CFL.ca Staff
#FNF
VANCOUVER — Stefan Logan had a monstrous first half, racking up 154 all-purpose yards, while Kevin Glenn threw for 173 yards and a touchdown in a little bit more than two quarters of work, as the Lions trounced the Calgary Stampeders 37-13 at BC Place Stadium.
Kicker Paul McCallum also had a solid night, connecting on five of his six field goals for a 15-point contribution,
It was the final pre-season game for both teams. Last week saw the Lions pull off a thrilling 14-11 win over the Eskimos, while the Stamps edged the Bombers 23-20 at McMahon Stadium.
Heading into Friday night’s contest, the focus surrounding both clubs centered on the quarterbacks.
For the Lions, while there’s no doubt that Travis Lulay is the team’s undisputed number one pivot, a nagging shoulder injury has limited his progress during training camp.
As a result, Glenn has been getting the majority of the reps at camp, and started tonight’s game.
For the Stamps, the situation is a bit more interesting, as Bo Levi Mitchell and Drew Tate continue to battle for the starters job.
Mitchell was given the ball to start the game by head coach John Hufnagel, and after a quick first possession that resulted in little progress, he was sent out for a second drive and ran into some trouble.
On his first play of the possession, Mitchell saw his pass picked off by linebacker Solomon Elimimian, who returned it 17 yards into BC territory.
The turnover proved costly, as Glenn took the field for BC’s second possession and promptly found speedy receiver Korey Williams for a 23-yard touchdown, giving the Lions a 7-0 lead.
When the Stamps offence next took the field, it was Tate leading the charge, with Mitchell instead watching from the sidelines.
However, the six-year veteran fared no better than his teammate, with the unit playing to a quick two-and-out, forcing Hufnagel to send out his punt unit.
But before the Glenn could inflict any further damage, Logan found an opening and zigged-zagged his way for a 93-yard punt return touchdown, extending BC’s lead to 14.
Glenn, however, would indeed be given another chance to introduce himself to the BC Place faithful.
Led by a 34-yard carry by Logan, and completions to Courtney Taylor and Williams, Glenn proceeded to march 81 yards downfield, resulting in three more points, thanks to a 17-yard field goal by McCallum.
A punt single by punter Ricky Schmitt gave the Lions an 18-0 lead after one quarter of play.
While the first frame was a shaky one for Mitchell, he appeared more calm and composed to start the second.
The third-year pivot out of Eastern Washington completed four passes for a total gain of 39 yards, leading the attack inside BC’s 20-yard line.
Though the drive would eventually stall, the Stamps did salvage three points out of what was their most productive drive of the game thus far.
Not to be outdone, Tate took to the field on his next possession and also put points on the board, finding off-season acquisition Simon Charbonneau-Campeau for a 13-yard touchdown strike to cut BC’s lead to just eight.
On the drive, Tate connected with massive receiver Jeff Fuller for an impressive 43-yard gain.
Prior to the conclusion of the half, the two teams exchanged field goals, with McCallum splitting the uprights from 42 yards out, while Paredes connected from 47.
The two teams entered the break with the Lions leading 21-13.
Of the three quarterbacks who hit the field in the first half, it was Glenn who stole the spotlight.
The wily veteran completed 11 of his 15 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown, while also adding six more yards on the ground.
For Calgary, it was Tate who seemingly had the upper hand, completing three of his six pass attempts for 59 yards and one touchdown. Mitchell, meanwhile, was good on just seven of his 14 attempts for 76 yards and a pair of interceptions.
But the story of the half was without a doubt Logan, who registered 154 all-purpose yards on six total touches, including his punt return major.
The third quarter saw little action offensive, other than another field goal by McCallum, who split the uprights from 47 yards to restore BC’s 11 point lead.
The Lions then increased their lead to an 18-point margin, as Tate’s pass intended for receiver Robert Holland was intercepted by rookie TJ Lee, who returned it 15 yards to the house for a touchdown.
The interception was the fourth thrown by a Calgary quarterback, and fifth turnover committed by the team to that point. On Calgary’s ensuing possession, Mitchell had the ball knocked out of his hand and recovered by the Lions for the Stamps’ sixth turnover of the night.
The fourth quarter saw McCallum tack on two more field goals to increase BC’s lead to 24 points, one they would never relinquish.
Next week, the Lions will kickoff their season at home against Mike Reilly and the Eskimos, while the Stampeders will host Troy Smith and the Montreal Alouettes at McMahon.
