The B.C. Lions appeared like a crew in full management on Sunday.
Nathan Rourke handed for 345 yards and two touchdowns because the Lions received the most recent conflict of the Canadian quarterbacks, rising with a simple 32-14 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Sunday.
“We did some good issues,” Rourke mentioned. “We positively want to complete drives a bit of bit higher, however I feel we did a extremely good job actually giving it to them within the run recreation, having some lengthy occasions of possession and actually placing some drives collectively, that was good to see.
“It’s good to be enjoying good soccer and it’s additionally good to not have performed our greatest soccer but.”
James Butler additionally rushed for a career-high 172 yards and a landing for the Lions (3-3), who’ve received two straight.
“I felt like I might have had extra,” Butler chuckled. “We had been speaking all week about placing 4 quarters collectively. We’ve had gradual begins. I assumed we received out quick on this recreation and saved on pushing.”
Quarterback Tre Ford handed for less than 34 yards as Edmonton was held to simply 160 yards in internet offence on the evening, a lot of that coming when the sport was already out of attain.
“It was a tricky recreation,” Ford mentioned. “Clearly we received beat up and plenty of that was my fault. There was simply plenty of missed throws at the moment. It simply sucks as a result of I assumed I used to be seeing the sector very well.
“It simply wasn’t our day.”
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The Elks dropped to 1-4.
There was no scoring till late within the opening quarter when Sean Whyte nailed a 33-yard area aim.
The Lions made it 10-0 5 minutes into the second quarter when Rourke accomplished a brief cross to Jevon Cottoy and he danced out of the clutches of a defender and dove into the tip zone for a 16-yard landing.
Edmonton caught a break when a Rourke cross went off a helmet on the road and was caught by defensive lineman Jake Ceresna, who promptly fumbled it earlier than teammate Tyrell Ford dropped on it on the B.C. 19. It could finally result in a one-yard TD plunge by backup quarterback Cody Fajardo.
The Lions got here roaring again to revive their 10-point lead with two minutes left within the first half as Butler powered his approach by means of for a 15-yard speeding TD.
B.C. appeared to have prolonged its lead on a large 92-yard punt return landing by Seven McGee, however the play was nullified on an unlawful block name.
With simply eight seconds left within the second quarter, nevertheless, Rourke accomplished a seven-yard TD cross to Stanley Berryhill III to take a 24-7 lead into halftime.
Of their first 5 video games this season, the Lions had managed solely three factors within the first quarter and had been outscored a mixed 72-32 within the opening half.
“Early execution was key for us and we’ve been missing that the final variety of weeks,” mentioned Lions head coach Buck Pierce. “So, to have the ability to come out and begin a bit of quicker was good to see.”
After gaining two factors on a security on Edmonton’s earlier possession, Whyte kicked a 36-yard area aim with 3:24 remaining within the third.
Whyte added a 31-yard area aim with 5 minutes left within the fourth.
Fajardo changed Ford at QB late within the fourth and accomplished a 31-yard landing cross to Kurleigh Gittens Jr.
NOTES
It was the second recreation this season that includes a pair of Canadian beginning quarterbacks, as the primary recreation for each squads this season additionally had Ford going in opposition to Rourke, with the Lions profitable that encounter 31-14. Earlier than this season, the final time there was an all-Canadian quarterback matchup additionally featured these identical two groups, going down approach again in August 1968 (the Lions’ Pete Ohler in opposition to Edmonton’s Frank Cosentino). … The 2 groups will meet a 3rd time on Oct. 17 in Vancouver, the second-last week of the common season … Ceresna suffered a leg damage within the third and was carted off the sector.
UP NEXT
Lions: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, July 19.
Elks: Go to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday, July 25.
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