The B.C. Lions (7-7) visited McMahon Stadium on Friday night against the Calgary Stampeders (8-5) in their first meeting of the season.
The Lions came into this game without running back James Butler (thigh), wide receiver Jevon Cottoy (ankle), and offensive linemen Dejon Allen (arm). For Calgary, they will not have long snapper Aaron Crawford, who will be out for the foreseeable future as he had knee surgery.
First Quarter:
B.C. got the ball to start the game on the 39-yard line. Quarterback Nathan Rourke completed four passes for 70 yards, including a 33-yarder to Keon Hatcher to the one-yard line. Rourke finished it off with a one-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead with 12:03 left to cap off a six-play drive for 71 yards. With that drive, Rouke set the single-season record for the most passing yards by a Canadian.
On the third play for Calgary, quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. had pressure in his face. He forced a throw intended for Dominique Rhymes, but it was intercepted by Cristophe Beaulieu. He returned it for 19 yards to the 50-yard line. B.C.’s offense would go two-and-out.
Calgary’s offense had the ball on the 32-yard line. On the second play, Vernon Adams Jr.’s pass intended for Jalen Philpot was intercepted by Micah Awe. He returned it for 18 yards to the 28-yard line. In addition, an illegal blocking penalty on Adams Jr. placed the ball on the 14-yard line.
B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke completed a 13-yard pass to Riley Pickett to the one-yard line. Jeramiah Masoli came in to score the touchdown for a 14-0 lead with 7:27 left.
Late in the first quarter, Calgary punter Mark Vassett punted the ball 57 yards to Seven McGee. He returned it for 14 yards to the 31-yard line. B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke threw a 53-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill III to the 26-yard line. On the next play, Rourke could not find anyone open. He took off, breaking several tackles on his way into the endzone. The Lions extended their lead to 21-0 with 4:04 left.
Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed three passes for 20 yards to lead the offense to the 18-yard line to end the first quarter. The Stampeders trailed the Lions 21-0.
B.C.’s offense had 164 yards (136 yards passing, 28 yards rushing), and Calgary’s offense had 52 yards (25 yards passing, 31 yards rushing, 4 yards lost).
Second Quarter:
In the second quarter, Calgary kicker Rene Paredes made a 23-yard field goal. The Stampeders trailed the Lions 21-3 with 13:51 left. Later, B.C. running back Zander Horvoth had two carries for 13 yards, and Nathan Rourke scrambled for seven yards to the 50-yard line. A face mask penalty on Calgary Jacob Roberts placed the ball on the 35-yard line.
On the next play, Calgary’s defense blitzed Rourke. He saw the blitz coming and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Justin McInnis for a 28-3 lead with 10:31 left to cap off a six-play drive for 70 yards. The Calgary fans were displeased with their team’s performance.
Late in the second quarter, B.C. defensive lineman Matheiu Betts sacked Vernon Adams Jr. for an eight-yard loss to bring up third down on the 50-yard line. Calgary punter Mark Vassett punted the ball 69 yards into the endzone. Seven McGee took a knee to give up the single point. It was now 28-4 with 2:21 left.
Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. rushed for 11 yards and threw four passes for 51 yards to the 22-yard line. Kicker Rene Paredes made a 29-yard field goal, and the Stampeders trailed the Lions 28-7 at halftime.
First Half Stats:
B.C.’s offense had 252 yards (193 yards passing, 59 yards), 13 first downs, 2 for 2 in the redzone, and the team was penalized four times for 40 yards. Quarterback Nathan Rourke completed 10 of 14 passes (71.4%) for 181 yards, one touchdown, three carries for 34 yards, and two rushing touchdowns.
Running back Zander Horvath had four carries for 24 yards. Wide receiver Justin McInnis made three catches for 68 yards and one touchdown, while Stanley Berryhill III made one catch for 53 yards. The defense made one tackle for loss, two sacks, and two interceptions.
Calgary’s offense had 160 yards (111 yards passing, 61 yards rushing, 12 yards lost), 9 first downs, 0 for 1 in the redzone, and the team was penalized five times for 55 yards. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 10 of 15 passes (66%) for 111 yards, two interceptions, and two carries for 13 yards. Wide receiver Tevin Jones made two catches for 41 yards, while Jalen Philpot made three catches for 22 yards.
Third Quarter:
Calgary returner Erik Brooks started the third quarter with a 41-yard kick return to the 49-yard line. Vernon Adams Jr. threw a 14-yard pass to Tevin Jones, followed by a three-yard run by Dedrick Mills, and Vernon Adams Jr. rushed for 10 yards to the 22-yard line. After the run, Vernon Adams Jr. appeared to have suffered an injury and did not return for the rest of the game.
After a horse collar penalty on B.C. linebacker Micah Awe, the ball was placed on the seven-yard line. Running back Dedrick Mills had two carries for six yards before Quincy Vaughn scored the touchdown. The Stampeders trailed the Lions 28-14 with 11:11 left to cap off a seven-play drive for 51 yards.
B.C.’s offense got the ball on the 26-yard line. Quarterback Nathan Rourke threw five passes for 89 yards, and had one carry for two yards, helping the offense to the three-yard line. On the next play, Rourke ran to his left side to score the touchdown. The Lions extended their lead to 35-14 with 6:42 left to cap off an eight-play drive for 84 yards.
Late in the third quarter, B.C.’s offense moved the ball to the 10-yard line. On the next play, Nathan Rourke threw a touchdown pass to Keon Hatcher, but an illegal blocking penalty on B.C. took the points off the board.
Kicker Sean Whyte made a 36-yard field goal for a 38-14 lead with 30 seconds left. Calgary quarterback P.J. Walker threw an 11-yard pass to Clint Barnes, and Dedrick Mills rushed for five yards to the 54-yard line to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Calgary’s offense continued to move the ball to the two-yard line. Then, quarterback P.J. Walker threw a touchdown pass to Tevin Jones. They tried a two-point conversion, but did not get it. The Stampeders trailed the Lions 38-20 with 12:03 left to cap off an eight-play drive for 58 yards.
Later, the Lions had the ball on the 44-yard line. Running back Zander Horvath had four carries for 46 yards to help the offense reach the 11-yard line. On the next play, Nathan Rourke threw a touchdown pass to a wide-open Justin McInnis for a 46-20 lead with 6:45 left to cap off a six-play drive for 66 yards.
Late in the game, Calgary kicker Rene Paredes made a 48-yard field goal, and the Stampeders trailed the Lions 46-23 with 4:14 left. Then, B.C.’s offensive line opened a hole for Zander Horvath, who sprinted toward the endzone for a 70-yard touchdown. It was now 52-23 with 3:29 left.
Calgary lost backup quarterback P.J. Walker and running back Jeshrun Antwi to injuries. With the game out of reach, B.C. took their starters out, and Chase Brice finished the game. The Lions defeated the Stampeders 52-23.
Final Stats:
B.C.’s offense had 527 yards (331 yards passing, 196 yards), 25 first downs, 4 for 5 in the redzone, and the team was penalized 11 times for 150 yards. Quarterback Nathan Rourke completed 20 of 24 passes (83%) for 331 yards, two touchdowns, six carries for 43 yards, and three rushing touchdowns.
Running back Zander Horvath had 12 carries for 152 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Justin McInnis made five catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns, while Keon Hatcher made eight catches for 147 yards. The defense made 48 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, and one turnover on downs.
Calgary’s offense had 324 yards (194 yards passing, 142 yards rushing, 12 yards lost), 22 first downs, 2 for 3 in the redzone, and the team was penalized nine times for 103 yards. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 11 of 16 passes (68.7%) for 125 yards, two interceptions, and three carries for 23 yards. Backup quarterback P.J. Walker completed 8 of 9 passes (88%) for 64 yards and one touchdown.
Running back Dedrick Mills had 15 carries for 52 yards and eight catches for 51 yards. Wide receiver Tevin Jones made four catches for 57 yards and one touchdown, while Jalen Philpot made three catches for 22 yards. The defense made 34 tackles.
Next Friday, the Calgary Stampeders visit the Montreal Alouettes at 7 pm on TSN and CFL+, followed by the B.C. Lions hosting the Toronto Argonauts at 10 pm on TSN and CFL+.
