By Canadian Press

Nic Demski with two TDs, Blue Bombers beat Argonauts 40-14

Jul 27, 2018 | 10:00 PM

WINNIPEG — Nic Demski just wants to feel like he’s part of the team.

The Winnipeg running back did that Friday when he ran in one touchdown and caught a pass for another as the Blue Bombers beat the Toronto Argonauts for the second week in a row with a 40-14 victory.

Demski, a Winnipeg native who signed as a free agent after three seasons with Saskatchewan, finished with three carries for 34 yards, including a 28-yard TD run. He also had five catches for 82 yards with a 42-yard TD reception.

“However the ball gets into my hands or however they want the ball to get in my hands, I’m down for it,” Demski. 25, said. “I just want to be versatile and I just want to make plays.

“If I’ve gotta block, if I’ve gotta catch, I want to do it all. It’s fun out there. Especially with eight touches in a game, two touchdowns, I’ll take it.”

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Winnipeg’s other hometown running back, Andrew Harris, rushed 10 times for 28 yards and caught five passes for 50 yards. In last week’s 38-20 victory over Toronto, Harris torched the Argonauts for a career-high 161 yards rushing with one TD on the ground and a second off a pass.

Justin Medlock booted four field goals for the Bombers.

The victory boosted Winnipeg’s record to 4-3 as the team heads into its first bye week of the season.

“You want to go into the bye week feeling good about where you’re at as a team,” said Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols. “I feel like we’re hitting our stride a little bit.

“We’re seeing what kind of team we can be as long as we stick to what we’re being coached to do and playing clean football.”

Nichols completed 19-of-28 pass attempts for 253 yards with the TD toss to Demski and one to Drew Wolitarsky. He also threw one interception.

Toronto, which had seven turnovers, fell to 1-5. The last time the Argos got off to a 1-5 start was in 2011, when they opened that season 1-6.

Argonauts head coach Marc Trestman pointed to the turnovers and penalties as factors that killed his team. They were flagged nine times for 117 yards compared to Winnipeg’s six penalties for 60 yards.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get to a position where we can step up and play on an equal level with the teams in our league,” Trestman said, adding he does think he has the players to do that.

Argonauts starting running back James Wilder Jr., who left Toronto’s practice Wednesday with a leg injury, had 15 carries for 81 yards and one three-yard TD. He also hauled in four catches for 51 yards.

“We dug ourselves in a hole, but we’re looking forward to sticking together and digging ourselves out,” Wilder said. “One thing we don’t do, we’re not going to head hang during adversity. We’ve just got to figure out a way to get better and get rolling as a team.”

Toronto quarterback James Franklin was 20 for 31 for 236 yards with zero TDs and three interceptions.

“It’s definitely tough, frustrating,” said Franklin, who scored on a one-year QB sneak. “It does start with the quarterback position as far as the offence moving the ball down the field.

“It’s not necessarily doing anything special or impressive. It’s about being smart and executing the offence and that’s something I didn’t do a good job of.”

Franklin was sacked on the two-point convert attempt after his TD, one of four sacks the Bombers had. Toronto had none.

Winnipeg linebacker Ian Wild also ran 18 yards into the end zone after Toronto kicker Ronnie Pfeffer had a punt blocked by fullback Mike Miller. Pfeffer got up slowly after Miller ran into him. Trestman had no update on his condition.

Medlock made all his converts and booted field goals from 47, 20, 45 and 22 yards. The Bombers also conceded a punt single.

The Bombers led 13-0 after the first quarter, 23-8 at halftime and 26-8 after three quarters.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press