The Tiger-Cats were unable to shut down an effective B.C. Lions offence at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 35-12 defeat. Chris Bauman led the Ticats with 70 receiving yards while linebacker Zeke Moreno made eight tackles.
The Tiger-Cats struck first early in the opening quarter. Facing a third-and-one play, Terry Caulley gained enough yardage for the first down and more, taking the ball 32 yards to B.C.’s 13 yard line. Nick Setta would kick a 20-yard field goal minutes later to put the home side up 3-0.
After B.C. kicker Paul McCallum tied the game with a 25-yard field goal of his own, the Lions took the lead when linebacker Jamall Johnson intercepted Casey Printers and returned the ball 59 yards for a touchdown.
After 15 minutes of play, the Lions held a 10-3 lead.
Quarterback Buck Pierce and the B.C. offence extended the visitor’s lead a little under two minutes into the second quarter when Pierce led the Lions on an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the fourth year pivot scrambling seven yards into the end zone for a 17-3 advantage.
The Lions continued to flex their muscles in the second quarter, as Pierce engineer another scoring drive. A 12-yard touchdown toss to fullback Lyle Green would complete the drive and put B.C. way ahead, 24-3
The Ticats would cut into their deficit in the half’s final minutes, thanks to a spectacular 55-yard kickoff return by Caulley, which led to Setta’s second field goal of the afternoon.
The Lions would add another field goal, this one from 43-yards out, to restore B.C.’s commanding 21 point lead. At the half, the Lions led 27-6.
B.C. added to their total 3:27 into the second half when their stingy defence forced the Ticats to concede a safety.
The Ticats defence made a big play of their own on the Lions next possession. Halfback Chris Thompson, who came into this game leading the Ticats with three interceptions, made his fourth by jumping in front of a Pierce pass at the Lions 48 yard line.
Richie Williams, who stepped in to take over the Black and Gold’s offensive reins for the second half, brought the home side a bit closer with a five minute drive that Caulley capped with a one-yard touchdown run. The Cats couldn’t complete the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, making the score 29-12 at the end of the third quarter.
The Lions added a pair of field goals in the final frame to finish the game’s scoring, resulting in a 35-12 Ticats defeat.
