WINNIPEG 鈥� Brady Oliveira wants to take a bite out of the 鈥淒oughnut Boys.鈥�
The CFL鈥檚 leading rusher and his Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the 小蓝视频 Lions and their top-ranked defence Thursday at IG Field.
The West Division-leading Lions (6-1) are coming off a 27-0 shutout of Edmonton last Saturday, which was the team鈥檚 second blanking of the Elks this season.
The feat prompted 小蓝视频 head coach Rick Campbell to call his defence the 鈥淒oughnut Boys" in a locker-room video.
Oliveira is ready for a Lions鈥� defence he described as a fast group that鈥檚 benefitting from continuity.
鈥淚 love the challenge. The bigger the challenge, the better it is,鈥� Oliveira said Wednesday after Winnipeg鈥檚 walk-through.
鈥淭he sweeter it will taste at the end of the game when we have that victory, knowing that we put it on a great defence.鈥�
Oliveira tops the league鈥檚 ball carriers with 526 yards off 103 rushes, including one touchdown. His 75.1-yard average through seven games is also a league-high.
小蓝视频 sits third in the league in allowing 67.3 yards rushing. Winnipeg is sixth (94.9).
Campbell didn鈥檛 take credit for coming up with a sweet nickname for his defence, explaining some players were discussing pitching a zero.
鈥淭hey were talking and I said 'I鈥檓 OK with the Doughnut Boys,'" Campbell said Wednesday upon arrival in Winnipeg.
He knows the shutout was a rare accomplishment and praised the group effort of players and coaches.
鈥淚 call it a strength in numbers,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 rely on superstars, and at the same time we don鈥檛 really have someone that we need to hide.
"It鈥檚 kind of that operation where it鈥檚 a 12-man crew and they鈥檝e been playing well together.鈥�
The Lions allow the fewest points per game (13.4), plus opponents have scored just five touchdowns through seven games.
The Blue Bombers are second in the West at 5-2. A 小蓝视频 win secures the season series between the two clubs for the Lions.
The teams clash again Oct. 6 on the West Coast.
The visiting Lions handed Winnipeg its biggest loss in June when a 30-6 victory included the sacking Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros a season-high seven times.
Winnipeg all-star left tackle Stanley Bryant doesn鈥檛 want a repeat of watching his quarterback hit the turf.
鈥淚t was uncharacteristic of us,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to be better.鈥�
He said the O-line has improved since then and he shoulders a lot of responsibility for how it plays.
鈥淲e take pride in how we do things, and I also take pride in myself and how I do things,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淚鈥檓 the leader of the group and things start with me, so if I鈥檓 having a bad performance I feel like it鈥檒l be a trickle-down effect with the whole group.鈥�
Both teams have registered a league-high 25 sacks this season. Winnipeg has allowed 18 sacks. 小蓝视频 has allowed 19, including five in each of its last two games.
Lions defensive end Mathieu Betts leads the CFL with 10 sacks in his first seven games, including three versus Winnipeg.
鈥淚 think what can set him apart on a lot of plays is he鈥檚 relentless. He does not stop,鈥� Winnipeg head coach Mike O鈥橲hea.
Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson ranks second to Betts with eight.
Betts said the Lions' defence feels good these days. As for the doughnut moniker, he explained captain and defensive back T.J. Lee has brought doughnuts for the group all season.
The clubs are almost even in point production. Winnipeg has scored a league-high 27.1 per game, while the Lions rank third at 26.
小蓝视频 quarterback Dane Evans, making a second consecutive start in place of injured Vernon Adams Jr. (knee), needs to watch out for some strong-arm tactics from Winnipeg鈥檚 defence.
The Bombers lead the CFL with 38 pass knockdowns 鈥� 16 more than No. 2 Saskatchewan (22). Jefferson has seven of those.
"I told the coaches it鈥檚 like throwing over a small tree or trying to throw around it,鈥� Evans said of Jefferson. 鈥淲illie is such a special player. It鈥檚 pretty amazing that a D-lineman can affect the pass game not rushing every time.鈥�
小蓝视频 LIONS (6-1) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (5-2)
Thursday, IG FIELD
REST IS GOOD: The Bombers are coming off their first bye week of the season. They鈥檙e 11-7 after a rest week since 2017.
WELCOMED RETURNS: Winnipeg linebacker Kyrie Wilson and defensive back Winston Rose both make their season debuts Thursday. Wilson tore his Achilles tendon in July last year. Rose injured a foot in training camp. The Lions get back veteran receiver Dominique Rhymes, who missed the last game (knee), and leads the league with five TDs in five outings.
HISTORY FAVOURS BOMBERS: Winnipeg and 小蓝视频 have met 20 times since 2014, with the Bombers winning 13 of those matches. Ten of the games have been decided in the final three minutes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2023.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
