Nathan Rourke launched 324 yards and three affected, and the BC lions opened their CFL season with a 31-14 victory on the Elmonton Elks SATURDAY.
“They had answers, certainly, for what we were doing,” said Elks’ head coach Mark Kilam after defeat.
“I thought we had suffocated a little in defense. We have to maintain some additional readers in attack to help these guys.
The Canadian quarter-rear went 27 for 36 on his attempts to pass, connecting Stanley Berryhill III twice in the goals area. Justin Mcinnis caught his first TD of the year and James Butler led to another adult.
The veteran kicked Sean Whyte contributed a basket of 22 yards for the Lions, who played their first match under the head coach Buck Pierce.
The Elks quarter-Arrière, Tre Ford, put 178 yards by the pass, connecting on 17 of its 27 attempts and launching an interception. He was dismissed twice.
“I don’t think we have made fantastic offensive,” said Tre.
“I think we were stuck in many seconds and longs, which is not a good situation for the offense, so we have to do better first. But many things come back to me, it’s true, I am the quarter. I have to do more things for us.”
Cody Fajardo posted two majors on the ground of short-yard for Edmonton, who also has a first-year head coach in Mark Kilam.
Rapper Snoop Dogg played for the announced crowd of 52,837 fans before kick -off.
The game experienced a promising start for Lions with Rourke and his teammates regularly working on the ball on the field to give the BC for the first time on the two -meter line of Edmonton.
Chase Brice came for a short film and seemed to stretch the ball in the goal area in third row. An examination of the command center, however, determined that the QB had dropped before passing the ball through the line.
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Ford was struggling early, going 0 for 3 during his first game attempts before connecting with Zach Mathias for a gain of six yards during his fourth attempt at night.
Edmonton went up to the board with just over three minutes in the first quarter when Cody Grace sent a 66 yards clearance in the goals area for a red.
British Columbia has once again arrived a few centimeters from a touchdown at the start of the second frame when Rourke put on a net pass to Jevon Cottoy directly under the amounts. The Canadian receiver groped the ball, then fixed his gloves with apparent disbelief.
Whyte posted the first points on the night of the local team, starting a basket of 22 yards to give the Lions an advance of 3-1.
The Elks regained control halfway through the second quarter when Fajardo has made his way through traffic for a major on a yard. Vincent Blanchard missed the convert and Edmonton increased by 7-3.
The score was held at the end of the first half after the Elks kicker sent an attempted goal on the field of 49 yards in the last seconds of the frame.
British Columbia came to life early in the second half, wasting a possession that ended with Rourke escaping from the pocket, taking a few steps and sailing on a 34 yard pass in Stanley Berryhill in the goals area.
Whyte did the convert and the lions went to an advantage of 10-7.
Edmonton had the opportunity to level the scoring a few minutes later when Blanchard aligned himself for a 45 yards basket, but the kick was again wide.
Rourke proved in the following possession that he was a double threat, rushing for 13 yards on one game and 22 on another.
He crowned the journey with a lob of 37 yards in Berryhill under the amounts and another predecessor converted increased the advance of the Lions to 17-7 in the middle of the third quarter.
Ford responded with a few quick feet in the moving seconds in the third trimester. The 27-year-old Canadian has skillfully moved around the midfield to avoid several bag attempts and obtained a 37 yards pass to Justin Rankin, who also slipped several defenders from British Columbia before being shot on the three yards line.
Edmonton opened the fourth with Fajardo crossing traffic for his second touch of the night. Blanchard sent the convert through the amounts to reduce the three -point Elks deficit.
British Columbia continued to support and launched a disc of seven games and 86 yards, crowned by a pass of 17 yards from Rourke to Mcinnis in the goal area.
Mcinnis, from Pierrefonds, in Quebec, led the LCF in the reception yards last season with 1,469.
The defense of the Lions then worked with the second Ben Hladik removing the pass of Ford and rushing 61 yards to put his team back in the privileged score position.
British Columbia has capitalized with Rourke by handing over the Ballon Butler carrier, who shaped in the goal area for the fourth affected by the night of the local team. Another Whyte convert put the lions forward 31-14.
A return to kick off from 92 yards of Javon Leake sought to reduce the deficit of Edmonton halfway from the fourth, but the second of the Elks Josiah Schakel was called for an illegal block on the game.
Notes
The Lions secondary Jeremy Lewis (ischio-legs) and the defensive line Deshawn Stevens (foot) did not return for the second half. … The match scored the first time that two Canadian quarters started and clashed in an opening match of the CFL season.
The next
Elks: Organize the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, June 19.
Lions: Visit the Blue Bombers of Winnipeg on Thursday.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press