Als win streak comes to crashing halt in BC 43-10
It didn't take for Jamel Richardson to make an impact in his return from a hamstring injury. Anthony Calvillo capped a perfect passing drive with a TD strike covering 19-yards to J-Rich on Montreal's first offensive series.
But the perfect start failed to change the momentum as the Als lapsed into their usual House of Horrors of BC Place. Ten penalties in the 1st half, precious few 1st downs. The Als' flag festival continued in the 2nd half, wracking up 10 more infractions to just 5 in the entire game for the Lions.
"We killed ourselves," Brandon Whitaker put it bluntly on the CJAD 800 postgame show about the flag festival the Als lost 20-5. Penalty yards were 151-30 for the Als, wiping out their gains offensively.
BC won the time of posession battle as well 35-1/2-24-1/2.
SJ Green made a beautiful grab to set J-Rich up and FB Patrick Lavoie swung out as a wideout to help Calvillo read the Lions' defense. But Green would have only 1 other reception all game.
Brandon Whitaker was under-worked, with only 10 carries for 70 yards on the ground, only 2 receptions for just 7 yards.
The BC Lions were without their standout veteran receiver Geroy Simon, while the Als' Jamel Richardson was a vocal presence from the moment he took the field at BC Place Stadium (live now on www.cjad.com).
Marc Trestman named Eric Deslauriers, Brian Bratton and Alan-Michael Cash his game captains.
The Als gave up a 43-yard FG by Paul McCallum on the Lions' first series to fall behind 3-0.
The Alouettes' special teams gave up a long kickoff return to set up Travis Lulay for a TD to Shawn Gore. Als special teams coverage units have been atrocious all season.
Bischoff proved he's been studying the fine print of the CFL rule book keeping Kyries Hebert onside for a punt return that set up Whyte's gametying FG.
Credit Bischoff for drawing some other tricks on special teams like a kickoff reverse, but the chores still aren't getting done: long BC returns set up repeated scoring drives in the 2nd and got the Lions out of a hole to start the 3rd.