Not two yards short this time.
Down 25-9 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, late in the game at TD Place on Saturday, Dustin Crum rode the momentum of a Brandin Dandridge pick six to tie the score with a rushing touchdown, and did it again in overtime to complete an incredible 31-28 victory for the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
In his first CFL start, the 24-year-old threw for 261 yards, and ran for a pair of majors, to knock off the vaunted Blue Bombers, rushing for 103 yards in the effort. On defence, the REDBLACKS stifled the Bombers run game, as Abdul Kanneh, Adam Auclair, and Alonzo Addae finished with a team-high five tackles. Auclair recovered a fumble forced by Frankie Griffin, and Dandridge ran an interception 25 yards to the endzone, kicking off the comeback. Mike Wakefield recorded a pair of sacks, and a tackle for a loss.
The game started entirely in favour of Winnipeg. A rouge, a field goal, and a Dakota Prukop sneak touchdown had the road side up. Early in the first quarter, Zach Collaros threw a touchdown to Nick Demski, making it 18-0 Bombers.
A pair of Lewis Ward field goals brought the score to 18-6 at the half, but Winnipeg struck again, as Collaros connected with Drew Wolitarksy in the end zone.
Ward hit another field goal early in the fourth quarter, and with just over two minutes to play, Dandridge picked off Collaros, and scored his second touchdown of the season, and Nate Behar hauled in the two-point conversion. The REDBLACKS got a huge stop on defence, before Crum drove 80-yards down the field, making key throws to Behar, Jaelon Acklin, before running the ball 12 yards to the endzone. Behar again made good on the two-point attempt, and with no time on the clock, the two teams headed to overtime.
The defence held Winnipeg to a field goal on Wakefield’s second sack of the game, and with Crum back on the field, he took off on a 29-yard run, for the walk-off score.
The REDBLACKS look to make it two in a row, visiting the Calgary Stampeders on July 23 at 7:00pm ET.
