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OTTAWA — The BC Lions wrapped up Week 13 in the CFL with a 45-24 win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Sunday night at TD Place Stadium, earning their fifth straight victory.
A monster performance from Zander Horvath and a bounce-back second half from Nathan Rourke helped the Lions turn a halftime tie into a 21-point victory, improving their record to 6-5 on the season.
The REDBLACKS showed flashes early but couldn’t sustain their momentum after halftime, and fall to 0-11 heading into their Week 14 bye.
CFL.ca brings you three key stats from the BC Lions’ win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS in the Week 13.
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4 – ZANDER HORVATH TOUCHDOWNS
Zander Horvath cannot be stopped.
The power back continued his torrid touchdown pace on Sunday, scoring four rushing majors, including two in the third quarter that helped the Lions pull away from a 17-17 halftime tie. He finished with a career-high 164 rushing yards on a career-high 24 carries, adding 30 receiving yards on four catches. His fourth touchdown came late in the fourth quarter to put the game away and pushed his league-leading total to 16 this season.
BC finished with 231 rushing yards to Ottawa’s three, with Horvath leading the way. His down-to-down efficiency and ability to finish drives allowed the Lions to dictate the pace of play and string together long possessions.
17 – CONSECUTIVE NATHAN ROURKE COMPLETIONS
It wasn’t the way Nathan Rourke wanted to start the game, but he finished strong after a pair of first-half interceptions, completing his final 17 passes of the night. The streak helped him finish 22-for-25 for 355 yards and two touchdowns, his fourth straight game over the 300-yard benchmark since returning from injury.
Even after getting banged up at the end of the second quarter, Rourke returned on a roll, moving the ball consistently and helping the Lions drain the clock while keeping any potential Ottawa comeback out of reach.
4 – REDBLACKS TURNOVERS
The REDBLACKS continue to prove the importance of the turnover battle in the CFL. Entering Week 13 with the fewest turnovers forced and the most given away, Ottawa got one half of the equation right on Sunday, nabbing two interceptions and ending a Lions red-zone drive with a forced fumble. However, things weren’t as clean on offence, as Ottawa racked up four giveaways, including a turnover on downs on the goal line with a chance to extend an early lead.
The miscues gave BC too many extra opportunities, and the Lions made them count as they pulled away in the second half.