=== Pierce returns, Blue Bombers outlast Argos ===
 
 Toronto,  ON (Sports Network) - Chad Simpson carried the ball 20 times for 136
 yards  and a touchdown,  and Alex Brink added a pair of rushing scores and one
 through  the  air to lead  the Winnipeg  Blue Bombers to  a 44-32 win over the
 Toronto Argonauts on Friday.
 
 Buck Pierce, who had  been out of action since Sept. 29 with a laundry list of
 injuries,  completed 13-of-22 passes  for 200 yards.  William Ford ran  for 85
 yards  and a touchdown on 10 carries for the Blue Bombers (5-11),  who won for
 just the third time since Week 8.
 
 "He  put us in good situations and got us out of a long field," Pierce said of
 Simpson.  "We were able to score because of the short field he was getting us.
 We  converted on a lot of second downs. He's one of the best professionals, he
 just  keeps  trying to do  more. He's  just a great  inspiration to me and the
 players in the locker room."
 
 Ricky  Ray made  his first  start  since Sept.  23,  and didn't  skip a  beat,
 throwing  for 383  yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-33 passing. Jason Barnes
 caught  three touchdown passes and Andre Durie caught six passes for 128 yards
 and a score for the Argonauts (7-9), who can secure a home playoff game with a
 Hamilton loss Saturday at Calgary.
 
 "I  was just hoping to play well enough that I could help the team," Ray said.
 "We  missed on a  few drives, and had too many turnovers. I felt like I was in
 good rhythm, but I missed on some throws."
 
 Due to Toronto's loss, Montreal clinched first place in the Eastern Division.
 
 Brink's 4-yard touchdown pass to Jason Vega capped a 17-play, 89 yard drive to
 give  the  Bombers a  7-0 lead. Winnipeg  then forced a  fumble on the ensuing
 kickoff  and turned it  into a touchdown when Brink bulled his way in from one
 yard out to go up 14-0.
 
 The  Argos  answered on  their next touch  when Ray found  Durie for a 37-yard
 catch-and-run to pull within 14-7.
 
 The  Bombers, however,  extended the cushion to 17-7 when Justin Palardy split
 the uprights from 32 yards out.
 
 A  pair  of Ray touchdown  passes to Barnes, for  14 and 8 yards respectively,
 gave the Argos their first lead of the game, but it would be short-lived.
 
 Winnipeg  quickly regained  the lead  when Simpson  scored on  a 14-yard  run.
 Simpson  took  the handoff,  reversed field then  propelled himself across the
 goal line after leaping from just inside the 5-yard line to lift his team to a
 24-21 lead.
 
 Palardy's 45-yarder in the early parts of the third put the Bombers up 27-21.
 
 Toronto got a single when Swayze Waters' 47-yard field goal attempt missed but
 the Argos were able to contain Clarence Denmark in the end zone.
 
 Brink's  2-yard  touchdown plunge capped an  11-play, 70-yard trek to give the
 Bombers a 34-22 lead.
 
 The  teams traded field  goals in the early parts of the fourth before Toronto
 pulled  within 37-32  when Ray connected with Barnes, yet again, for a 14-yard
 touchdown.
 
 After  forcing a fumble at the Toronto five in the final minute,  Ford crossed
 the goal line from five yards out to put the game out of reach.
 
                                   Game Notes
 
 The Bombers snapped a four-game skid against the Argos, but still trail in the
 all-time  series,  53-51-2 ...  Winnipeg wide receiver  Isaac Anderson had six
 catches for 82 yards ... Barnes notched his first-career three touchdown game.
 
 
 10/19 23:06:50 ET

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