Montreal Alouettes hang on to beat B.C. Lions 23-13

VANCOUVER – Backup quarterback Tanner Marsh’s one-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion pass to Tyrell Sutton in the fourth quarter helped the Montreal Alouettes to a 23-13 victory over the B.C. Lions Thursday night.

The Alouettes (3-5) ended a three-game losing streak as they posted only their second win in Vancouver since 2000 – a span of 15 games.

Nik Lewis also scored a touchdown for Montreal, while Boris Bede produced its other points on field goals from 25, 32 and 50 yards.

Ryan Phillips, on a 49-yard interception return, and Manny Arceneaux, on a 12-yard reception, scored touchdowns for the Lions (3-5), who dropped their second-straight game. B.C.’s other point came on a Richie Leone convert of the Phillips TD.

The Alouettes led 9-7 at halftime after failing to capitalize on 111 combined yards, including 88 on punt and kick-off returns from former Lion Stefan Logan.

Phillips intercepted a sideline pass intended for Alex Charette on Montreal’s third play from scrimmage, and ran uncontested into the end zone. It was Phillips’ fifth career touchdown and first since 2011.

Lewis caught a 16-yard pass from Als starting quarterback Rakeem Cato with about three and a half minutes left in the first quarter, after Montreal was good on a third-and-one gamble from the B.C. 17. It was the first touchdown in a Montreal uniform for Lewis, who signed as a free agent in the off-season after 11 seasons with the Calgary Stampeders. Bede’s convert attempt went wide left, so the Lions stayed in front, 7-6.

The Als gained 70 yards on only two plays late in the first quarter and early in the second as Sutton and Logan ran for 54 and 16 yards, respectively. Montreal had to settle for a Bede 25-yard field goal, going ahead 9-7, after Cato was sacked by Craig Roh for a 14-yard loss.

Bede’s 50-yard field goal put Montreal ahead 12-7 late in the third quarter, but the Lions capitalized on a series of Montreal penalties. A pass-interference call off the appeal of an incomplete 31-yard pass made good against the Alouettes helped B.C. retake the lead at the end of the third. Arceneaux’s touchdown catch gave B.C. a 13-12 advantage. The Lions attempted a two-point convert, but Lulay was sacked by Gabriel Knapton.

A Travis Lulay interception enabled the Als to take the lead for good on Marsh’s touchdown run. Sutton’s catch for the two-point convert, which put the Als ahead 20-13, came after Montreal’s successful appeal of an incomplete pass led to a B.C. pass-interference penalty and a second chance for two.

Bede’s 32-yard third field goal rounded out the scoring.

NOTES – Alex Hoffman-Ellis made his first CFL start for the Lions in place of injured linebacker Solomon Elimimian, the 2014 most outstanding player and defensive player of the year.