Lions 33 Stampeders 31
VANCOUVER — Paul McCallum capped of a record-breaking night by kicking a 53-yard field goal on the last play of the game to give the B.C. Lions a 33-31 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in a thrilling CFL game Saturday night.
McCallum fell on the ground and was mobbed by his teammates on the winning kick, which improved the Lions’ record to 8-6 and moved them into first place in the CFL West. B.C. has now won seven games in a row and eight of their last nine.
The Lions were given a chance to win when quarterback Travis Lulay hit Arland Bruce with a 17-yard pass on a third-and-10 play with time running out on the clock. McCallum was also good on kicks of 47, 46 and 20 yards to give him 30 consecutive field goals.
That broke the record of 28 set by Dave Ridgway of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1993. The record-breaking kick of 46 yards earned a standing ovation from the crowd of 30,622 at B.C. Place Stadium
The Stampeders looked to have taken control of the game when Larry Taylor returned a missed field goal 122 yards for a touchdown at 10:33 of the fourth quarter.
McCallum was attempting his 31st field goal in a row when his kick sailed wide.
Taylor took the ball deep in the end zone, then sliced his way untouched through the Lions defence to give Calgary a one-point lead. The Stampeders failed on an attempt to score a two-point convert.
It was a wild game with both teams taking advantage of turnovers and big plays.
The Stampeders trailed 14-0 early in the first quarter but battled back. Their record fell to 8-6. The Lions and Stampeders both have 16 points but B.C. has won the season series between the teams.
Calgary quarterback Henry Burris threw an 81-yard touchdown to Landon Tally early in the third quarter to tie the score 24-24. Taylor also had some long kickoff returns to give Calgary good field position to start drives.
Calgary running back Jon Cornish scored on a five-yard run while backup quarterback Drew Tate scored on a one-yard plunge.
Rene Paredes kicked a 36-yard field goal for Calgary, while punter Burke Dales boomed a 67-yard single.
Lulay threw two touchdown passes for the Lions.
Bruce caught a 20-yard touchdown pass and Geroy Simon a 14-yard strike. Andrew Harris scored on a six-yard run.
B.C. linebacker Solomon Elimimian, the CFL’s leading tackler, left the game in the third quarter with an injury and did not return.
The Lions led 24-17 at half time.
Both teams scored touchdowns off turnovers in the opening 30 minutes.
On the first play from scrimmage Burris was sacked by B.C.’s Keron Williams, forcing a fumble. Khreem Smith recovered the ball on the Calgary 31.
That resulted in Lulay finding Bruce alone in the end zone.
The Stampeders repaid the favour in the second quarter.
Paredes missed on a 41-yard field-goal attempt. Instead of giving up the point, the Lions’ Tim Brown tried to run the ball out of the end zone.
Calgary’s Jon Gott hit Brown, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Devone Claybrooks on the B.C. nine. The Lions sacked Burris on the next play, but B.C. was called for illegal contact, giving the Stampeders first down on the five-yard line.
When Cornish scored, it was the first points the Lions had allowed on a turnover in six games.