Roar Report: Lions use huge second half to beat Roughriders

Generally speaking, the 40-27 victory in Saskatchewan on Saturday had it all: There was Jonathon Jennings throwing for three touchdowns and a career-high 429 yards. There was Jovan Olafioye scoring his first career touchdown to help turn the tide in a dominating second half. And who can forget the Leos’ stout defence forcing five straight two and outs from the start of the third quarter? Simply put, it was a classic case of an all-around team win. The end result: a 3-1 record heading into bye week and sole possession of first place in the West Division.

“To be down 13 at halftime and come back and win like that in a tough environment is awesome,” Jennings said. The Lions dug themselves that hole thanks in large part to a series of crucial penalties in the second quarter, including a pair of roughing the passer calls on Mic’hael Brooks.

Those two fouls led to Roughriders touchdowns by Rob Bagg and Nic Demski. There was also back-to-back fumbles, from Jennings and Manny Arceneaux, which contributed to the 20 point second quarter for Saskatchewan.

“In the Toronto game we didn’t finish, and we hurt ourselves too much for penalties, similar to this game actually,” Jennings added. “First half we did some decent things and didn’t put points on the board and this game we just came out in the second half and finished.”

Jennings was picking and choosing his targets all night long. Shawn Gore did an excellent job exploiting the leaky Riders secondary on his 4th quarter touchdown catch, while Nick Moore and Bryan Burnham had arguably their best games of 2016.

You got the sense it might just be the Lions’ night when Olafioye clutched up with his third quarter TD grab. It was preceded by one of the game’s best plays, a 52-yard grab by Moore to set the Lions up with a first and goal on the seven yard line. The big offensive lineman can finally say he has a major after 112 CFL games. “It was an amazing, amazing feeling,” Olafioye said. “I actually didn’t hear the play at first, that’s why I went by to ask Jennings ‘what did you say?’ It got the team morale up and I was excited I was able to do that.”

Buono Wins In his 400th Career Game:

Wally Buono has never been one to talk about his personal milestones, of which there are many, but it was hard to keep the grin off his face after getting victory number 257 in game 400 as a head coach. “It was a great team win and also a great win for the organization,” Buono said. “This was a going to be a tough game, we knew that. Jonathon rebounded well. Just like his week, he started off a little bit by struggling, got better and better and the game was pretty much the same thing.” 104 of those 257 wins for Buono have come right here in BC.

Quotables: The Block

As you would expect, a big unsung hero on Saturday was Rolly Lumbala. The bruising fullback threw a huge block that allowed Jennings to find Gore for the eventual winning score. “It’s just about making the adjustment, they’d been running the same blitz for awhile and I saw it coming,” Lumbala said. “We just have to make sure Jon gets comfortable out there and we have to protect him. At the end of the day, it’s all about winning baby.”

Bake’s Takes:

This was a massive statement by Jennings. After getting benched last week, the inevitable questions were being asked on how short his leash should be and there was even some pundits calling for him to lose his starting gig this early in the season. He has now also thrown for three or more touchdowns in four of his 12 career appearances. Jennings should also be commended for his ability to escape the pocket and extend plays against the aggressive Chris Jones defensive scheme. His job avoiding the blitz on the touchdown toss to Moore was a prime example of his QB smarts. Jennings’ sample size is still relatively small, but the results and credentials can not be taken away. This kid just simply won’t quit.

It was easy for this play to get lost in the shuffle after the crazy second half, but how about Anthony Allen‘s pitch to Jennings, as he was being tackled, for the Lions’ first major in the opening quarter? Allen had two guys bringing him down, yet managed to pull of the rare flea flicker. He could have simply taken the tackle, knowing the Lions would have had second and goal on the next play, but it just goes to show you how much he was willing to pay the price and stick it to his old team. His seven-yard rushing TD in the 4th quarter was icing on the cake. Allen finished with 61 yards on 11 carries.

Those first half penalties by Brooks were costly at the time, but that aggressiveness was also the sign of a player who wanted to win at all costs. After missing week three with an ankle injury, the charismatic defensive lineman wanted to make a statement right away. It’s no secret the type of competitor he is, and it’s a credit to his character the way he was able to shake it off and help the defence stall Saskatchewan for much of the second half.

Hat tip to newcomer Cameron Ontko who made a couple of key special teams tackles in his Lions debut. The former Calgary Stampeders linebacker has brought himself up to speed in a hurry after joining the Leos in preseason.

Final conclusion: 3-1 overall. 2-0 against divisional opponents. One excellent feeling.

Next up: the Lions will enjoy their bye week and then get set to visit Calgary on Friday, July 29th. The 1-1-1 Stampeders pay a visit to Winnipeg this Thursday.

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com