Lions Set Franchise Rushing Record in 35-19 Win Over Winnipeg
Updated: Oct 31
The B.C. Lions leaned on their legs and left with a piece of team history. Behind a punishing ground game headlined by Zander Horvath and quarterback Kaidon Salter, the Lions rushed for a franchise-record 377 yards and rallied past the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 35-19 on Thursday night at Princess Auto Stadium.
It was the kind of old-fashioned, ground-and-pound performance that flips a game in the second half — and it lifted a Lions squad that had been searching for answers to 2-5.
The Horvath–Salter show
Horvath was the story. The running back churned out 191 yards and scored three touchdowns, saving his biggest blows for the fourth quarter. His 58-yard sprint to the end zone with 2:46 left gave B.C. breathing room, and moments later he capped his afternoon with a 35-yard scoring run after a Winnipeg fumble.
He wasn't alone. Salter, making his first CFL start in place of the ineffective Chase Brice — himself filling in for injured starter Nathan Rourke — was a nightmare to contain once he started trusting his legs. The quarterback piled up 160 yards on just 10 carries, ripping off runs of 40 yards and beyond, and added 96 yards through the air.
Late in the fourth, he delivered his first CFL touchdown pass, a 24-yard strike to Jermaine Jackson that put the Lions ahead for good at 20-19.
Between them, Horvath and Salter accounted for 351 of the team's 377 rushing yards — the number that rewrote the franchise record book.
Bent, but never broken
For most of the night, this was a defensive grind. The Lions trailed 6-0 after a sloppy opening quarter and didn't lead until Horvath bulled in from the one-yard line as the first half expired, making it 7-6 at the break.
Winnipeg kept nudging in front — Sergio Castillo booted four field goals and the Bombers led 16-10 after three, then 19-13 midway through the fourth.
But the Lions defence kept the door from swinging open. It stiffened when it had to, held Winnipeg to field goals on drives that threatened to become touchdowns, and turned the game late. Woodly Appolon recovered a fumble at the Winnipeg 35 with 2:18 to play, setting up Horvath's dagger.
The unit finished with three sacks — including the 50th of Mathieu Betts' career — while Deontai Williams and Darnell Sankey each racked up eight tackles.
Winnipeg's rough night
The Bombers (4-4) got a sharp outing from Dru Brown, in himself for injured starter Zach Collaros. Brown went 18-for-21 for 180 yards and a touchdown to Tim White before leaving in the fourth quarter with an apparent back injury. Taylor Elgersma came on and coughed up the costly late fumble that sealed the result.
Up next
The Lions now turn their attention home, hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, Aug. 8 at BC Place. For one night in Winnipeg, though, the formula was simple: hand it off, wear them down, and let the record fall.
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