Blue Bombers pick ‘Riders apart at Banjo Bowl’

WINNIPEG – Redha Kramdi recovered a fumble and threw a game-saving interception to help the Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-6 in the annual Banjo Bowl at Princess Auto Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Kramdi added a big boost to the Bombers’ defense, returning from a hand injury that kept him out for six games. All week, his teammates talked about his importance to the group, especially his playmaking ability and high football IQ.

Both were on full display Saturday as Kramdi committed a critical fumble midway through the first quarter with the Roughriders threatening, and then hit Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris midway through the fourth quarter with the Bombers protecting a 10-point lead.

Winnipeg improved to 7-6 with the win and is back in contention in the West Division playoff race. They still have work to do, with the Edmonton Elks (9-3) and Roughriders (8-5) ahead, and the BC Lions (6-6) and Calgary Stampeders (5-7) trailing. The Stampeders, Lions, and Elks all play on Saturday night.

The Bombers are now 14-8 in the Banjo Bowl and have won the annual Labor Day Classic rematch in nine of the last 11 years. Winnipeg also avenged last week’s 32-26 overtime loss at Regina.

With the season series now tied at one game apiece, and no other games played this season between the two clubs, the Bombers claimed the series tiebreaker due to the higher point differential between the two games. Therefore, if the Bombers and Roughriders tie in the regular season standings, Winnipeg will get a higher spot.

Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros has played his best football in recent weeks, converting 70 percent of his passes and having a five-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio over the last three games. He lasted just three quarters before being pulled with an undisclosed injury, ending his day 13-of-19 passing for 175 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Dru Brown took over in relief and finished 4-for-5 for 46 passing yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.

The Bombers recorded 291 net yards on offense, with Tommy Nield scoring the lone touchdown. Sergio Castillo rounded out the scoring with four field goals, connecting from 31, 45, 44 and 36 yards.

Running back Brady Oliveira bounced back from a season-low 28 yards on nine carries last week, registering 100 yards on 14 carries. The last time Oliveira rushed for more than 100 yards against a Saskatchewan defense was in the 2023 Banjo Bowl.

The Winnipeg native also became the first Canadian in CFL history to record five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

The Roughriders dropped to 8-5 with the loss, but still remain firmly in second place in the West, behind only Edmonton. Saskatchewan finished with 278 yards of net offense and was a dismal 4-of-22 on second down.

Harris, who entered the game with 3,893 passing yards and 24 touchdowns — putting him on pace for career highs in both categories — recorded 231 passing yards, completing 24 of his 45 attempts, along with one interception.

The Roughriders opted to bench struggling kicker Alex Hale, instead replacing Dawson Hodge, the 24-year-old from Coquitlam, BC Hodge went two-for-two on the field, including one from 33 yards.

Dhel Duncan-Busby led all receivers with 80 yards on seven catches, with running back Quali Conley limited to 35 yards on seven carries.

The game opened as a defensive battle with points hard to come by.

The Bombers appeared to be in position to take an early lead, moving the ball to Saskatchewan’s 43. But a deep pass over the middle deflected off Nic Demski’s hands and into the arms of Roughriders quarterback Aubrey Miller for the interception.

Saskatchewan threatened on its next drive but fumbled at Winnipeg’s 40, where receiver D’Sean Mimbs fumbled the ball, forced by Kramdi and recovered by Evan Holm. The Bombers took over at midfield but were forced to go two-and-out, keeping it scoreless throughout the first quarter.

Winnipeg’s offense got a spark early in the second frame, with Collaros connecting with Demski on a 42-yard run. The next play, Collaros found a wide open Nield near the left sideline for a 30-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

For Nield, who has struggled since signing with the Bombers in the off-season after his breakout year with the Riders in 2025, it was his first touchdown of the season.

Short-yardage quarterback Bryce Perkins turned a three-inch gain into a 23-yard TD run, but offensive lineman Tui Eli was called for holding, negating the score. Because the hold occurred after Perkins violated the line of scrimmage, the Bombers were given a 10-yard penalty but were awarded a new set of downs at the Saskatchewan 30.

Winnipeg would get close to the eight-yard line, but a pair of sacks on Collaros forced Castillo’s 31-yard field goal, increasing the Bombers’ lead to 10-0.

The Roughriders pressed on to close out the first half, with Hodge’s 33-yard field goal making it 10-3 at the break.

After the Roughriders opened the third quarter with two outs, the Bombers answered with a 45-yard run from Castillo to regain a 10-point lead, 13-3.

The game swung even further in Winnipeg’s favor on the next drive, as the Roughriders committed another fumble, stalling another promising drive. The game required a challenge from the Bombers, after replays clearly showed the ball was knocked out of KeeSean Johnson’s hands before it hit the turf, recovered by Tony Jones in the 51st minute for Winnipeg.

The Bombers moved into Saskatchewan territory, well out of Castillo’s range, but the drive was thwarted by an interception from Seyi Oladipo Jr., which returned Collaros’ pick to Winnipeg’s 43.

A 26-yard field goal from Hodge made it 13-6 with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Collaros exited the game with an undisclosed injury, giving Dru Brown control of the offense.

Brown connected with Dorion Singer for 24 yards on his first pass attempt, before catching a 44-yard field goal from Castillo and a 16-6 lead.

With nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the Roughriders desperate for points, the visiting team gambled on third-and-3 at their own 37-yard line. The next pass was incomplete, but a defensive pass interference penalty on Ridge Texada, who was making his first CFL start, extended the drive, giving Saskatchewan a new set of downs right in Winnipeg’s end.

Two plays later, Harris was intercepted by Kramdi, ending the threat making it a one-score game.

The Roughriders gambled again on their next drive with just over three minutes on the clock and were once again successful betting on third down late in their own game. They would find themselves in a similar situation a few plays later, only for Harris’ pass to fall short, forcing a turnover on downs.

The Bombers took over at Saskatchewan’s 32, only to gain 10 yards due to a too many men penalty on Mike Rose’s defense. Castillo’s 36-yard kick was the final goal, putting Winnipeg up 19-6 with less than two minutes remaining.

The Roughriders got the ball once again and finished with downhill turnovers, resulting in five turnovers to Winnipeg’s two.

NEXT

Roughriders: Visit the BC Lions on Friday, September 25.

Blue Bombers: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, September 25.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2026.