Nathan Rourke confirmed why all people is chatting about him with an impressive outing in the B.C. Lions’ 34-31 gain more than the Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday night time.
Rourke concluded the recreation at TD Area Stadium finishing 23 of 31 passes for 359 yards, two passing touchdowns, a person dashing TD and two interceptions, the initial of his job.
“I’ve by no means achieved an individual with far more assurance in himself,” claimed Lions functioning back again James Butler. “He’s a fantastic chief and even greater person and there’s no other quarterback I want to enjoy for.”
Considerably was produced about the short 7 days for the Lions, who played last Saturday against Toronto and had the cross-nation vacation, although the Redblacks ended up coming off a bye week.
“It is a huge gain for us to fly throughout the nation,” explained Lions head coach Rick Campbell. “Ottawa’s a good crew so to conquer these men on the road, I’m actually very pleased of our guys … we manufactured plenty of performs to get the recreation.”
The exact simply cannot be stated about the Redblacks as they dropped their third consecutive activity.
“You know, we built possibly much too numerous errors in opposition to a very good football group,” said Redblacks mentor Paul LaPolice. “You just cannot give up the edge, you can not fall coverage. You’ve obtained to be a little little bit much more reliable offensively, we had too many two-and-outs.”
There were being some positives as Ottawa managed to rating three touchdowns soon after acquiring gone 9 quarters without the need of earning it to the purple zone, but moral victories are starting to ring hollow.
After acquiring thrown for a lot more than 700 yards in his initially two game titles, Ottawa quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was 13 for 26 for 159 yards with a person hurrying TD on this night time.
Masoli knows he requires to be improved if his team hopes to get in the win column.
“I was all suitable,” admitted Masoli. “I skipped some throws in the commencing … for the most element we had a large amount of things there, we just weren’t executing.”
The Redblacks trailed 14-6 at the 50 percent, but thanks to a few interceptions by Revenue Hunter they had been in a position to consider a 20-14 direct.
Hunter picked off Rourke and ran the ball back to the Lions 16-garden line. Three plays later William Powell, enjoying his very first recreation of the period, ran in a 5-property landing and two penalties and 3 two-position makes an attempt later on it was 14-14.
On B.C.’s upcoming possession, Hunter arrived up with a further interception, working the ball back again 56 yards to the Lions seven-yard line. Ottawa completed the generate as Masoli punched in a a single-garden TD. Lewis Ward had a unusual miss out on on the change and Ottawa took a 20-14 lead.
Ward has only missed six of 46 profession change makes an attempt.
With a few interceptions this season, Hunter has set a vocation higher, but admitted the only state of mind heading to Saskatchewan subsequent 7 days can be on obtaining a win.
“Come to play and occur to earn,” stated Hunter about next week’s matchup in Regina. “That’s the only concept you can give anyone proper now. All people demands a (get) just to get their heads up.”
Whilst some youthful quarterbacks may have been rattled following acquiring picked off, Rourke arrived ideal back again connecting with Keon Hatcher for a 71-garden TD move and with the convert regained a 21-20 guide.
Rourke credited his teammates for staying ready to bounce back.
“I’m human and I make mistakes, but I have received a phenomenal group all over me,” stated Rourke. “I’ve been telling you men for the very last a few months, it is not just me and you didn’t think me. I feel we showed tonight this is a truly excellent team and I just materialize to perform on it.”
B.C. under no circumstances seemed again as Butler included another landing to make it 28-20, and Sean Whyte had 32- and 15-garden subject targets to round out the Lions scoring.
Ward additional a 38-property subject objective midway by the fourth and in the ultimate minute of enjoy the Redblacks managed to march down subject and get to the just one-yard line, thanks to a move interference connect with, and Caleb Evans punched in a TD. A two-point transform made it 34-31 with 29 seconds remaining.
Immediately after not obtaining a solitary two-and-out past week the Redblacks handed Rourke his first on the opening drive, but he then showed why folks are so psyched about his recreation.
On B.C.’s next possession, on a third-and-small gamble Rourke ran for a 50-property landing and the Lions took an early 7- guide.
Rourke linked with Hatcher in the 2nd quarter and got the Lions to Ottawa’s 3-property line. Butler then ran in an eight-yard TD to make it 14-3.
Ottawa’s 1st 50 % scoring arrived off 35- and 28-property discipline aims from Ward.
FOOT NOTES: The Lions up coming recreation is towards the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 9 at BC Place. The winless Edmonton Elks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats will square off Friday in Hamilton. The Montreal Alouettes (1-2) will be in Regina on Saturday to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-1), and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-) will enjoy the Argonauts (1-1) in Toronto on Monday.
