PRESEASON: BOMBERS 34 ARGOS 27

TORONTO – Carlos Anderson returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown while Robert Marve threw a TD pass and ran for another as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers earned a 34-27 exhibition win over the Toronto Argonauts on Tuesday night.

Marve’s 21-yard run at 7:39 of the third quarter put Winnipeg ahead 20-7 before a sellout of approximately 5,000 spectators at Varsity Stadium in the exhibition opener for each team. Despite his play Tuesday, Marve remains firmly entrenched at No. 3 on the depth chart behind starter Drew Willy and backup Brian Brohm, who both played ahead of Marve.

Toronto pulled to within 20-14 on the first of Mitchell Gale’s two one-yard TD runs at 9:37 of the third but Anderson, a rookie running back from Northern Iowa, countered with his sparkling return TD at 14:05 to boost Winnipeg’s lead to 27-14.

Toronto completes its exhibition schedule June 18 visiting the Montreal Alouettes. Winnipeg’s final pre-season contest goes the following night at home to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Winnipeg handed Toronto its first exhibition loss since 2010, snapping a streak of nine straight wins. But the Argos made it interesting in the fourth with Gale’s one-yard TD, then Gale’s 80-yard scoring strike to Tori Gurley with just over two minutes remaining.

Cameron Marshall and Lavasier Tuinei scored Winnipeg’s other TDs. Rookie Anthony Santella booted two field goals, three converts and a single for Winnipeg.

(The Canadian Press)