VANCOUVER- Forget the pitch-by-pitch drama of the World Series. The BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders provided more than enough of that in their own Fall Classic. And it was the hometown Lions delivering the knockout punch, prevailing 33-30 on a walk-off field goal from Sean Whyte from 43 yards out, capping off a crazy and wild final few minutes in front of 26,383 fans at Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place.
The win sends the Lions to Saskatchewan and next Saturday’s Western Division Final at Mosaic Stadium. Now some Game Takes from a night that won’t soon be forgotten in Lions lore.
Big Plays In All Phases Push Lions To Final Four
The home side looked to be in good shape mid-way through the third quarter when Robert Carter Jr.’s 95-yard kickoff return touchdown put them ahead 27-14. But as we’ve learned over and over, the game of football can deliver some surprises and cruel moments.
The ensuing Stampeder drive was extended by Jacob Bond’s offside jump on a third and three. Vernon Adams Jr. then went to work, hitting Clark Barnes for a major and then engineering another score on their next series to tie the game after a missed convert heading into the final quarter. Did we mention this one was a Classic?
Whyte’s winning kick was preceded by another one with just over a minute to play when the offence capitalized on a special teams fumble by Eric Brooks that was scooped by Kieran Poissant. When the Lions failed to get a first down, it left Adams enough time to potentially go for the win.
The Lion defence held them to a field goal with only 30 seconds to work with and it was a 28-yard reception by Justin McInnis with three ticks to play that set Whyte up for the heroics. Breathe, Lions fans. They move on to fight for at least another week. Even though it wasn’t the offensive track meet we’ve become used to.
“I mean, playoff football, right? They have a very good defence, very well coached. They stayed poised,” said Buck Pierce on the battle.
“They didn’t panic, you know, they stuck to their game plan even when they got behind a couple of scores and they didn’t want to give up the big play, right? Playoff football is always going to look different. It’s the reason they call it the playoffs. The best teams are left and, you know, we’re excited to spend another week together and prepare for Saskatchewan.”
Rourke finished 16/22 for 223 yards and didn’t throw a touchdown pass or an interception, but managed 68 yards and one touchdown on the ground. The Stampeder defensive front sacked him three times and limited the Lions to only 29 more yards on the ground, outside of the quarterback’s production. In a matchup that billed Rourke and Adams Jr. as quarterback heavyweights, it was the defences that made this a big battle.
“It’s a team game, we’re thankful as an offence that at times, especially during the streak, there’s been a lot of pressure off of us,” said the winning quarterback.
“The way our defence has played, I think they’ve gotten better every single week. I think this is our special teams’ best game all year. And they stepped up in a huge way, providing a turnover, a touchdown, obviously. Those are big plays. And I think I’ve been saying this all year. I think so, forgive me if I’m saying something that’s already said. I think good teams find ways to win ugly games. And this was an ugly game offensively for us. And again, it’s the greatest team game in the world for a reason.”
And playing a good team game has been the calling card of this late-season resurgence.
Key Numbers
2/2- the Lions were perfect in red zone opportunities, scoring on touchdowns by Rourke and Jeremiah Masoli. By comparison, Calgary scored majors on two of four red zone trips.
4- sacks by the defence on Adams Jr. It was one each for Mathieu Betts, Jonah Tavai, Micah Awe and Bradlee Anae.
111- rushing yards by Calgary’s Dedrick Mills, making a big difference in their near comeback win on offence.
36:11- The Stamps had a sizeable advantage in time of possession. A very uncharacteristic element of Lion opponents for most of this season.
6-0- the Lions’ record at home in the Western Semi-Final, the last three wins coming against the Stampeders.
Quotable
“I don’t know, man, now that I’m 40, I think I’ve got Alzheimer’s. I don’t remember anything after last week. No, I don’t remember that. I’m just having a ball with this team and watching my mom and dad in the crowd and my kid. I’m just having a blast. I think we have a special team that can play for the Grey Cup. We can score from anywhere on the field, our defence has got to be the best in the league and clearly, we have the best special teams in the league. We can do this. I just love every moment I’m on this team. It’s a special one.”- Whyte with Moj and Giulio on 730 CKNW on if he ever previously had to kick two field goals inside of the final two minutes.
Next Up
It’s the Lions and Roughriders for a second straight November. This time, with a trip to the 112th Grey Cup on the line. The Western Final from Mosaic Stadium goes down next Saturday at 3:30 pm PT.