Alouettes used five turnovers to edge Lions 30-25 in see-saw CFL battle
Published Saturday August 30th, 2008
MONTREAL - It all came down to a goal-line stand on the one-yard line with no time left ,and the B.C. Lions couldn't get the ball into the Montreal Alouettes end zone.
That made Montreal back-up quarterback Adrian McPherson's score on a one-yard plunge with 1:24 left to play the winning play as Alouettes took advantage of five B.C. turnovers to defeat the Lions 30-25 in the CFL on Friday night.
"Finishing dramatically like that is a big boost for our team going into the second half of the season," said Montreal defensive tackle Keron Williams.
Buck Pierce, starting at quarterback in place of injured Jarious Jackson, took the Lions downfield in pouring rain in the final minute and a pass to Stefan Logan put the ball on the one.
Two tries were stopped, but Montreal was called offside and jubilant players who rushed onto the field were sent back to the sidelines. On the third attempt, the ball was dropped in the backfield and the celebration finally counted for the Alouettes and the 20,202 fans at Percival Molson Stadium.
"We came out the first and second time and we thought we had it," added Williams. "The third time's a charm. We didn't give up."
Avon Cobourne rushed for 100 yards for a fifth straight game and scored a touchdown, while starter Anthony Calvillo threw a TD pass to Jamel Richardson and Damon Duval kicked two field goals for Montreal (6-3), which won a fourth straight game.
Pierce threw touchdown passes to Kahlil Hill and Rufus Skillern and ran one in himself for the Lions (4-5), who have lost three of their last four.
Pierce had 406 passing yards and the Lions dominated most of the game, but Montreal turned a pair of interceptions and three fumbles into 20 points.
For Pierce, it was more of what has plagued the Lions all season - an inability to finish off an opponent. They had 505 yards of offence, but lost.
"We stopped ourselves all night," said Pierce. "They couldn't do anything against what we had going, but they made plays on balls that shouldn't have been thrown.
"It's hard. It's not a lack of heart, it's just mental mistakes. We're down on the one-yard line, we've got to score down there. But hats off to them, they held their line."
The Lions have been the West's dominant team in recent years, but now find themselves 4-5 going into the second half of the season. They play at Hamilton next Saturday.
"We haven't won any of the close games because the B.C. Lions have beaten the B.C. Lions - that's how we feel right now and that's got to change," said Pierce.
It was Montreal's first win in four tries against a West Division team this season, while B.C. lost to an eastern club for the first time in four games.
Rolly Lumbala fumbled and Eric Wilson recovered on the Montreal 42 midway through the fourth quarter, but Cobourne fumbled it right back to LaVar Glover at the B.C. 9.
A 50-yard completion to Geroy Simon set up a 19-yard TD pass to Skillern and a two-point convert on a pass to Paris Jackson gave the Lions a 25-22 lead with three minutes left to play.
But Montreal battled back and Ryan Phillips was called for interference in the end zone against Brian Bratton to give the Alouettes the ball on the one-yard line. McPherson came off the bench to run it in.
Phillips got a 20-yard objectionable conduct penalty for arguing the call and Duval booted a single on the ensuing kickoff to close the scoring.
Alouettes slotback Ben Cahoon waited until the first play of the fourth quarter before grabbing a 13-yard pass to give him at least one reception in 100 consecutive games. The last time he didn't make a catch was in August, 2002.
The Alouettes led 15-10 at the half.
Ian Smart fumbled a punt and Dahrran Diedrick recovered on the Lions' two-yard line to set up Cobourne's touchdown 3:50 into the game. A punt single made it 8-0 at 11:41.
The Lions then mounted two impressive marches, the first leading to Paul McCallum's 34-yard field goal 32 seconds into the second quarter and the next an eight-yard TD pass to Hill.
B.C. was in Montreal territory again when Logan fumbled and Kai Ellis recovered at the Montreal 33. They led to an 18-yard Duval placement, while Mark Estelle picked off a Pierce pass to set up a 37-yard Duval boot with five seconds left in the half.
Pierce led another drive on his first possession of the second half that he finished by scrambling four yards into the end zone at 7:19 to regain a two-point lead.
But rookie Paul Waldu intercepted and ran the ball to the B.C. 36, setting up Calvillo's 24-yard TD pass to Richardson 59 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Calvillo's TD pass gave him 306 in his career, tied for third place all-time with Matt Dunigan.
The game featured two of the league's best pass rushes, but neither side had a sack.
"But they had pressure," said Montreal coach Marc Trestman. "They got close a couple of times and Anthony had to release a little quicker than he wanted.
"They could have been big plays."
Calvillo was held to 231 passing yards - 114 of them on eight throws to Richardson. Simon (133) and Logan (104) both cracked the century in receiving yards for B.C.
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