Six points in the second quarter and another six in the fourth were the difference on Saturday.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were back on the field for their first preseason game. They beat their rival, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 15-9. It was a good start for the Blue & Gold, who are coming off a heartbreaking loss in last year's Grey Cup. With that said, it's not about the end score in preseason, it's about the process and getting reps.
Zach Collaros made his preseason debut and looked excellent. He completed 10 of his 13 passes for 93 yards, his longest being 25 yards. Quinten Cooley led the rushing attack with 36 yards on five carries. Cooley also had 36 yards through the air while Keric Wheatfall had 28 yards receiving.
"We have a very good group of guys, they've really grasped what we're doing," said Collaros. "Then the guys are back from last year, you can see the growth from year one to two."
Earlier this month, Collaros signed a one-year contract extension through the 2026 CFL season. He's entering his sixth season with the Bombers. He guided the Blue & Gold to the Grey Cup titles in 2019 and 2021. He has led the team to five straight championship games. No other quarterback has started more than three straight title games.
Zach threw for 4,336 yards last season, the second-most in the league, only behind Bo Levi Mitchell.
While eligible for the preseason, Zach will miss the team's first game of the regular season on June 12. He will serve his one-game suspension.
"I think from a workout perspective, I've gone harder on that, during camp," added Collaros.
Winnipeg scored 447 points last year. Despite winning the West Division, that was the seventh-fewest points in the league. Buck Pierce was the team's offensive coordinator last season. He's now the head coach for the BC Lions. Jason Hogan is now running the offensive show for Winnipeg, calling plays. Hogan is going into his fourth season with Winnipeg, however, this will be his first as offensive coordinator. Previously, he was the team's running backs coach.
He came to the Bombers in 2022 after serving as the assistant offensive coordinator, running backs, and wide receiver coach with the Université de Montréal Carabins. Interesting note about Jason, he won a Vanier Cup with the Université de Laval Rouge et Or in 2006.
"It's been good. Jason is a very detailed guy; he's done a fantastic job of running the meetings," ended Collaros. "He's relatable to the younger players. He can give it back and forth to those guys. He's going to be fun to work with as the season goes on."
Plenty of excitement is building around the return of Dalton Schoen. The Kansas State product played just three games last season. He suffered a season-ending knee injury and recorded 159 yards through the air on 14 catches before the injury. He signed a one-year contract to remain with the club on February 1, 2025.
Schoen has been a full participant at training camp.
"It's great," ended Schoen. "When you miss an extended period of time, it's the worst. To get back out here with the guys, running around and playing football, it's awesome."
The Bombers end their preseason on Friday when they're in Regina to play the Roughriders. The team's home and season opener is Thursday, June 12, at Princess Auto Stadium against the BC Lions. Here is the team's full schedule.