VANCOUVER — The CFL is without an undefeated team in 2024 after the B.C. Lions registered a 35-20 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday at BC Place.
The Lions improved their record to 5-1 and moved into first place in the West Division. Saskatchewan is 4-1.
“It’s early in the season,” defensive halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. said. “We’ve still got everything we want to be able to make a run.”
The defeat was doubly painful for the Roughriders due to a lower-body injury suffered by right offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, who left the game early in the third quarter. There wasn’t an immediate update on Hardrick’s status after the game.
“He’s in all our prayers,” Roughriders quarterback Shea Patterson said. “We’re praying for a speedy recovery and hopefully we’ll get him back soon.”
Even with Hardrick sidelined, the resilient Roughriders were able to throw a scare into the Lions.
A.J. Ouellette’s second TD run of the game helped Saskatchewan narrow the gap to 22-20 barely three minutes into the fourth quarter.
However, the Lions restored some breathing room with a 12-yard touchdown run by Vernon Adams Jr., who scored at 7:11 of the final frame.
“I thought it was back and forth, back and forth,” Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace said, “but anytime we got any momentum, they killed it.
“If you look at it from the standpoint of a prize fight, I thought we were in it until the 10th or 11th round.”
Adams completed 26 of 42 passes for 451 yards.
His favourite target was Justin McInnis, who caught 14 passes for 243 yards.
“We really didn’t have an answer for him,” Milligan Jr. said. “We’ve got to watch the film and see how he was able to have so many catches for so many yards.”
Patterson, making his second consecutive straight start at quarterback in place of an injured Trevor Harris, was 17-for-25 for 278 yards.
In the fourth quarter, Patterson was stopped on a third-and-goal quarterback sneak from the one-yard line.
“You’ve got to score touchdowns in the red zone, especially when you’re playing a team like B.C. that has a really explosive offence,” he said.
Ouellette led the Roughriders’ ground game with 72 yards on 12 carries.
SAM SPARKLES
Samuel Emilus had receptions of 51 and 50 yards during an eight-catch, 161-yard game.
It was the 14th time a Roughrider had two catches of 50-plus yards in the same game.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” Patterson said.
Until Saturday, a Saskatchewan pass-catcher hadn’t put up twin 50s since Taj Smith in 2013. Here’s the full list:
• Bobby Thompson — 83 and 72 yards vs. Hamilton, Sept. 14, 1969.
• Gord Barwell — 67 and 50 yards vs. Winnipeg, Sept. 7, 1970.
• Bobby Thompson — 91 and 70 yards vs. Edmonton, Aug. 16, 1972.
• Joey Walters — 72 and 60 yards at Winnipeg, Sept. 12, 1981.
• Jeff Fairholm — 71 and 66 yards at Toronto, Sept. 26, 1992.
• Jeff Fairholm — 78 and 69 yards at B.C., July 9, 1993.
• Curtis Mayfield — 95 and 87 yards vs. Winnipeg, Sept. 1, 1996.
• Curtis Mayfield — 54 and 53 yards at Montreal, Oct. 3, 1997.
• Curtis Marsh — 58 and 51 yards vs. B.C., Sept. 9, 2000.
• Andy Fantuz — 72 and 53 yards at Hamilton, Oct. 14, 2007.
• Andy Fantuz — 60 and 58 yards vs. Calgary, Sept. 17, 2010.
• Chris Getzlaf — 85 and 64 yards vs. Calgary, Oct. 17, 2010.
• Taj Smith — 70 and 61 yards at Toronto, July 11, 2013.
• Samuel Emilus — 51 and 50 yards at B.C., July 13, 2024.
The Roughriders came close to three 50-yarders on Saturday. Kian Schaffer-Baker had a 49-yarder.
Schaffer-Baker caught four passes for 82 yards on Saturday.
EXTRA POINTS
• Milligan Jr. registered his league-leading fourth interception. All four picks have been made over the past three games.
• Anthony Lanier II had two sacks, giving him three multi-sack performances as a CFLer. Lanier II and Micah Johnson are both on two-game sack streaks.
• Deontai Williams has an interception in back-to-back games.
• Logan Ferland stepped in for Hardrick at right tackle. Zack Fry assumed Ferland’s right guard spot. Late in the game, defensive lineman Miles Brown was used at left tackle after Trevor Reid limped off the field.
NEXT UP
The Roughriders are to play host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
“We’re going to look at our mistakes on both sides of the ball and be ready for Winnipeg,” Patterson said.
On Friday, the Green and White will wear its obsidian jerseys for the first time.
SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
B.C. — FG Whyte 17 2:41
Adams Jr. hit Eberhardt on a 55-yard bomb
B.C. — TD McInnis 5 pass from Adams Jr. (Whyte convert) 10:02
Adams Jr. found McInnis for four consecutive completions
Sask — TD Ouellette 3 run (Lauther convert) 12:31
Ouellette scored after a 51-yard completion to Emilus
SECOND QUARTER
B.C. — FG Whyte 50 0:17
Key play was a 27-yarder from Adams to Berryhill III
B.C. — FG Whyte 27 6:02
Lions moved 68 yards in eight plays
Sask — FG Lauther 13 8:08
Patterson to Emilus produced 50 yards
BC — FG Whyte 44 13:30
Adams Jr. hit McInnis for 25 and Berryhill III for 17
THIRD QUARTER
Sask — FG Lauther 24 10:45
Milligan Jr.’s 31-yard interception return put the Riders in field-goal range
B.C. — FG Whyte 32 13:34
Adams Jr. found McInnis for 26 and Hollins for 15
FOURTH QUARTER
Sask — TD Ouellette 8 run (Lauther convert) 3:11
Ouellette scored on the first play after a Williams interception
B.C. — TD Adams Jr. 12 run (Whyte convert) 7:11
TD set up by 47-yard bomb to Hollins
B.C. — FG Whyte 20 13:28
Lions drove 81 yards in 10 plays
B.C. — FG Whyte 35 15:00
Whyte improved his streak of successful field-goal attempts to 39
