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“Obviously, it’s bittersweet but you always remember your first time. I’m privileged to have my first career start under my belt, get it over with, and now we go on to the next.”

The Bombers entire offence came to life after that. Streveler started completing some passes and the Bombers wound up rushing for 186 yards.

“We just settled in a bit,” Streveler said. “It’s just getting eyes right, getting reads right and getting comfortable. There wasn’t anything specifically that we changed.

“We just started getting in rhythm and moving the ball. Johnny broke off a big run and we were able to get the ball in the end zone and that got us more comfortable.”

LATE LOSSES

The Bombers are 8-3 and two of their losses came when the opposition scored the winning points with 10 seconds or less left in the game.

So, while it seemed odd that the Bombers defence caved at the most inopportune time on Sunday, with the Riders pinned deep in their own zone, it was not unprecedented.

The Bombers also allowed a late winning drive by Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson in a 28-27 loss in early August.

This time they allowed Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo to move the ball 87 yards and set up a 26-yard field goal by Brett Lauther for a 19-17 Saskatchewan win.

That came after the Bombers held the Riders to just two first downs and very few yards for the first 27 minutes of the second half.

“It just so happened Saskatchewan nickel-and-dimed us the last two minutes to move the ball into field goal range,” Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson said. “They just so happened to make the field goal.