Blue Bombers 33, Lions 23: Matt Nichols threw for three touchdowns and Andrew Harris added 148 yards on the ground as visiting Winnipeg defeated BC in the season opener for both teams.

Nichols completed 21-of-33 passes for 184 yards and Drew Wolitarsky hauled in a pair of touchdown passes for the Blue Bombers, who lost in the Western Division final last season. Darvin Adams finished with five receptions for 73 yards - moving over 4,000 for his career - and the first touchdown of the game while Jeff Hecht picked off two passes for Winnipeg.

Mike Reilly, a major offseason free-agent signing, went 22-of-39 for 324 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions in his first game with the Lions since 2012. Bryan Burnham caught five passes for 153 yards to lead BC while Lemar Durant added six receptions and 75 yards to go along with a score in DeVone Claybrooks' debut as coach.

Nichols avoided the rush and found Adams for 5-yard scoring strike early in the second quarter to give the Blue Bombers a 7-3 lead and connected with Wolitarsky for a 15-yard TD with 2:35 left in the half to push the advantage to eight. However, Brandon Rutley took the ensuing kickoff back 108 yards for a score and Sergio Castillo's 45-yard boot - his third field goal of the half - as time expired gave BC a 17-14 advantage at intermission.

Hecht's first interception set up Nichols' 7-yard scoring strike to Wolitarsky and Reilly responded with a 15-yard TD pass to Durant, but the conversion was blocked and returned for two points before Justin Medlock's 30-yard field goal gave Winnipeg a 26-23 lead after three quarters. Short-yardage quarterback Chris Streveler snuck in from a yard out to push the advantage to 10 almost four minutes into the fourth quarter and Hecht's second interception sealed it with less than five minutes left.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Winnipeg WR Chris Matthews and OL Patrick Neufeld were placed on the one-game injured list for the opener. … Reilly spent his first two CFL seasons with BC before throwing for 144 touchdowns in the last six seasons with Edmonton. … Blue Bombers DB Chandler Fenner had six tackles and carried the ball into the end zone after the blocked conversion in the third quarter. … BC WR Duron Carter made six catches for 65 yards in the debut for his fourth team. … Harris also had five receptions for 27 yards.