Lions rebound with decisive win over Redblacks

VANCOUVER — Nathan Rourke proved he’s a dual threat Friday, throwing for 308 yards and punching in a pair of rushing touchdowns as his B.C. Lions downed the visiting Ottawa Redblacks 38-27.

The Canadian QB connected on 21 of his 26 pass attempts, with a TD toss to Keon Hatcher Sr.

Lions running back James Butler and defensive back Deontai Williams each scored majors, while kicker Sean Whyte made five converts and a 15-yard field goal. 

Dustin Crum once again started for the Redblacks in place of injured quarterback Dru Brown, who dressed for the game but stayed on the sidelines as Crum passed for 307 yards. He was 30-for-35 with a touchdown pass to Justin Hardy and tallied a pair of rushing TDs.

Ottawa got one convert and two field goals from kicker Lewis Ward, including a 47-yard strike. 

The victory marked a big rebound for the Lions (6-7), who fell 34-33 to the Redblacks (4-9) in Ottawa last week. 

B.C. opened the scoring on its first possession of the game with a gutsy third-down play. 

With the Lions stationed at the two-yard line, Butler jumped up in an attempt to go over top of the pack instead of through. He was pulled down, but still managed to get the ball across the line for a touchdown.

Ward responded with a 47-yard field goal that cut B.C.’s lead to 7-3. 

Rourke showcased his run game before the end of the first quarter, spinning out of a sack and sprinting up the field 18 yards to put the Lions in scoring position. 

The QB lobbed a toss to Hatcher on the next play and he evaded a tackle then stretched out into the end zone for a major. Whyte added another convert and B.C. finished the first quarter with a 14-3 cushion. 

Ottawa steadily worked its way up the field early in the second. Crum completed the drive by barging through a mass on the goal line for a one-yard TD and Ward’s convert cut the Redblacks deficit to 14-10.

Hatcher made another big play midway through the frame, collecting a pass from Rourke and weaving his way up the field for a 51-yard gain. Rourke the forced his way through a bunch of bodies to punch in his first rushing touchdown of the night. 

Ward kicked a 24-yard field goal on the next possession, but B.C. responded with another touchdown drive. 

With less than two minutes to go in the frame, Rourke made good on another third-down play by slipping around the pack and muscling his way into the end zone for a four-yard major. Whyte’s fourth convert of the night gave B.C. a 28-13 lead heading into halftime. 

The veteran kicker added a 13-yard field goal four minutes into the third quarter to boost his team’s lead to 18 points. 

B.C.’s next score came from an unlikely source — Williams. The defensive back stripped the ball from Crum with one hand, then sprinted up the field for a touchdown.

Hardy helped the Redblacks narrow the Lions lead near the end of the third. The American wide receiver reeled in an 11-yard pass along the sideline of the end zone. Officials on the field initially ruled Hardy was out of bounds when he made the catch, but a review showed he got a toe down first. 

Ottawa attempted a two-point convert, only to see Crum’s pass fall incomplete. 

B.C. held a commanding 38-19 lead heading into the fourth. 

The Redblacks made a late push after getting a first down deep in Lions territory with less than a minute left on the game clock thanks to a roughing-the-passer penalty. 

Daniel Adeboboye appeared to capitalize on the positioning on third down, crossing the goal line as he was being hauled to the ground. The play was reviewed and overturned. 

Crum didn’t take any chances on the redo, keeping the ball himself and punching in his second TD of the night. He followed up with a pass to Hardy to make good on the two point conversion and seal the score at 38-27.

UP NEXT

Redblacks: Host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Lions: Visit the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, Sept. 19.