Jul 20, 2007, 6:30 GMT
Vancouver, BC - Third-string quarterback Jarious Jackson's short touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave British Columbia the lead, as the Lions held off Hamilton, 22-18, to remain unbeaten.
Ryan Phillips picked off Hamilton quarterback Jason Maas with just under two minutes left in the game and B.C. leading by 10.
However, Lions running back Joe Smith coughed up the ball on the very next play, keeping the game alive for the Tiger-Cats.
Smith suffered a back injury on the play and was carted off the field in a precautionary measure. Smith felt numbness in his left leg.
When play resumed, Maas hooked up with JoJo Walker for a nine-yard touchdown with just 21 seconds remaining. Then, for some reason, Hamilton went for the two-point conversion as Maas' pass attempt to the end zone fell to the tuft.
B.C. (4-0) recovered the ensuing possession onsides kick to stay unbeaten.
Buck Pierce started for B.C. and completed 17-of-26 for 187 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Pierce eventually left the game with a back injury and Jackson threw for 80 yards in relief.
Lions starting quarterback Dave Dickenson suffered a concussion last week against Saskatchewan and did not play. Smith finished with 106 yards on 16 carries.
Jason Clermont caught 10 passes for 115 yards while Tony Simmons hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter for B.C.
Maas completed 16-of-30 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown and an interception for the Ticats (0-4).
Jesse Lumsden rushed for 158 yards on 11 carries and caught five passes for 68 yards for Hamilton.
With the Lions trailing by a point midway through the fourth quarter, Jackson threw a long pass deep into the end zone and a pass interference call gave B.C. the ball on the one yard line. One play later, Jackson pushed his way across the goal line with just under seven minutes left in the game. as the Lions regained the lead.
Jackson then hit Cory Rodgers in the zone for the two point conversion that pushed B.C.'s lead to 19-12.
Hamilton couldn't get anything going on its next possession and Paul McCallum's short field goal with just under two minutes remaining made it 22-12.
B.C. seemed poised for a big night offensively after Pierce hooked up with Simmons for a 21-yard touchdown on the Lions' opening possession.
The defenses, however, took over from there. Zeke Moreno picked up off a Pierce pass attempt later in the first and Lumsden's 44-yard reception that set up Nick Setta's 22-yard field goal for the Ticats.
Hamilton conceded a safety early in the second quarter that made it 9-3 and Setta booted a 36-yarder with just over two minutes left in the first half that brought the Ticats within three.
Two more Setta field goals in the third quarter -- a 42-yarder and a 32-yarder -- gave Hamilton the lead, but the Ticats conceded another safety early in the fourth quarter that brought B.C. back within 12-11.
Game Notes
Setta hit on all four of his field goal attempts...Brock Ralph caught six passes for 66 yards for Hamilton...Attendance was 29,045.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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