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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWinnipeg Blue Bombers\u2019 Brady Oliveira (20) runs the ball during second half CFL football action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in Hamilton on Sunday, July 5, 2026. (Nick Iwanyshyn \/ The Canadian Press)<\/p>\n
And just when you thought nothing could possibly overshadow that, Bo Levi Mitchell \u2014 the face of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who was playing some of the best football of his illustrious career this season \u2014 suffered what appeared to be a serious left ankle injury in the third quarter after being taken down by defensive lineman Jake Ceresna for a sack.<\/p>\n
Mitchell, and possibly Hamilton\u2019s season, was taken away in an ambulance.<\/p>\n
The Ticats led 13-4 at that point, and the Bombers, with rookie Taylor Elgersma under centre, came back to win 14-13 to improve to 2-2. The Ticats are also now 2-2.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just wrapping him up and he got hurt. It\u2019s unfortunate, you never want to see that happen,\u201d Ceresna told the Free Press in the locker room post-game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI consider Bo a friend, and I\u2019ve known him for a long time, and it just sucks to see the ambulance come out. I hope he\u2019s OK, I hope it\u2019s not a serious injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a part of football, unfortunately. I got hurt last year and I kind of know what he\u2019s going through and the difficulty with it and it just sucks. You always want to play the other team at their best and you never want to hurt anybody. I hope for a speedy recovery, I hope it\u2019s nothing serious, and if it is, I hope he comes back and we see him soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
The game was delayed for nearly 20 minutes to wait for the arrival of another ambulance \u2014 and you could hear a pin drop inside Hamilton Stadium for the entire duration.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Mitchell had completed 18-of-29 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown before going down. Once loaded onto a stretcher, the 36-year-old gave a thumbs up to the crowd while the entire Ticats sideline took the field to show support for their leader. From that point on, the keys to the offence were handed to their two backups: Tre Ford, who hails from nearby Niagara Falls, and Jake Dolegala.<\/p>\n Collaros remained on the sideline for the entire game after his setback.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you separate that and think about the league, two premier starting quarterbacks going down in the same game is not good for the league,\u201d said Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, both guys make a speedy recovery \u2014 I don\u2019t know anything about either one right now \u2014 but Bo was on a heater, and the league needs that. Obviously, points are up and obviously, we believe Zach\u2019s the best quarterback in the league. So, when you lose that, the game ends up being probably the lowest scoring game of the season, I\u2019d imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers paid a premium for Collaros insurance.<\/p>\n \u201cI consider Bo a friend, and I\u2019ve known him for a long time, and it just sucks to see the ambulance come out.\u201d<\/p>\n Their policy, Dru Brown, arrived in town late last Sunday and had a full week of practice. He already had familiarity with the club since he broke into the league with the Bombers in 2021, and their current offensive co-ordinator, Tommy Condell, was his playcaller the past two seasons in Ottawa.<\/p>\n And with all that \u2014 and the fact that the Bombers traded what could end up being two first-round picks for a veteran backup in Brown \u2014 he was in street clothes in Hamilton.<\/p>\n Mitchell\u2019s absence and the inept play of Ford and Dolegala allowed the Blue and Gold to get away with the absurdity of that decision.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I thought that was the right decision. I wouldn\u2019t want to put (Brown) in there and have him have anything less than a full playbook,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought that gave us our best chance to win.\u201d<\/p>\n To Elgersma\u2019s credit, despite struggling in the pre-season, the London, Ont., native avoided making any major blunders and pushed the Bombers across the finish line.<\/p>\n In the third quarter, he flipped a short pass to receiver Ontaria Wilson who took it 31 yards to the house to cut Hamilton\u2019s advantage to 13-11.<\/p>\n Elgersma went 11-for-15 for 86 passing yards in what was his first regular-season appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m super grateful for the group around me,\u201d said Elgersma.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, the O-line played unreal. (I was) able to get some easy completions and let the receivers go do their thing.\u201d<\/p>\n With nine minutes remaining and the scoreboard still showing 13-11, Dolegala threw an irresponsible pass on second and 15 to halfback Deatrick Nichols for what could\u2019ve been a pick-six \u2014 and he dropped it. Fellow Bombers halfback Evan Holm also misplayed what should\u2019ve been a gimme of an INT in the end zone in the second quarter that allowed the Ticats to boot a 20-yard field goal on the next play.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I thought that was the right decision. I wouldn\u2019t want to put (Brown) in there and have him have anything less than a full playbook.\u201d<\/p>\n The third time proved to be the charm when Ford, with 3:33 left and a chance to give the home team a two-score lead, misfired on a pass down field that Bombers rookie corner Major Williams intercepted at the Winnipeg 45-yard line.<\/p>\n That opened the door for the visitors to steal the game and they did just that. Elgersma got out of the way and handed the ball off to Brady Oliveira on seven consecutive plays to set up Sergio Castillo for a game-winning 23-yard field goal with 21 seconds left on the clock.<\/p>\n \u201cBig time players got to show up in big moments and that\u2019s why they pay me what they pay me, to go out there and close out games with a great offensive line \u2014 and that\u2019s what we were able to do,\u201d said Oliveira, who finished with 17 carries for 84 yards.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most amazing feelings in the world when (the defence) knows exactly what\u2019s coming and the guys up front impose their will on the guys across from them play, after play, after play.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found a way to get it done tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe found a way to get it done tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Dolegala was sacked by Bombers rookie defensive end David Reese to end the night.<\/p>\n A turnover is what allowed the Tabbies to build an immediate lead. On the opening play of the game, Collaros stared down Tim White on a curl route that was jumped by defensive back Destin Talbert.<\/p>\n Three plays later, Mitchell threw a jump ball to the back of the end zone to Kenny Lawler for a 19-yard score.<\/p>\n Collaros went five-for-seven for 41 yards in his lone quarter of work.<\/p>\n The Bombers host the Toronto Argonauts (2-2) on Friday.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAn ambulance carrying Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell drives off the field during second half CFL football action against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, in Hamilton on Sunday, July 5, 2026. (Nick Iwanyshyn \/ The Canadian Press)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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