Costly Win: Lulay leaves in Lions win in Ottawa

Posted: September 5,2014 10:40PM

Updated: September 6,2014 12:41AM

 

 

 

 

CFL.ca Staff
#FNF
OTTAWA -- The BC Lions escaped Ottawa with a 7-5 victory but couldn't escape injury to their starting quarterback as Travis Lulay left the game late favouring his right throwing shoulder. 

Lulay completed 18 of 27 passes for 167 yards in a game dominated by defences but left with just under a minute in extreme discomfort, 357 days since his last start.

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Despite easing his way back into the lineup over the last three weeks, Lulay was making his first start under centre for the Lions after healing from off-season shoulder surgery.  Filling in for Lulay was veteran Kevin Glenn who went 5-4 after being acquired from Ottawa in the off-season.

The man the REDBLACKS chose over Glenn, Henry Burris, was entering the contest looking for just his first 300-yard passing performance of the year.

Assisting Burris in trying to reach such a mark was the fact that a good return combined with a major foul on Lions LB Jamal Johnson set him up at his own 50 yard line to start the game.  The REDBLACKS pivot found receiver Marcus Henry on a curl for a 26-yard gain to set up a 35-yard Brett Maher field goal to give Ottawa an early 3-0 lead.

Showing little signs of rust 357 days after his last start, Lulay found  Shawn Gore and Stefan Logan for first downs but a blocking penalty followed by a breakdown in protection, forced Lulay to take a sack and the Lions to punt.
From that point on, the REDBLACKS defence forced the Lions to punt on every first quarter possession, holding Lulay to just 45 yards passing in the opening frame.

After getting a stop deep in BC territory, the REDBLACKS looked to put more points on the board, scrimmaging from mid-field.  Burris dropped back and looked deep on his first play from scrimmage in the second quarter but was well short on his throw and had his pass picked off by Dante Marsh.

Marsh’s 30th career interception and ensuing return put the Lions inside REDBLACKS territory but all Lulay and co. could muster was a 49-yard field goal off the foot of veteran K Paul McCallum to tie the contest up at three with 9:17 left in the second quarter.

The REDBLACKS elected to scrimmage from their own 35 yard line and Burris promptly put together two consecutive first downs.  After the drive stalled, the REDBLACKS lined up for what would be a long Maher field goal attempt.  Just prior to the snap of the ball, Ottawa re-aligned and caught the Lions return team off guard.  Holder and backup QB Alex Carder went under centre, Maher and the rest of the squad lined up in an offensive formation.  Carder took the snap and lobbed the ball into tight end Patrick Lavoie who got the first down and kept the offence on the field.

Burris drove the REDBLACKS inside the BC 10 yard line and looked poised to put a major on the board when RB Chevon Walker took a dump pass in the flat and headed for the goal line only to have the ball forced out of his hand by Solomon Elimimian, forcing a turnover at the Lions 2.

Walker went down on the play and didn’t return, leaving newcomer Michael Hayes to carry the rock for Ottawa.

Once again, the REDBLACKS defence would come up big however, getting after BC RB Andrew Harris in the backfield for a safety on the following play to not only get the ball back but put a deuce on the board and re-take a 5-3 lead.

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With time running down in the half, the Lions would put another field goal on the board with zeros on the clock after Lulay scrambled for a big 23-yard gain to set up a 34-yard McCallum kick.

The Leos held a slim 6-5 lead at halftime and beyond a punt single, the each team’s defence held their own in the third as Ottawa entered the fourth quarter a field goal away from being able to lead the affair.

With just over nine minutes remaining in the game and with a heavy rain now falling over TD Place, the REDBLACKS scrimmaged with their best field position of the second half, set up at the Lions 51 yard line.  A set of completions from Burris to John Delahunt (twice), and Wallace Miles put Maher in the position to give the REDBLACKS the lead but in the wake of a swirling downpour, the hold was fumbled by QB Danny O’Brien and a panicked pass fell incomplete.

Following the turnover on downs the game was suspended with 4:35 left as lightning hit the sky.  The delay lasted 20 minutes.

When the game resumed, the Leos took over at their own 25 yard line and Lulay got one of the game’s most important completions on the board when he hit Emmanuel Arceneaux for 28 yards to get into REDBLACKS territory.  The Leos pivot then stepped up in the pocket on second-and-fourteen and delivered a 16-yard strike to Courtney Taylor for a first down at the Ottawa 35 yard line with 1:42 remaining.

With 57 seconds left, the REDBLACKS forced a fumble that was ultimately recovered by BC but took the Lions out of field goal range.  More importantly, Lulay went down on the play and needed to be helped off the field as he favoured his right shoulder – the same one he experienced the injury on last season.

BC would close it out from there and leave with the win.  All eyes will be on Lulay however as his injury may lead to Glenn's return under centre for the Leos.