Zander Horvath ran for a trio of touchdowns to help rookie B.C. Lions quarterback Kaidon Salter record a 35-19 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in his first CFL start on Thursday.
Horvath scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter, but then burst through for 58- and 35-yard scores in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. The Indiana product out of Purdue finished with 17 carries for 191 yards.
Salter showed his mobility more than his arm as the Lions (2-5) picked up their second win of the season in front of a crowd of 31,509 fans at Princess Auto Stadium.
Salter was 7-of-15 passing for 96 yards and one TD, but the Texas native ran 10 times for 160 yards.
Receiver Jermaine Jackson caught a 24-yard pass from Salter and Keon Hatcher hung on to the ball for a two-point convert. Sean Whyte made field goals from 43 and 42 yards, but missed a 52-yard attempt. He connected on three converts.
Quarterback Dru Brown was 18-of-21 passing for 180 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions as the Blue Bombers (4-4) fell to 1-4 at home. Brown left the game with 9:22 remaining in the fourth quarter after he ran with the ball but didn’t slide and was hit. He was replaced by Taylor Elgersma.
Tim White caught a two-yard TD pass from Brown. Kicker Sergio Castillo was good on four field goals from 16, 12, 33, 49 yards and one convert.
Running back Brady Oliveira rushed 19 times for 107 yards.
Winnipeg led 6-0 after the first quarter, B.C. went ahead 7-6 at halftime and the Bombers were in front 16-10 heading into the fourth quarter.
B.C.’s opening possession ended with the ball hitting the crossbar on Whyte’s 52-yard field-goal attempt.
Winnipeg had a touchdown catch by White wiped out by a holding call and settled for Castillo’s 16-yard field goal.
The Lions then turned the ball over in an odd way.
As the ball was snapped, it hit receiver Nick Cenacle as he was running across in front of Salter. Bombers linebacker Jaylen Smith recovered it at B.C.’s 34-yard line, but the gift only resulted in a Castillo 12-yard field goal for the 6-0 lead with 1:24 left in the first quarter.
Salter was the key to the Lions’ eight-play, 64-yard touchdown drive that ended with Horvath going over the goal line for a one-yard score as time expired.
The quarterback ran three times for 40 yards during the series, including what looked like a designed play that gained 17 yards.
Castillo regained Winnipeg’s lead with a 33-yard field goal at 6:09 of the third quarter.
Salter replied by dashing for 40 yards to get to Winnipeg’s 30-yard line, but Willie Jefferson pulled him down on his next pass attempt. Whyte ended up booting a 43-yard field goal to go ahead 10-9. Jefferson is on a four-game sack streak.
Ontaria Wilson’s 37-yard reception helped set up Winnipeg’s first TD of the game, a Brown toss to White in the corner of the end zone for a two-yard score as time expired on the quarter.
After Whyte’s 42-yarder made it 16-13, Brown was injured and replaced by Elgersma. He guided the Bombers to a 49-yard Castillo field goal at 8:42.
An 11-yard run by Salter and 35-yard burst from Horvath led to Salter’s 25-yard TD toss to Jackson at 10:09 and 20-19 lead.
That was followed up by Horvath’s 58-yard TD run and Hatcher’s two-point convert catch with 2:46 remaining. Hatcher recorded his 35-yard TD after an Elgersma fumble at 12:51.
Bombers: Go on a bye week.
Lions: Host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 8.