VANCOUVER – The BC Lions opened their season dramatically in the Canadian Football League on Saturday, defeating the reckless Edmonton Elks 59-15.
Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke has proved he is ready for the starting lineup, connecting with 26 of 29 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. The Victoria, a native of British Columbia, added two more fast TDs. Reserve Michael O’Connor was late for the Lions and added his own quick touchdown.
James Butler was a lion’s power (1-0) with four TDs, including one in 21 yards. Keon Hatcher also scored a big goal for the hosts, and Sean White added a late 13-yard goal from the field.
Edmonton QB Nick Arbuckle struggled, connecting in 20 of 29 attempts for 254 yards and three interceptions. The former Toronto Argonaut has been sacked three times, all by new Lions defender Zione Teuhema.
Tre Ford appeared below the center for Elks (0-1) at the end of the second quarter and recorded eight passes and interceptions.
Kai Locksley scored Edmonton’s only touchdown of the night, and kicker Sergio Castillo scored three goals from the field, including a 37-yard shot.
The Lions dominated from the start, opening the match with an almost perfect shot of nine and 68 yards.
Rourke – who ranks No. 1 with retired QB Michael Riley – had plenty of time to find his targets and ended the series with a short throw to Butler, who shot 10 yards in the final zone for his first big fight. game. White added an extra point and the Lions took a 7-0 lead in less than five minutes.
Elks responded with a goal from 35 yards from Castillo.
Lee set up the next drive of the evening, taking a pass from Arbuckle designed for Elks Jalin Marshall’s receiver on BC’s 50-yard line.
Rourke and the Lions earned the ball on the field and Butler got out of traffic to score 36 yards in the final zone for another TD. The extra point from White gave BC 14-3 a cushion in the second quarter.
Castillo reduced the lead to 14-6 with a goal of 37 yards to open the second frame, but the Lions kept suffocating in the game.
Rourke made a massive throw at the start of the quarter, sending a 31-yard bomb at Hatcher near the far sideline. The young QB followed the play-off, slipping out of his pocket for an 11-yard run, then throwing the ball to Butler in the next play-off. The Iowa product escaped Elks’ defense and sprinted 21 yards in the final zone for his third TD of the evening.
Butler recorded his fourth major before halftime, rushing six yards to bring BC 28-6.
Rourke seemed to score a massive quick touchdown for a short time, but the game was canceled out of bounds. Instead, he contented himself with two yards in the third down, which increased the Lions’ lead to 35-6.
After seeing Arbuckel fired from Teuhem and without a touchdown on the scoreboard, the Elks chose to play Canadian Tre Ford as a quarterback to close the second quarter.
Less than a minute before the end of the half, Lee dived to take a pass from Ford to receiver Mike Jones. The Lions defense veteran turned back, then sprinted 48 yards down the field and jumped into the end zone with a forward throw. His touchdown was quickly lifted, with officials deciding the ball was dead on Edmonton’s 42-yard line.
But the game created another goal for BC, as Rourke found Hatcher on the goal line with a six-yard pass. As he was pulled to the ground, Hatcher reached out and touched the ball in the end zone, marking the fourth consecutive TD drive for the hosts.
The Lions led 42-6 in the locker room, equaling the franchise record set in 1981 for the most points scored at halftime.
Arbuckel returned as a quarterback to the Elks to begin the third move, which gave Edmonton some momentum.
Just over four minutes into the quarter, Locksley completed a quarterback quarterback to give the Elks their only touchdown in the game. Edmonton tried to convert two points, but Arbuckle’s pass to Jones was incomplete.
The Elks tried to build on the score by pushing steadily down the field for their next reign before Teuhem fired Arbuckle again, this time for a nine-yard loss. Edmonton settled for a 30-yard goal and reduced their deficit to 42-15.
Rourke increased the hosts’ lead by a 17-yard TD, and Teuhema finished the quarter with his third dismissal.
White gave the Lions a 52-15 lead with a 13-yard goal at the end of the fourth quarter before the Lions took another bite of Elks’ foul.
With just over three minutes to go, BC’s Loucheiz Purifoy jumped and deflected Arbuckle’s pass, then ran 40 yards deep into Edmonton’s territory to create another Lions strike.
O’Connor pressed the ball for TD, confirming the score at 59-15.
Edmonton will host the Saskatchewan Roaders next Saturday. The Lions have a goodbye week and will return on June 25 to entertain the Toronto Argonauts.
NOTES: Elks midfielder Wesley Apollo fell with an obvious leg injury after the first game of the fight and was taken off the field in a wheelchair. ? O’Connor acted as Rourke’s backup, marking the first time in the modern CFL era in which a team performed a Canadian quarterback duet. … Enthusiastic crowd of 34,082 participated in the game and concert before the game of rockers One Republic.
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