Winnipeg Blue Bombers Beat Toronto Argonauts 25-22 in East Semifinal on Late Demski Touchdown

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Toronto Argonauts 25-22 in the CFL East semifinal at BMO Field in Toronto on Saturday, October 31, 2026, ending Toronto's season. Dru Brown threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Nic Demski with 44 seconds remaining, and Winnipeg held on to advance to the East final.

The winning score capped a 52-yard, five-play drive. Brown then hit Demski again for the two-point conversion, turning a late Toronto lead into a three-point Winnipeg win in the final minute of the game.

A fumble opens the door

The chance came after a mistake on a punt return. Former Argo Thiadric Hansen recovered Janarion Grant's fumble on a punt return, giving Winnipeg the ball at the Toronto 52.

From there, Brown and the Bombers needed only five plays to cover 52 yards. The drive ended with the 23-yard pass to Demski, who caught all four of his targets in the game for 72 yards and one touchdown.

The finish was sharp in a game that was messy for long stretches. The two teams combined for seven turnovers, and the crowd at BMO Field was 21,786, a season high.

Brown answers the call

Brown started in place of injured star Zach Collaros, who was out with a rib injury. He finished 18 of 30 passing for 206 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Winnipeg had paid a high price to bring him back. The Bombers sent Ottawa a valuable first-round pick in July to reacquire Brown, and on Saturday he guided the game-winning drive in the final two minutes.

Brady Oliveira gave Winnipeg steady ground support. He rushed 20 times for 95 yards, helping the Bombers stay close while Toronto held the lead late in the fourth quarter.

Toronto loses Kelly and the lead

Toronto had moved in front late. Lirim Hajrullahu's 41-yard field goal at 2:37 of the fourth quarter gave the Argonauts a 22-17 lead before Winnipeg's winning drive.

The Argonauts also lost their starter near the end of the game. Chad Kelly left with just over nine minutes remaining with an apparent right shoulder injury.

Toronto still had the lead after Hajrullahu's kick, but Grant's fumble on the punt return gave Winnipeg one more chance, and Brown used it.

A crossover team moves on

Winnipeg finished the regular season 9-9 and placed fourth in the West. The Bombers are the 14th crossover team since the CFL adopted the crossover format in 1996.

The win sends Winnipeg to the East final against the Alouettes in Montreal on Saturday, November 7. The Alouettes and Bombers split their season series 1-1, so the rematch will decide which team keeps its season going.

For Toronto, the loss ends the season at home, in front of its largest crowd of the year, after the Argonauts led by five points late in the fourth quarter. For Winnipeg, a backup quarterback, a recovered fumble and one late pass to Demski were enough to keep the season alive for at least one more week.