'We've got to get healthy': Riders fall to Lions in defensive battle

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Jamal Morrow, left, is upended by B.C. Lions' Jalon Edwards-Cooper during the first half of a CFL football game, in Vancouver, on Saturday, July 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck.

The B.C. Lions beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-9 in a defensive battle on Saturday night in Vancouver.

Mason Fine completed 32 of 41 passes for 284 yards and threw a pair of interceptions in his first start of the season for Saskatchewan. Fine, 26, takes over the starting role from Trevor Harris who was injured in last week’s game against Calgary.

Head coach Craig Dickenson said Fine has shown enough to remain the starter.

“We have to give him opportunities to learn and grow,” said Dickenson noting some decisions made by Fine were as a result of what the defensive front was showing him. “I think they just took [the deep shots] away. I’ll have to see the film. We thought we had some windows down field and either he didn’t see them or saw them too late. I thought overall he did a good job.”’

B.C. kept the Riders out of the end-zone and rendered their run game basically non-existent. The team generated just 16 yards on 14 attempts which forced Fine to look to throw more often.

“We want to do better on first down efficiency so we have a lot more of the playbook open. We’ll go back to the drawing board and find a way to get better,” said Fine.

The Lions held the Riders to just 13 first downs and kept the team out of the end zone. Riders kicker Brett Lauther connected on all of his field goal attempts (25, 44, and 14 yards) in each of the final three quarters.

B.C. Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Junior left the contest after suffering a lower body injury on hit early in the first quarter. There is no update on his condition as of this writing. Lions back-up Dane Evans connected with Alexander Hollins to score the game’s first major on a 7-play 84-yard Lions touchdown drive in the first quarter. Sean Whyte for the Lions did the rest of the scoring with his foot connecting on four field goals (31, 42, 33, and 41 yards)

The Riders lost Brian Cox Jr. (lower body), Mitchell Picton (concussion) and Jayden Dalke (shoulder) to injury in the contest.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders visit the Toronto Argonauts in Halifax for Touchdown Atlantic on Saturday, July 29 at 2 p.m.