B.C. Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., left, reacts as he’s sacked by Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Pete Robertson during the first half of a CFL football game, in Vancouver, on Saturday, July 22, 2023. Adams Jr. left the game with an injury on the play. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., left, reacts as he’s sacked by Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Pete Robertson during the first half of a CFL football game, in Vancouver, on Saturday, July 22, 2023. Adams Jr. left the game with an injury on the play. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Leos move to an impressive 5-1 to start CFL season

The B.C. Lions beat the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-9 on Saturday night with both teams committing a number of fouls in a lacklustre night for offences at B.C. Place.

Lions backup quarterback Dane Evans threw for one touchdown and an interception going 16-for-25, while Saskatchewan’s Mason Fine finished 32-for-41 with two interceptions.

Evans entered the game after Vernon Adams Jr. left the game after being sacked by Riders (3-3) defensive tackle Micah Johnson in the first quarter.

???? REPLAY: A slick 101-yard drive topped off by a @daneevans9 ???? @ahollins13 TD ???????? pic.twitter.com/Idk1SbbMe6

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) July 23, 2023

Neither team dominated on offence with the Riders finishing with 283 yards, while the Lions (5-1) had 231 as penalties and interceptions derailed many attempts to move the ball forward.

The Lions had seven penalties for 66 yards, while the Riders had six for 56.

READ MORE: THE MOJ: Lions open at home with a roar, both on and off the field

The Lions led 7-3 at halftime and took a 10-6 lead into the final quarter.

UP NEXT

Saskatchewan travels to Toronto to take on the unbeaten Argonauts (5-0) on July 29, while B.C. takes on the winless Edmonton Elks (0-7) on the same day.

Nick Wells, The Canadian Press

Sign up for our free Newsletter and follow us on Twitter.

BC LionsCFL

Sign up for a free account today, and receive top headlines in you inbox Monday to Saturday.