Walter Tychnowicz/CFL.ca
EDMONTON — An impressive performance from running back James Butler fuelled the BC Lions offence en route to a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night.
The win secures second place in the West Division for the Lions. They will now host the Western Semi-Final on Nov. 6 at BC Place.
Butler finished the game with 24 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown. He became the second running back, behind Calgary’s Ka’Deem Carey, to reach the 1,000 rushing yard mark this season. The effort also vaulted him past Carey for the league lead in rushing yards.
Vernon Adams Jr. completed 18 of 24 passes for 211 yards. He found Keon Hatcher for a touchdown.
Tre Ford, filling in for the injured Taylor Cornelius, threw for 242 yards and rushed for an additional 72 yards. He connected with Dillon Mitchell for a touchdown
The loss extended the Elks home losing streak to 17 games as they head into the off-season after posting a 4-14 record.
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The Lions received the ball to open the game but Bruce Anderson III fumbled the kickoff return and the Elks would recover.
Ford immediately put his legs to use, rushing for 28 yards to get down within the Lions 30-yard line. A horse-caller penalty on the Lions moved the ball to the 11-yard line.
Ford then showed off his arm by connecting with Mitchell for a seven-yard touchdown reception to open the scoring.
When they Lions got the ball back, they handed it to Butler for a three straight runs totalling 28 yards. Six plays later, Adams Jr. connected with Keon Hatcher for a touchdown to knot the score at 7-7.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Elks would fumble but then recover the ball to maintain possession. Ford would look deep to Mitchell on second-and-long but the pass would be knocked down by defensive back TJ Lee, forcing a punt.
Late in the first quarter, Adams Jr. found Dominique Rhymes for a 27-yard pass to move into Elks territory but the defence would hold the Lions to a 35-yard field goal from Sean Whyte.
After an Elks punt, the Lions marched down the field on a 11-play drive, highlighted by 28-yard receptions from Hatcher and Rhymes. Butler would punch in a three-yard touchdown run to extend the Lions lead to 17-7.
With under two minutes to go in the second quarter, Marcus Sayles picked off a Ford pass and returned it down to the Elks six-yard line. Two play later, backup quarterback Antonio Pipkin entered the game and rushed for a touchdown to make it 24-7 heading into the half.
The Elks started with the ball in the third but the Lions defence forced a quick two-and-out.
Elks defensive back Donovan Olumba, in just his second career game, would pick off an Adams Jr. pass on the following drive and return it deep into Lions territory to set up a Kai Locksley quarterback sneak for a touchdown to make it a 10 point game.
The Lions got a single back on a punt from Stefan Flintoft before Whyte split the uprights for a 36-yard field goal.
The very next drive, the Lions defence came up big again. Jordan Williams stripped Ford of the football for his second forced fumble of the game. Tibo Debaillie pounced on it for the recovery.
Whyte would nail a 37-yard field goal to open the fourth quarter to put the Lions up 31-14.
The teams would trade scoreless possessions to close out the game, with Marcus Sayles picking off his second pass of the game with less than two minutes remaining.
While the Elks season has come to an end, the Lions head to Winnipeg in Week 21 to close out the regular season.
