BC Lions vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers Match Player Stats On Oct 25, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 25, 2014

Lions 28, Blue Bombers 23: John Beck threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes in relief of the injured Kevin Glenn as visiting B.C. locked up a playoff spot while eliminating Winnipeg from post-season contention.

Beck went 3-of-4 for 73 yards after replacing Glenn, who was knocked out of the game by a hard hit from Johnny Sears Jr. Ernest Jackson hauled in eight catches for 149 yards and a touchdown while Kito Poblah added a backbreaking late TD reception for the Lions (9-7), who have reached the playoffs in 18 straight seasons.

Paris Cotton had 131 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries for the Blue Bombers, who will miss the postseason for the third year in a row. Drew Willy went 13-of-25 for 187 yards with a TD and two interceptions, and was sacked 10 times - four by Khreem Smith - in defeat.

Keola Antolin put the Lions ahead 7-4 in the opening quarter, finding an opening and sprinting untouched into the end zone from 10 yards out. Lirim Hajrullahu's short field goal evened the score midway through the second quarter, and Willy hit Clarence Denmark on a corner route for a 19-yard score nearly four minutes later as the Blue Bombers carried a 14-13 advantage into the break.

Hajrullahu provided the only points of the third quarter, connecting on a 46-yard field goal near the midway point to extend the lead to four. Jackson put BC in front with 9:38 remaining, evading a low tackle at the 7-yard line before leaping over a Winnipeg defender and into the end zone, and Poblah put the game away with 4:10 remaining on a 55-yard catch and run down the left sideline.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Winnipeg made it 28-23 on Cotton's 2-yard run with 2:27 left, but they misfired on the two-point conversion and BC effectively ran down the clock. ... The Lions had a kickoff-return touchdown wiped out by a penalty after Hajrullahu's third-quarter field goal, while Winnipeg had a TD negated after a video review confirmed that Sears' knee was down before he pitched the ball to teammate Maurice Leggett following his interception. ... The Lions overcame 22 penalties totaling 155 yards.