Montreal Alouettes 14 British Columbia Lions 46 (August 31, 2007)
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Joe Smith's power and Ian Smart's speed delivered a knockout blow for the British Columbia Lions in their 46-14 CFL romp over the Montreal Alouettes Friday night.
Smith, the bruising running back, smashed and crashed for 161 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns as the Lions halted a three-game winless skid in convincing style. Smith, his speedy backfield partner, sliced and slashed for a pair touchdowns and had 63 yards on 10 carries as the Lions climbed back into first place in the CFL West.
"It's a great one-two punch," shouted offensive lineman Rob Murphy in a jubilant B.C. dressing room. "Joe will run over you. Defenses get used to that pounding, then you throw Ian in there and he's just going to run right by you.
"They feed off one another. We have a lethal combination."
The pair's effectiveness showed on Smart's first touchdown in the fourth quarter.
With the Lions knocking on Montreal's door, everyone in the roaring crowd of 32,115 expected Smith to get the ball. Instead, quarterback Jarious Jackson faked the ball to Smith, then tossed it to Smart who blazed nine yards for the touchdown.
"We compliment each other," said Smart, who also had 69 yards on eight punt returns. "He's more the power back and I'm more the speed back, the slashing guy."
Smith wasn't around to talk about his night. He left the game with about seven minutes left, with the team's permission, to catch a flight home to Houston.
The Lions shredded the Montreal defense - ranked second in the league against both the pass and run - for 420 yards. B.C. rushed for a combined 275 yards, with Jackson, making just his second CFL start, adding 46 yards on three carries.
"When you can establish the run like that it definitely helps," said Jackson, who overcame a shaky start to complete eight of 18 passes for 145 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. "It opens up other things.
"They were putting seven DBs out there at a time. Whenever we can line up like that we have an advantage in the running game."
Montreal head coach Jim Popp said the Lions won the battle up front.
"They chop-blocked the crap out of us," said Popp. "We warned the officials about it before we started the game but we didn't stop them and that's all that matters.
"They beat us up front. Their offensive line got the best of us."
While the running backs rumbled the Lions defense roared as defensive back Ryan Phillips stepped in front of an Anthony Calvillo pass in the third quarter and returned his CFL-leading seventh interception 92 yards for a touchdown.
Besides throwing the interception, Calvillo was sacked five times, forced to hurry several throws and at times was left looking dazed and confused. He was shaken up but left the field on his on steam after a sack by Jamall Johnson in the fourth quarter.
"Their front four caused some problems for us," said Calvillo in a silent dressing room. "They are a good defence. They came out and played and we didn't go out there and do the things that we needed to do."
Calvillo competed 15 of 25 passes for 151 yards and threw touchdown passes to Ben Cahoon and Ashlan Davis.
The win improved the Lions record to 6-2-1 and moves them one point ahead of Saskatchewan in the CFL West.
Montreal drops to 5-4-0 and remains second place in the East behind Winnipeg.
Paul McCallum added field goals of 30, 25 and 20 yards for the Lions. B.C. also scored a safety.
The game was a rematch of last year's Grey Cup which Vancouver won 25-14.
It also continued the Alouettes frustration at B.C. Place Stadium where they haven't won since 2000.
Smith scored a pair of touchdowns in just under two minutes in the second quarter to stake the Lions to a 17-7 half-time lead. The bruising back from Louisiana Tech rambled for 126 yards in the second quarter alone.
The Lions were forced to start Jackson because Dave Dickenson is still recovering from the concussion he suffered July 13 while Buck Pierce is out with a separated shoulder on his throwing arm.
LIONS PAWS - Casey Printers, the former Lions quarterback and CFL most valuable player, was reportedly released by the NFL Kansas City Chiefs Friday. ...The last time Montreal played in Vancouver Calvillo was sacked 12 times. ...Safety Tad Crawford's sack of Calvillo in the first quarter was the first of his CFL career.
courtesy cfl.ca
Date
August 31, 2007
