BCLions.com Staff
The BC Lions head to Riderville Friday for a Week 3 rematch in what’s sure to be a hard-fought, and heated battle with Saskatchewan looking for their first win of the season.
The Lions will look to build off the momentum from last Friday’s thrilling overtime win that saw the team put on a fourth-quarter show, erasing an 11-point deficit in under three minutes.
Here’s a few key pointers you’ll need to know heading into Week 4; so strap yourself in and get ready for another exciting Friday night of CFL football.
Defence is Hungry
The best quote we’ve read so far abour Adam Bighill’s huge late-game stop on third and one last week comes from CFL.ca writer Don Landry: “Adam Bighill stuffed the gap like it was a Christmas turkey.” Yes. Yes he did, Don.
“Clutch-time, plays, third and one, that’s what we live for in football,” says Bighill of his critical stop to give the Lions the ball late in the game. But he says that despite the win, there were too many plays that the defence left on the field Friday, and they want those ones back.
Jeff Tedford has been focused on making smart decisions this week at practice to try to decrease some of the penalties the defence took in Week 3, and Bighill and his team mates are focused on getting back to their top-ranked status. He and his Team 100 counterpart, 2014’s MOP Solomon Elimimian, have already combined for 37 tackles this season, and both are looking to up their game even more in 2015.
Ronnie Yell is also looking to make an impression in his sophmore year with the club, recording a key pass breakup in last Friday’s tilt and playing like a seasoned veteran in just his second full year.
The Austin Collie/Travis Lulay equation
No one thought he’d be able to score on that play. Travis Lulay’s 46-yard bomb to Austin Collie was a perfect pass, and was sure to get the Lions inside the 15, but fans were stunned when Collie pivoted, and somehow manged to tip-toe it along the sidelines and into the endzone on a play that showed the 29 year old’s athleticism and awareness.
Jeff Tedford has said it all along: Collie is an elite receiver, and after the former NFL’er made a highlight-reel score, his second major in as many games, fans can expect him to be a threat at Mosaic. Travis Lulay says the chemistry between the two is growing and Collie says his route running has improved dramatically from Week 2 vs Ottawa.
A gem off-season signing for the Lions, Collie, who is considered a National under the revised import rules, has 11 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns so far this season.
While questions swirled early on about the health of the former Colts receiver, and whether or not two years away from football was too many, his play through the preseason and the first two regular season games has diminished any questions that fans and analysists may have had. As Travis Lulay puts it, “the fact that I see how he operates at practice and the tools he has lets me know he’s a special player.”
Watch for #17 to make some big plays on the road.
The QB non-question
34/44, 404 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions. In his second game back since reinjuring his shoulder in 2014, and his first full game at BC Place since 2013, Travis Lulay threw for over 400 yards – only the second time in his career that the Montana native has ever done so. Statement. Made.
In an emotional post-game speech to his team last Friday, Lulay said that the win was one of the finer moments in his professional career – and for good reason. Take three fourth-quarter touchdowns, an 11-point lead for Saskatchewan erased in under three minutes, and a 127.5 efficiency rating, not to mention the 381.5 yards/game his team is averaging (second best in the league), and it’s pretty clear Lulay is playing some exciting football.
The questions poured in as to what the win felt like for the QB personally, and, never one to allow himself to be singled out, Lulay simply answered, “It was about celebrating with this group of guys, our group.”
Expect Lulay to settle into his role even more as his chemistry with Austin Collie grows, and with the return of Courtney Taylor and the amped-up play of Shawn Gore and Manny Arceneaux, the Lions offence is primed to put up some big numbers. As the Lions QB puts it, “we’ve shown we can move the ball well.”
Of note: Andrew Harris and Courtney Taylor
Andrew Harris has had some good times in Riderville. The standout RB had arguable one of the best plays of 2014 the last time the Lions visited Mosaic when he broke tackle after tackle on his way to an unbelievable 58-yard touchdown. He’s been on fire lately, lighting up the stats sheet in Week 3 with 74 yards through the air and another 70 on the ground.
Will he explode again in Saskatchewan? Hear from Harris as he tells us he’s hungry for the rock vs the Riders.
Rolly Lumbala is looking forward to taking on a bigger offensive role with the team in 2015. His 7-yard touchdown Friday was his first passing score since his rookie year, and the 6’2″, 238-pound fullback is a dual threat on the field. Look for him to make his presence know in Saskatchewan.
Courtney Taylor is looking to make his return for the first time in 2015 after missing the last half of 2014. Hear from Taylor on his relationship with Travis Lulay.
Rookie kicker Richie Leone has had himself quite the week, breaking the BC Lions all-time longest field goal record with his last-second 56 yarder to tie the game in Week 3. Special teams are huge in the CFL so look for him to be called on again to come up big for the Lions on the road.