The B.C. Lions made a remarkable come back against the Eskimos after trailing from a 20-10 deficit to score an impressive 31-23 victory, affirmed a sports commentator on 7m.
They managed to score 21 second half points with just 3 in the second half recording the stunning win in front of 17,745 fans at BC Place.
Edmonton started early dominating the Lions defense opening up a 7-3 lead after the first quarter managing to extend it to 20-10 at the half.
They doubled the lions on the numbers in yards and first downs managing to stop Lions #1 QB Travis Lulay as well as the lions offence as well as first downs and QB sacks.
The Lions offence started slow and the Eskimos played hard on defense and scoring at will early in the opening half with the run and pass and on defense pressuring Lulay and the lions offence going two and out.
Edmonton opened the scoring a long drive capping it with a 11 yard Mike Kelly TD pass to Nate Behar.
White Rock’s Sean Whyte converted it to make it 7-0 for the visitors, but BC got points back on a drive capping it with a Tyler Long pass from 37 yards out cutting the lead to 7-3 early in the game.
The second quarter saw Mike Reilly cap a one yard plunge extending the lead to 14-3 for Eskimos but the Lions answered with a 79 yard punt return by Chris Rainey.
He managed to break several tackles to the end zone and following the Long convert the Lions made it a 14-10 game.
Edmonton’s Dezel finished off a march down field after intercepting a Lulay pass that saw the ball tipped at the line who returned it deep into Lions territory on the 15 yard line.
From here it was an easy play that allowed Dezel Walker to pull in a pass from Reilly managing to double the score to 20-10 at the half.
BC might have been behind but answered in the second half with a stellar performance from the “D” which shut the Eskimos offence to a standstill.
The third quarter saw Travis Lulay found Kevin Elliott in the end zone from 15 yards out that allowed Long to convert cutting the score to 20-17.
Tyler Long split the uprights from 51 yards out evening the game at 20 on the next possession giving them the lead they would never surrender.
A 73 yard punt single gave the Lions a 21-20 lead over the Eskimos with the third quarter winding down.
They managed to add to the lead on a Bryant Burnham 8 yard pass from Lulay early in the fourth extending their lead to 27-20.
They decided to go for a two point convert that failed as the Eskimos scored their only points of the second half following a Sean Whyte field goal cutting the lead to 27-23 with eight minutes remaining.
The Lions struck back with a Ty Long field goal (third of the game) to make 30-23 and on another punt they managed to pin the Eskimos deep in their end zone giving up a point for 31-23 lead with a short 4 minutes remaining.
Edmonton had one last gasp effort for a drive deep into Lions territory to the 15 yard-line with just seconds left only to have a stellar BC “D” line seal the victory with a interception in the end zone by Gary Peters.
The come from behind victory managed to get the Lions in the playoff race improving to 3-4 on the season, while Edmonton suffered their first loss in three games falling to 5-3 on the season.
The Lions next home game is August 25th at BC Place when they take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders at the Dome.
Bruce Nolte Sportswave Media
