Taquan Mizzell ran in a pair of touchdowns as the B.C. Lions clinched a playoff spot with a 37-29 victory over the host Edmonton Elks on Friday.
Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns to help B.C. (10-4) win three games in a row.
Canadian QB Tre Ford had two TD passes on 182 yards as Edmonton (4-11) saw its faint playoff hopes almost disappear.
The Elks at least managed to score a point against the Lions after stunningly being shutout out in both of their previous meetings against B.C. this season.
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The Lions came roaring out of the gate with a surgical opening drive, needing just seven consecutive successful plays to set up a five-yard touchdown pass from Adams to Justin McInnis.
Things didn鈥檛 go nearly as well on their next possession, however, as Adams floated a ball too high and it was picked off and returned 56 yards by Kai Gray for the pick six TD, ending Edmonton鈥檚 season-long scoring drought against the Lions.
B.C. made up for it immediately, though, as Adams found Jevon Cottoy, who shrugged off a badly-missed tackle attempt by Mark McLaurin and scampered 57 yards into the end zone.
The big plays kept coming on B.C.鈥檚 next possession as well, as a 68-yard punt return by Terry Williams set up a 13-yard TD run by Mizzell to give the Lions a 21-7 lead after the first quarter.
The Elks finally got their listless offence going late in the second quarter when Ford hit Dillon Mitchell in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown, the first offensive points recorded by Edmonton in 148:34 of game play against B.C. this season.
The Lions came flying right back as a 57-yard passing play to Keon Hatcher set up a 12-yard field goal by Sean Whyte.
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Dean Faithfull kicked a 41-yard field goal for the Elks with no time left on the clock to make it 24-17 at the mid-mark.
Faithfull started off the third quarter with a missed 41-yard attempt that resulted in a single, but then nailed a 42-yarder with five minutes to play in the frame.
The Lions regained a bit of their cushion when Mizzell found a seam and turned on the jets for a 48-yard touchdown run.
Whyte kicked a 17-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
Edmonton kept it interesting as Ford found Mitchell for a four-yard touchdown pass with just under three minutes left in the game to pull within six points.
Whyte booted a 40-yard field goal with 36 seconds left to put the game away for the Lions.
NOTES
Edmonton lost both previous meetings to the Lions this season, 22-0 in Vancouver on June 17 and 29-0 at home on July 29鈥� Of the nine CFL teams who have started seasons at 0-9 since 1958, only Edmonton this season and Ottawa in 1989 have managed to come back and record four wins鈥� The game featured the two teams with the worst turnover deficits, with the Lions coming into the game at minus-eight and the Elks sitting at minus-12.
UP NEXT
The Lions play host to the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Friday. The Elks are on a bye week.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
