On Friday night at Mosaic Stadium, the BC Lions took on the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday Night Football. Coming into the game, the Lions had lost eight straight games to the Roughriders and looked to snap that streak. Meanwhile, the Roughriders were looking to avoid a three-game losing streak.
In the first quarter, the Lions took a 1-0 lead after Stefan Flintoft punted the ball that Mario Alford let bounce into the endzone and out of bounds for a single point. It took a while for the Roughriders’ offense to get going. Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo threw a 32-yard pass to Samuel Emilus.
Then, Fajardo threw an 11-yard pass to Kian Schaffer-Baker along with a couple of rushes from Jamal Morrow to set up the Roughriders at the Lions’ 20-yard line for 3rd and 4. Kicker Brett Lauther made a 28-yard field goal, giving Saskatchewan a 3-1 lead with 7:08 left.
The Roughriders’ defense quickly got the ball back after Charleston Hughes sacked Nathan Rourke, causing a fumble that Keion Adams recovered. It was Hughes’ 135 career sack. On 2nd and 8, Cody Fajardo threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Jones, who had a Lions’ defender on him as he made a leaping catch in the endzone. The Roughriders’ lead grew to 10-1 with 5:17 left.
The Lions had the ball for the rest of the first quarter and were facing a 2nd and 13 to begin the second quarter. Lions’ quarterback Nathan Rourke found James Butler for four yards, setting up third down. Lions’ kicker Sean Whyte made a 16-yard field goal, cutting the Roughrider’s lead 10-4 with 14:30 left.
On Saskatchewan’s next possession, Jamal Morrow took off for a 28-yard run, while Cody Fajardo made several passes to get the Roughriders down to the Lions’ one-yard line. Fajardo went for a quarterback sneak and scored the touchdown for a 17-4 lead with 10:29 left in the second quarter.
The Lions came roaring back for the rest of the second quarter. First, after Sean Whyte missed a 38-yard field goal, the Lions’ special teams tacked Mario Alford at the two-yard line. Then, the Lions’ defense tackled Jamal Morrow in the endzone for a safety. The score was now 17-6 Roughriders. Furthermore, Lions punter Stefan Flintoft punted the ball in the endzone, and Mario Alford took a knee for a single, 17-7, with 2:50 left in the second quarter.
Just before halftime, Lions’ quarterback Nathan Rourke threw a 40-yard pass to Keon Hatcher before throwing three more passes to get BC down to the Roughriders’ one-yard line. Rourke went with a quarterback sneak to score the touchdown, and it was 17-14 Roughriders at halftime. In the second half, the Lions shut out the Roughriders.
In the third quarter, Lions’ quarterback Nathan Rourke threw several to get them to Saskatchewan’s 14-yard line. On 1st and 10, Rourke had time in the pocket and threw the ball to Dominique Rhymes, who made a one-handed catch for the touchdown, and the Lions led 21-17 with 6:48 left. The Roughriders’ offense had trouble moving the ball in the third quarter, and the Lions led 21-17, heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Lions’ kicker Sean Whyte made a 39-yard field goal for a 24-17 lead with 13:32 left. After the Roughriders’ offense went three-and-out, the Lions got the ball back. The Lions’ offense killed a lot of time while moving the ball into Saskatchewan’s territory. On 2nd and 8, Nathan Rourke found Dominique Rhymes again for a 15-yard touchdown for a 31-17 lead with 6:52 left.
After the Roughriders failed to convert a third down, the Lions moved the ball towards Saskatchewan’s 39-yard line. Kicker Sean Whyte missed a 46-yard field goal, and Mario Alford took a knee in the endzone, giving up a single point, 32-17, with 1:55 left in the game.
The Lions’ defense stopped Saskatchewan on their next drive, and the Lions ran out the clock to beat the Roughriders 32-17. The Lions snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Roughriders, and this was Cody Fajardo’s first loss against British Columbia. The Lions are now 5-1, while the Roughriders drop to 4-4 and are on a three-game losing streak.
BC quarterback Nathan Rourke went 27/33 for 336 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, eight carries for 20 yards, and one touchdown. Lions’ running back James Butler had 19 carries for 77 yards, while wide receiver Keon Hatcher had seven catches for 110 yards. The Lions’ defense allowed 226 yards, 39 tackles, four sacks, two pass breakups, and one interception. The Lions played Edmonton next Saturday at 10 pm on ESPN2.
Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo was 18/27 for 168 yards, one touchdown, one interception, two carries for three yards, and one touchdown. Roughriders’ running back Jamal Morrow had eight carries for 47 yards, while wide receiver Duke Williams had five catches for 39 yards. The Roughriders’ defense allowed 433 yards, 60 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, four pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. The Roughriders are off next weekend.
This was a statement win for the Lions. To snap an eight-game losing streak against Saskatchewan boosts confidence, and they continue to climb in the West Division. For the Roughriders, they’ve hit a bump on the road. Right now, Saskatchewan is beat up, and this bye coming up is a blessing for them. They will have time to heal until their next game in a couple of weeks against Edmonton.
