(Ottawa) A strong second-half performance helped the Ottawa Redblacks pick up a 34-27 victory over the BC Lions on Saturday night and extend their unbeaten home streak.
The Redblacks (7-2-1) are 5-0-1 at TD Place, while the Lions (5-6-0) suffered their fifth straight loss and second straight with Nathan Rourke at quarterback.
For the Red and Black, Dru Brown completed 28 of 37 passes for 390 yards. He threw three touchdown passes and was the victim of one interception.
Rourke, making his second start since returning from the National Football League, finished the night with 22 of 31 completions for 234 yards and one interception.
PHOTO CHRIS TANOUYE, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Nathan Rourke (12)
But this victory was marked by a worrying moment.
With just over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, players from both clubs were shaken when Redblack wide receiver Jaelon Acklin had to be taken off the field by ambulance.
Acklin, who had jumped to catch a pass, collided with defensive back TJ Lee and fell awkwardly to the ground in the end zone, where he lay unconscious after losing control of the ball.
Team officials later reported that Acklin was able to move his extremities and was undergoing tests at a hospital.
Four plays later, the Red and Blacks managed to extend their lead when backup quarterback Dustin Crum snuck into the end zone from the one-yard line, making the score 34-24 after the one-point conversion.
Down 17-12 after the first half, the Rouge et Noir got going quickly in the third quarter.
On the first series on offense, Brown found rookie Nick Mardner at the 51-yard line, and Mardner was able to get into the end zone. A two-point conversion gave the Redblacks a 20-17 lead.
The Red and Blacks increased their lead midway through the third quarter when Brown and Mardner combined again, this time on a play that covered 22 yards, making the score 27-17.
The Lions got back into the game with a David Mackie touchdown run from the one-yard line.
The Lions opened the game with Mackie’s first touchdown of the game, on a 69-yard offensive drive.
The two teams traded field goals and then, after a blocked field goal that led to a one-pointer for the Lions, the Redblacks cut the Lions’ lead to 11-9 on a 22-yard touchdown run by Acklin. The Redblacks, however, missed the two-point conversion.
The Lions added two field goals from Sean Whyte and the Redblacks got a 54-yarder from Lewis Ward with 17 seconds left in the half to make it 17-12 Lions.