Explosive offensive performance leads Lions to victory over Alouettes

VANCOUVER — In the last game of the Forty Creek Quadruple Header, the BC Lions claimed victory over the Montreal Alouettes 48-29 at BC Place on Saturday night.

The victory marked the Lions’ sixth win in their last seven games, while the Alouettes remained winless at BC Place since 2015.

The final game of the football-filled day was wild, with the offences firing on all cylinders in the first half. While each team’s opening possessions ended in punts, there was only one more boot the rest of the half.

The scoring began with veteran Sean Whyte knocking in a field goal for the game’s first points, before Zander Horvath punched in the first of his three touchdowns as the frame expired to extend the Lions’ advantage heading into the second quarter.

The next quarter began with a bang for BC, with defensive tackle Casey Sayles picking off Alouettes’ pivot Davis Alexander and returning it all the way to the end zone to extend the Lions’ lead. Montreal responded immediately, however, as a five-play drive was capped off with an explosive pass from Alexander to Tyson Philpot to cut BC’s lead back down.

The fiery second quarter continued, as Montreal then got their own defensive touchdown by their own defensive lineman. A strip by Tyrice Beverette on Nathan Rourke allowed Mustafa Johnson to complete the scoop-and-score to bring it to a one-score game. Then, it was BC’s turn to respond — and they did just that — in the form of Rourke connecting with Keon Hatcher Sr. in the back of the end zone for another BC major.

To end the explosive half, both teams got on the board again. First, Alexander connected with Tyler Snead to once again make it a one-score game, before Rourke scampered his way into the painted area the next trip down, all before a Jose Maltos Diaz field goal finished off a high-flying first half.

After 44 points combined in the second quarter alone, only three were mustered in the third frame, with Maltos Diaz adding another triple to cut BC’s lead to five heading into the fourth.

The points flooded in once again in the final frame, as Horvath’s second major of the game extended BC’s lead early in the quarter. The Lions added even more points just before the three-minute warning, as Horvath’s third touchdown of the day gave BC a near-20-point lead, which they held onto until the final whistle.

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» Depth Charts: MTL | BC » Alouettes, Lions by the numbers

SCORING PLAYS

• Sean Whyte 35-yard field goal (05:13, Q1) | BC 3, MTL 0
• Zander Horvath one-yard rushing touchdown (00:16, Q1) | BC 10, MTL 0
• Casey Sayles 43-yard interception touchdown return (14:39, Q2) | BC 17, MTL 0
• Davis Alexander 26-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Philpot (12:17, Q2) | BC 17, MTL 7
• Mustafa Johnson 23-yard fumble touchdown return (10:28, Q2) | BC 17, MTL 13
• Nathan Rourke four-yard touchdown pass to Keon Hatcher Sr. (04:45, Q2) | BC 24, MTL 13
• Davis Alexander 26-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Snead (01:45, Q2) | BC 24, MTL 20
• Nathan Rourke 14-yard touchdown run (00:35, Q2) | BC 31, MTL 20
• Jose Maltos Diaz 25-yard field goal (00:01, Q2) | BC 31, MTL 23
• Jose Maltos Diaz 33-yard field goal (06:31, Q3) | BC 31, MTL 26
• Zander Horvath one-yard rushing touchdown (10:28, Q4) | BC 38, MTL 26
• Zander Horvath one-yard rushing touchdown (04:26, Q4) | BC 45, MTL 26
• Jose Maltos Diaz 50-yard field goal (02:32, Q4) | BC 45, MTL 29
• Sean Whyte 35-yard field goal (01:10, Q4) | BC 48, MTL 29

NEXT UP

For the Alouettes, they remain on the road and continue their trip to the Hammer to take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday, Sep. 18, to kick off Week 16.

As for the Lions, they’ll get a bye in Week 16 before playing host to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday, Sep. 25, in Week 17.