Bombers down division champ Alouettes to move up and out of CFL cellar

WINNIPEG – Backup quarterback Justin Goltz scored his first touchdown of the season Saturday as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers bid an encore goodbye to their old stadium with a 19-11 win over the Montreal Alouettes.

The result leaves the Bombers at 6-12, tied on points with Hamilton but ahead thanks to the series edge with Hamilton, leaving the Ticats in last place in the CFL. The win cost the Bombers first pick in the 2013 CFL draft.

The Alouettes still finish first in the CFL East Division at 11-7.

Goltz replaced Alex Brink in the fourth quarter after Brink completed 17-of-26 pass attempts for 173 yards and one interception.

Montreal quarterback Adrian McPherson scored one touchdown and was also his team’s leading rusher, topping 100 yards.

Brink and McPherson both handle wildcat plays for their teams and racked up impressive numbers on the ground.

Sean Whyte kicked a 17-yard field goal to put Montreal on the board at 4:10 of the first quarter on the Alouettes opening drive.

McPherson’s touchdown made it 10-0 about six minutes later.

Justin Palardy’s 24-yard field goal a few seconds into the second quarter made it 10-3 and the Bombers picked up two singles on a missed field goal and a punt to make it 10-5 at the half.

Palardy added another field goal and Montreal got a single on a 50-yard punt in the third quarter.

The Bombers also lost their best receiver in the third when Chris Matthews was crushed to the turf by Montreal’S Kryies Hebert. It looked like he was out cold and took a few minutes to regain his feet.

Goltz’s second touchdown of his career and first this season was set up by a 71-yard punt return by Jovon Johnson. The Bombers picked up a single on a 72-yard punt.

An announced crowd of 26,807 fans got a second chance to say goodbye to Canad Inns Stadium Saturday.

It looked like a few ticket holders may have decided to stay home on an overcast day with temperatures hovering just above freezing.

The stadium, known simply as Winnipeg Stadium for most of its existence, is just a year shy of it’s 60th birthday.

It was feted last year, when the Bombers thought they would be playing this season at Investors Group Field, located at the University of Manitoba.

Construction delays have plagued the project, which has yet to be finished.

This was also the Canadian Football Hall of Fame game honouring this year’s inductees.

The players are quarterback Damon Allen, who played with four CFL teams winning three Grey Cups, 14-season all-star Bombers’ receiver Milt Stegall, Saskatchewan offensive lineman and kicker Jack Abendschan, Montreal running back Eric Lapointe and the late linebacker Tyrone Jones, who also played in Winnipeg.

The builders are B.C. Lions owner David Braley and former University of Calgary coach Peter Connellan.