MONTREAL — After going five games without a win, it’s safe to say that the BC Lions are back on track. The Lions picked up their second straight victory against the East-leading Alouettes in a 37-23 wire-to-wire road win.
Despite losing the turnover battle, Nathan Rourke and the Lions’ offence put up 37 points against one of the league’s standout defensive units, while BC’s defence held Cody Fajardo and his Als to just two touchdown scores.
Rourke finished the contest 22-28 with 304 passing yards and a score through the ground and air, while also being picked off on three occasions. In his first return to Montreal, William Stanback went for 128 yards rushing and a touchdown. Alexander Hollins led the team’s pass-catchers with 78 receiving yards on six catches.
Fajardo was 27-37, passing for 230 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Running back Walter Fletcher compiled 93 yards from scrimmage in the losing effort.
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On the opening drive, the Lions came out of the gates to silence a soldout crowd in Montreal. Rourke hit three of his receivers on his three pass attempts and then fullback David Mackie ventured 23 yards into the end zone on second-and-short to give the Leos an early lead.
After the Als failed to capitalize on a Bryce Cosby interception, BC found another score on their third possession. Back-to-back catches by Hollins brought the Lions to midfield and then a deep look to the receiver resulted in a pass interference call against Montreal’s Marc-Antoine Dequoy. Sean Whyte’s 23-yard field goal put the Lions up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Montreal answered back with a field goal of their own to get on the board early in the second frame. Jose Maltos delivered from 41 yards out on a seven-play drive, making it 10-3.
On the ensuing drive, Rourke threw his second of interception of the night after a pass intended for Stanback deflected into the path of Dequoy, who took the ball to the BC 43. The Als couldn’t get into the red zone, but put up three more points courtesy of Maltos’ 28-yard kick.
Rourke shook off his second turnover of the game to produce another touchdown drive before the first half’s three-minute warning. Ayden Eberhardt was the recipient of a big first-down pass over the middle and then a few plays later hauled in the touchdown catch for a 15-yard scoring play.
A Stanback fumble allowed the Als to narrow BC’s lead before halftime. Fajardo’s 26-yard completion to Fletcher advanced the Als into the red zone and then Montreal’s pivot found Cole Spieker deep left in the end zone. Maltos’ extra point meant that the scoreboard would read 17-13 at halftime.
BC registered the first points of the second half after a strip sack by J.R. Tavai on Fajardo to give BC the football. The Montreal defence would come up with a stop inside their own 10-yard line to limit BC to a field goal.
Rourke was picked off for a third time on the Lions’ next drive, this time seeing Dionte Ruffin jump the route to snatch the football, bringing it just inside the red zone. After a couple of incomplete end zone looks by Fajardo, Maltos’ 26-yard field goal made it a 20-16 game.
The Lions replied with a quick three-play scoring drive to go up by 11. A horse collar penalty against Darnell Sankey allowed the Lions into Montreal territory and then after an eight-yard gain, Stanback shed off a couple of tackles to rumble into the end zone from 38 yards out.
With Montreal knocking on the door at BC’s 13-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Fajardo converted on third down with a key completion to Jose Barbon at the left sideline. On his second try, Dominique Davis snuck into the end zone from a yard out. Montreal’s two-point conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 27-22.
After an Alouettes rouge made it a four-point game, the Lions stormed downfield for a pivotal touchdown score. Going for it on third-and-inches at Montreal’s 18-yard line, Rourke bounced off a tackle on a quarterback sneak and then took it outside to score a rushing touchdown. Whyte’s extra point made it 34-23 BC with 5:03 to go.
The Lions’ offence went back onto the field right before the three-minute warning after T.J. Lee picked up an interception after Fajardo’s pass was deflected. A Whyte field goal put the game out of reach, ending 37-23 in favour of the Lions at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
The Lions get another Friday night matchup in Week 15 when they return to BC Place to host the Toronto Argonauts on September 13. Meanwhile, the Alouettes will hit the road for a battle with the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, September 14.