Matthew Peterson, Chris Streveler step up as Blue Bombers beat BC Lions

| American Football | 06/13/2025

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ campaign for a sixth straight Grey Cup appearance kicked off with a Week 2 victory, defeating the BC Lions 34-20 at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday.

The Blue and Gold played spoiler in BC head coach Buck Pierce’s return to Winnipeg, scoring on their opening drive and never relinquishing the lead.

Chris Streveler filled in for Bombers veteran pivot Zach Collaros, who is serving a one-game suspension. Streveler – Winnipeg’s short-yardage maestro in 2024, leading the CFL in rushing touchdowns (10) – completed 15 of his 24 passes for 246 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

The Bombers only got a drive out of reigning Most Outstanding Player and Canadian Brady Oliveira before he was ruled out with an upper-body injury. Without Collaros and Oliveira, rookie back Matthew Peterson had big shoes to fill and met the challenge head-on, rushing for 130 yards on 23 totes and a touchdown. His 130-yard emergence is the most by any CFL back this season.

Nic Demski was the recipient of two touchdowns, the Canadian reeling in four of his five targets for 53 yards. Kerik Wheatfall also stood out in the high-flying passing attack, racking up 127 yards and a touchdown on five receptions.

Marquise Bridges made the big plays for Winnipeg on defence, grabbing two interceptions.

Nathan Rourke – who was looking to follow up his big Week 1 performance where he earned honour roll recognition – was surrounded by blue jerseys all game. The 2022 Most Outstanding Canadian completed 12 of his 27 passes for 249 yards, a touchdown, an interception, and a team-high 58 rushing yards before being ushered to the sidelines with apparent discomfort in the fourth. A win against Winnipeg continues to elude Rourke, who is now 0-4 on his career against the Bombers.

Keon Hatcher splashed on his two receptions, tallying 127 receiving yards including a 77-yard touchdown grab.

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It was all Bombers in the first half, and it started with a picture-perfect opening drive as they marched 80 yards in four plays. Streveler capped the attack with a 20-yard dime to Demski for the touchdown and Sergio Castillo added the conversion to make it 7-0 just two minutes and 29 seconds into the game.

Oliveira had 49 yards on his only two touches of the game, including a 43-yard rip to the right side into open space, but exited to the Bombers’ locker room and was ruled out with an upper-body injury soon after.

Winnipeg’s defence would not be outdone as they worked a quick two-and-out to start and followed it up with an interception. Bridges came up with Rourke’s tipped pass, setting up a Bombers field goal drive with Castillo nailing a 49-yarder to expand the lead.

In an early hole, Rourke showcased his scrambling ability, escaping the pocket for a 36-yard gain, drawing the late contact out of bounds to tack on an additional 15 for BC’s first red zone trip of the game. Winnipeg’s pass coverage locked in forcing two incompletions and Sean Whyte hit the chip shot 21-yarder to get the Leos aboard. The Bombers closed the first frame holding Rourke to six passing yards on seven attempts.

To open the second quarter, BC’s defence offered some relief as Garry Peters stepped in front of a Streveler pass intended for Dalton Schoen to give Rourke a chance in enemy territory. Winnipeg’s defence held up strong, with 2024 All-CFL defensive lineman Willie Jefferson putting pressure on the BC pivot en route to a quick two-and-out.

Peterson was tasked as the lead back with Oliveira out, and the Bombers leaned on him after Streveler’s interception. The fourth-round pick in this year’s draft – who the Bombers acquired by way of trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats – had four straight touches for 22 yards and closed the drive with an explosive 38-yard run down the gut for a memorable first-career touchdown. Castillo added the conversion as Winnipeg’s lead ballooned to 14 points.

Punter Jamieson Sheahan joined the first-half points party for Winnipeg with a perfectly placed kick that hit the end zone pylon for a point, giving the Blue and Gold an 18-3 lead.

With one more chance at points before the half, the Lions started to come to life. After Ayden Eberhardt reeled in a 49-yard bomb to give BC the boost it needed, Rourke punched it in himself from the two-yard line and Whyte added the extra point to make it 18-10 to close the eventful first half.

Starting deep in their own territory after a bobbled punt return, the Bombers kicked off the second half with an aerial-oriented, seven-play, 108-yard scoring drive. Streveler completed all four of his passes for 101 yards, including two standout plays to Wheatfall, first a 35-yard grab to get the Bombers out of danger, then a 30-yard catch past broken BC coverage for the touchdown. Castillo added the extra point to make it 25-10.

It took just one play for BC to respond as Rourke uncorked a 40-yard moon ball to Keon Hatcher, which – with help from a fantastic downfield block from Stanley Berryhill – the receiver took the rest of the way to complete the 77-yard immediate answer. Whyte made no mistake on the conversion and the Lions were back within range.

After both teams exchanged field goals – Castillo a 50-yarder and Whyte a 37-yarder – and punts to close out the third quarter, Streveler opened the fourth on the march as he found Demski for his second touchdown of the game to cap off a 65-yard drive. Castillo could not connect on the point after to give Winnipeg the 15-point cushion, doinking it off the upright to keep it at 34-20.

On the Lions’ kick return, Berryhill got tattooed by Michael Chris-Ike and fumbled, and Trey Vaval was underneath the dog pile for the recovery for Winnipeg. Streveler could not add to the lead on the ensuing drive, and Castillo missed once again from 47 yards out.

When the Lions did get the ball back, they were met with more of the same from the imposing Bombers front. The Canadian was labouring after an incompletion directed to Hatcher, ending up in the medical tent. Veteran quarterback Jeremiah Masoli closed out the game for BC with Rourke watching from the sideline.

Masoli, thrown into the blender of Bombers pressure, overthrew his target and Bridges was there to pick it off for his second of the game and to ensure the result for Winnipeg.

The Lions get an instant rematch stage in Week 3, where it’ll be their turn to host the Blue Bombers on June 21 at Save-on-Foods Field at BC Place.

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