Oliveira powers Blue Bombers to Grey Cup berth, sets up match against mentor Harris

WINNIPEG - The mentor going up against the guy who was asked to fill his extra-large cleats is clearly a storyline that will hold the attention of many heading into the 109th Grey Cup.

And while seeing running back Andrew Harris go up against a Winnipeg Blue Bombers team that ultimately decided to move on without him as they chased a third consecutive CFL championship is going to attract plenty of the headlines this week, this November evening at Investors Group Field was about Brady Oliveira picking up that torch and delivering a performance that his fellow Oak Park Raiders alumnus would have been proud of.

After Harris and the Toronto Argonauts disposed of the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division final to punch their ticket to Regina, there was Oliveira powering his way through holes as he rushed the ball 20 times for 130 yards and added four catches for 37 yards in what ended up as a 28-20 victory over the B.C. Lions on Sunday.

“Yeah, it’s super special. For myself, I talk all the time about being a Winnipegger. I’m a proud Winnipegger and seeing that stadium today and how loud those fans were, every time I was running, I want to go out and honour my teammates and secondly I want to go out there and play for the city of Winnipeg, the best fans in the league, and they deserve to see us win another Grey Cup,” Oliveira told reporters. “That offensive line, it seems the colder it gets out there and it gets later in the season, they get better and better. You saw it out there. It was a lot of fun, a lot of ground and pound, and I think that’s our identity and we’ve got to keep doing that.”

It didn’t take long for the subject to turn to going up against Harris, who scored a touchdown on his first touch on Sunday after returning from a torn pectoral muscle that threatened to end his season prematurely.

“Andrew and I still talk quite often. Him and I just talked this week,” said Oliveira. “It’ll be cool to see him. He taught me so much during my time here, during his time here playing for the Bombers.

“He’s arguably one of the best running backs to play in this league and one of the best Canadian running backs to ever play in the CFL, so he taught me a lot. I was critically watching him to see if I could pick out things out of his game and apply them to my game. He was a huge part of my career and getting me to where I am today. He’s still a good friend of mine and it’ll be fun battling him next week.”

Speaking of the Oak Park folks, Blue Bombers receiver Nic Demski was thrilled to see Oliveira leave his mark in front of a boisterous hometown crowd.

“I know Brady was ready for this moment. He's (built) for games like that in the snow,” Demski told reporters. “He's all about physicality and all about gashing holes in everything out there. Even catching the ball, he made a difference. I knew he was ready to lead in the way that he has this year. I'm just happy for him. But the work's not done, yet.”

As for going head to head with his close friend Harris, Demski said the two remain in close contact, though he didn’t tune into the East Division final earlier in the day to see how things went.

“I'm sure he's going to be fired up,” said Demski. “I'm sure he's going to have some vengeance on his shoulders. And I wouldn't expect anything less.”

Blue Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill was a teammate of Harris in both B.C. and Winnipeg and he knows precisely what to expect from him.

“I mean, if you know Andrew, he’s had a chip on his shoulder his whole career,” Bighill told reporters. “He’s got a great story. He’s a hard worker. He felt like an underdog and he’s always had a chip on his shoulder and he’s pushing (really) hard to be the best player he can be and he surprised a lot of people to (become) one of the best football players in this league.

“So you can never count a guy out like that. You understand what they’re made of. We’ve got to be ready for the task at hand. He’s going to be a big part of their game plan and we’re going to have to take care of it.”

Another storyline emerged late in the game as Blue Bombers quarterback and CFL Most Outstanding Player favourite Zach Collaros was unable to finish the game after suffering an injury to his right foot or ankle.

Collaros limped off the field awkwardly after he was tackled from behind by a Lions defender.

He grabbed his right leg immediately, then got his ankle re-taped after he made his way to the sidelines.

Just when it appeared Collaros was going to go back into the game, he was unable to make it all the way to the huddle, leaving it to Dru Brown to close out the contest at the controls.

It’s that time of the season when injury information is not exactly flowing freely, so the status of Collaros for Sunday’s game might not be known until late in the week - though you can expect him to be behind centre if he’s able to do so.

Collaros did his best to lower the level of concern when asked directly about his confidence level that he’ll be starting the game next weekend.

“Oh, it’s not a question,” said Collaros, who finished 14 of 20 for 178 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception. “I’m sure you guys all saw on TV. It didn’t look great, it didn’t feel great in the moment.”

The Blue Bombers moved the ball efficiently on the opening drive, capped by a 19-yard touchdown strike from Collaros to rookie receiver Dalton Schoen.

A strange sequence of events followed on special teams, with Marc Legghio missing the extra point.

Then after the Blue Bombers blocked a punt on the ensuing drive, the play was overturned by the command centre as a roughing the kicker penalty given to Tanner Cadwallader (who caught the plant leg of Lions punter Stefan Flintoft) erased the momentum shift and gave the Lions a fresh set of downs.

Although that didn’t lead directly to any points for the visitors, the Lions quickly took advantage on the next punt that was mishandled by Janarion Grant.

The Blue Bombers quickly restored order and built a lead they would not relinquish, thanks in part to a brilliant 92-yard touchdown return by Grant, who finished with 165 yards on eight combined returns.

“It felt glorious,” said Grant. “To make something happen for my team. I started off slow, I picked it up and then I just kept it going.

“I’m happy to do my job and make sure I put the offence in a great position. What I like to do is get into the end zone. That’s what happened.”

Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke was mostly kept in check by a stifling Blue Bombers defence, limiting their opponent to 87 passing yards during the first half and forcing a pair of interceptions by Winston Rose and Desmond Lawrence.

Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea wasn’t all that concerned by the 300 yards Rourke finished with after a stronger second half, at least on the stats sheet.

And he made no apologies for his team coming away victorious in a game that was not reflective of a group that put together a 15-3 record during the regular season.

“That’s as odd a game as you’d ever see unfold, really. It’s hard to describe,” O’Shea told reporters. “There were so many little things going on that turned the game that prevented you from taking hold. I’m sure they believe they missed some opportunities too. We missed some opportunities.

“The win is great, especially surviving some of those things. We’ve got a good football team, so they’re able to do that. I’d just like to see it a little cleaner, that’s for sure.”

Should the Blue Bombers put forth a little cleaner effort next Sunday against the Argonauts, the West Division final will merely be a footnote on the road to a third consecutive Grey Cup.

If that occurs, talk of a potential Blue Bombers dynasty will be another one of those storylines that not only generates plenty of buzz during the week but lasts throughout the offseason.

“It’s amazing. Once again, it’s hard to put into words what it’s like to be here,” said Bighill. “Everything we’ve done, all the hard work, is for right now, for this moment. These are the moments that matter. For us to have seven more days together, to practice together, to be together again and continue to put in the work.

“I mean, you put it all on the line for each other. You saw that again. It’s really hard to put into words. It’s a special opportunity that not a lot of people get to have and I’m so proud of our guys in our locker room. It’s great to be a part of it.”

As for the historical context, the Blue Bombers plan to leave that for others to debate and discuss.

They’ve got more pressing matters to attend to.

“It means we’re going to a Grey Cup. That’s all it means. I try not to confuse the issue,” said O’Shea. “It’s not one or two or three. It’s this one. We get to practice another week. The game will figure itself out later in the week.

“It’s really neat that they get another week to spend together. It’s really neat that it’s important to them. Winning is great. Winning with the right people is so much better.”