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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers\u2019 Trey Vaval (23) and Nuer Gatkuoth (40) celebrate a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders with the Banjo Bowl trophy following CFL action in Winnipeg on Saturday. <\/p>\n
Kramdi caused two turnovers \u2014 a forced fumble and an interception \u2014 to lead the Bombers to a 19-6 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in front of a sell-out crowd at Princess Auto Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger) gives me a lot of freedom. And I get to do the fun stuff on the defence,\u201d said Kramdi after the win.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just get to roll around and be wherever I want, honestly. So it\u2019s cool. All praise to JY, honestly. He\u2019s given me the keys to the car and I\u2019m just driving. Had a nice race today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kramdi\u2019s INT \u2014 only the second of his six-year career \u2014 couldn\u2019t have come at a better time.<\/p>\n
Trailing 16-6 with seven minutes remaining, the Riders were marching and looked poised to make things interesting down the stretch. Riders quarterback Trevor Harris fired a pass to receiver Johnny Johnson III but defensive back Jake Kelly got a hand on it and the ball fell into Kramdi\u2019s lap.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Harris, who is having a career year at 40, had a frustrating day, completing 24 of 45 throws for 231 yards and the turnover.<\/p>\n \u201cOur defence played lights-out. They were hitting from the first snap to the last snap. Just played really physical,\u201d said running back Brady Oliveira. \u201cMan, you saw Redha\u2019s presence back out there. I mean, that guy\u2019s a stud, man. It\u2019s really fun to just be on the sidelines and just see him work, but also see the entire unit work.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers are now 14-8 in the annual Battle of the Prairies in Winnipeg and improved to 7-6 on the year. The Riders, who won last week\u2019s Labour Day Classic 32-26 in overtime in Regina, fell to 8-5 with the loss.<\/p>\n The last time the Riders were held to six or fewer points? The 2023 Banjo Bowl when the Bombers smacked them 51-6.<\/p>\n The Bombers had 10 pass knockdowns on Saturday and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna helped them put things away with a late sack.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \u201cIf you hold Trevor Harris to six points, pretty good. He\u2019s one of the all-time greats. It\u2019s an honour to play against him, honestly. But you hold him to six points, pretty cool,\u201d said Kramdi.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look at the games we lost, defensively it\u2019s always a hiccup here, a step late there. It\u2019s all small stuff. It\u2019s not like a major correction. So in the locker-room, if you guys were in here, everyone knew we could (play at this level). I\u2019m just happy and thankful we got the chance to showcase it today.\u201d<\/p>\n Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros didn\u2019t finish the game. He left with five minutes in the third after being intercepted by Riders defensive back Seyi Oladipo Jr. Collaros chased after the defender and helped force him out of bounds before retreating to the locker room. Head coach Mike O\u2019Shea did not provide an injury update after the game.<\/p>\n Collaros connected on 13 of 19 passes for 175 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The Bombers were up 13-3 when he got hurt.<\/p>\n Dru Brown came on in relief and completed four of five passes for 46 yards.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \u201cYou want to go and honour him, you want to make sure, first and foremost, that he\u2019s OK,\u201d said right guard Patrick Neufeld on Collaros.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the biggest thing is to honour him, and honour the way he plays. I wouldn\u2019t want anyone else but Dru in there and he did a great job controlling the offence, controlling the huddle, and getting us a win.\u201d<\/p>\n It was an innocent-looking play that took Collaros out of action. He did, however, get sacked four times. Brown was also taken down for a loss in the third.<\/p>\n \u201cWe won. There\u2019s always going to be stuff to clean up,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n Oliveira was held to a season-low 28 yards last week but managed 100 on 14 carries on Saturday. It was the Winnipegger\u2019s first time hitting the century mark against the Riders since the 2023 Banjo Bowl.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Oliveira also made history on the night by becoming the first Canadian to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in five consecutive seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously this is an incredible milestone, something I\u2019m extremely proud about. No one else has ever done it. But I\u2019ve been very fortunate to have great offensive lines in front of me, year after year,\u201d said Oliveira.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m proud. But I still think there\u2019s still lots for me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Receiver Tommy Nield caught the game\u2019s lone touchdown in the second quarter to give the Bombers a 7-0 advantage. It was his first touchdown of the season, and first as a member of the Blue and Gold.<\/p>\n Nield left Saskatchewan in the off-season to sign a lucrative two-year deal with Winnipeg.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \u201cHe\u2019s had a couple of tough outings and there\u2019s been some defensive plays made on him that make it tougher,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was nice for Tommy, I\u2019m happy for him, but he also has to understand that he\u2019s a good football player. So, he can\u2019t get down, you gotta keep plugging and he does.\u201d<\/p>\n Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo drilled all four of his field goal attempts to extend his streak to 26 straight makes.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t The Bombers needed to win by at least seven points to claim the season series with their West Division foe, and they did just that. Since they\u2019re not facing each other a third time in the regular season, the tiebreaker between the two is decided by point differential in their head-to-head meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s big. Every game going forward is big,\u201d said Nield.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to keep stacking good days and the rest will take care of itself.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers are on a bye next week before hosting the Toronto Argonauts (7-6) on Sept. 25.<\/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\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers\u2019 Redha Kramdi (6) intercepts the pass as it bounces off Saskatchewan Roughriders\u2019 Johnny Johnson (88) during second half CFL action in Winnipeg on Saturday. <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) gets sacked by Saskatchewan Roughriders\u2019 Mike Rose (42) during first half CFL action in Winnipeg on Saturday. <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers\u2019 Trey Vaval (23) returns the punt against the Saskatchewan Roughriders during first half CFL football action in Winnipeg on Saturday. <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers\u2019 Ridge Texada (26) defends against Saskatchewan Roughriders\u2019 Shemar Bridges (84) during first half CFL football action in Winnipeg on Saturday. <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Dru Brown (4) runs for the first down against the Saskatchewan Roughriders during second half CFL action in Winnipeg on Saturday. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
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\nWinnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (8) throws against the Saskatchewan Roughriders during first half CFL action in Winnipeg on Saturday. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
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