B.C. Lions' Justin McInnis celebrates his touchdown against the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the first half of a CFL football game, in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, July 13, 2024.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 451 yards and his B.C. Lions handed the Saskatchewan Roughriders their first loss of the season Saturday, downing the visitors 35-20 at BC Place.
The result saw B.C. (5-1) extend its win streak to four games. Saskatchewan (4-1) came into the game as the CFL’s only remaining undefeated team.
It was a mixed night for Adams, who connected on 26 of 42 pass attempts with one touchdown and two interceptions. The veteran also ran in a crucial TD midway through the fourth quarter.
Adams’ most popular target of the night was Justin McInnis, who reeled in all 14 passes tossed his way for an eye-popping 243 yards and a touchdown.
Making his second career start, Saskatchewan quarterback Shea Patterson made good on 17 of 25 attempts for 278 yards with one interception.
Riders running back A.J. Ouellette contributed a pair of TDs on the ground.
B.C. opened the scoring early in the first quarter when kicker Sean Whyte made his first field goal of the night, a 16-yard attempt.
Minutes latter, Adams sailed a long ball to McInnis down the sideline that gained 38 yards and put the Lions at Saskatchewan’s 16-yard line. The quarterback followed up with three more passes to the American receiver, capping the six-play, 63-yard scoring drive with a five-yard toss to McInnis in the end zone for the first touchdown of the night.
The play gave Adams sole possession of the league lead in most TD passes (12) this season.
Patterson and the Roughriders were quick to respond.
Samuel Emilus got the ball and went for a big run down the sidelines, putting Saskatchewan at B.C.’s three-yard line. Ouellette then muscled the ball through traffic for a major and Brett Lauther made the convert to cut the Lions’ lead to 10-7.
Whyte added six more field goals across the game, starting with a 50-yard kick that narrowly floated over the crossbar 17 seconds into the second quarter.
Whyte’s 28-yarder later in the second quarter boosted B.C.’s lead to 16-7 before the Riders replied once again.
Patterson found a wide-open Emilus with a deep pass to put Saskatchewan in the red zone. The Lions made consecutive stops, and the visitors settled for a 13-yard field goal.
B.C. took a 19-10 lead into the locker room after Whyte sent a 44-yard kick through the uprights before halftime.
Adams had 282 passing yards in the first half, with McInnis on the receiving end of 148.
The Lions QB came into Saturday’s game with a single interception on the season after being picked off back in B.C.’s first game of the campaign.
Rolan Milligan snapped Adams’ streak midway through the third quarter, picking off a pass and sprinting 32 yards down the field. The play marked Adams’ first interception in 200 passes.
Patterson used the turnover to work the ball up the field, but his throw to Emilus in the end zone fell incomplete and the Riders once again settled for a field goal. Lauther made good on a 24-yard attempt to make it 19-13.
Yet another field goal from Whyte – this time from 32 yards out – put the Lions back up by nine points late in the third.
B.C.’s defence preserved the advantage early in the fourth, stymying Patterson and co. on a third-and-goal.
The Riders refused to relent. Deontai Williams picked off Adams on the next sequence, gifting Saskatchewan a first down deep in B.C. territory.
Ouellette made good on the opportunity, collecting a handoff from Patterson, grinding his way through traffic and into the end zone for his second TD of the night. Lauther made the convert and the Lions’ lead shrunk to 22-20.
Adams escaped from the pocket midway through the final frame and darted 12 yards down the field and over the goal line for a touchdown. He celebrated by enthusiastically launching the ball into the seats. With a successful convert by Whyte, B.C.’s advantage climbed to 29-20.
With less than two minutes in the game, Whyte lined up for his sixth field goal attempt of the night. He sailed a 20-yard kick directly through the uprights.
He got one more chance – a 35-yard attempt – with a single second left on the clock. The successful kick sealed the score at 35-20.
The veteran kicker has made his last 39 field goal attempts stretching back to last season. The streak is tied for second longest in league history.