Lions mount remarkable comeback thanks to Harris, Eskimos' late decisions

The B.C. Lions pulled off a 26-23 home win over the Edmonton Eskimos Thursday and outscored them 16-0 in the second half, and a lot of that was thanks to the play of running back Andrew Harris. Harris was the Lions' top player on the night, and helped them pick up a much-needed win over the previously-dominant Eskimos, improving their record to 3-3 and dropping Edmonton's to 4-2. However, that win also came with some help from the Eskimos, who were ineffective offensively in the second half and made a number of curious decisions down the stretch, helping B.C. come out with the victory.

A lot should be said about Harris, who has been one of the Lions' best players this season and was definitely their best player Thursday. The Canadian running back picked up 118 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries (5.9 yards per carry), and also added 57 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches (14.3 yards per reception). He was B.C.'s second-leading receiver on the night (behind Emmanuel Arceneaux, who had 75 yards and a touchdown on two catches), and contributed over a quarter of their receiving yards. Quarterback Travis Lulay didn't have an impressive game overall, throwing for 195 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and a 51.6 per cent completion rate, and he almost cost B.C. the game with a pick inside the final three minutes, but the defence forced a two-and-out, and Lulay then hooked up with Harris for the winning touchdown.

It was up to that defence to seal the deal though, and they did in fine fashion, albeit with some help from the Eskimos. After some first-half struggles, particularly in a second quarter where Edmonton scored 17 points, the Lions' defence came up big down the stretch, pitching a second-half shutout and making big stands when they needed to. The way they forced a quick turnover after Lulay's pick was vital, and they also stood up strong on the Eskimos' final drive; an early face-mask penalty to linebacker Adam Bighill hurt, but B.C. then forced a third-and-four a long ways from the end zone, and when Edmonton went for it instead of kicking a field goal, Ronnie Yell came up big with a crucial interception. That allowed the Lions to kill the clock, especially after Harris picked up a first down on a solid run. The B.C. defence was pretty strong all night, picking off Matt Nichols twice and holding him to 262 passing yards, but they were especially effective in the second half and helped the Lions to a critical win here.

The Eskimos' own mistakes played a significant role in letting this one get away, though. First, there was the decision to go for it  on third and four instead of kicking a field goal on that final drive. That might have been okay, as a 48-yard field goal is no sure thing, but third and four's a long ways to convert, and Edmonton kicker Grant Shaw has a great leg and has been perfect on field goals on the season so far. Even more questionable was the way they got there, though, failing to take advantage of that face-mask penalty and getting themselves into a third-and-long situation. The way they weren't able to generate a single first down after that late Lulay interception was also problematic, to say nothing of their inability to score a single point in the second half. The Lions deserve a substantial amount of credit for the win, but the Eskimos' mistakes played a big part in it too. They've been one of the best teams in the league this season, but they'll have to be more effective down the stretch if they want to keep up.