillo booted a 39-yard field goal and 32-yard field goal in the first half. The veteran kicker missed a 51-yard field goal and a 47-yard field goal in the second half.

Trevor Harris completed 18 passes on 31 attempts for 239 yards and one interception. Lauther went 5-for-5 on field goals with a missed extra point. Ouellette ran for 50 yards on 11 carries.

The third-place Bombers (6-6) ,are 0-5 combined against the second-place Calgary Stampeders and the first-place Roughriders (10-2).

“I don’t think there’s any point in it,” O’Shea said. “We’re either going to improve and get to where we want to get to, or we’re not. I just bet on our guys that we’re going to improve. I mean, what’d we lose by — eight?”

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Blue Bombers lose Collaros and then lose 21-13 to the Roughrdiers

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