By Canadian Press

Trevor Harris, Edmonton Eskimos hand B.C. Lions ugly 33-6 loss

Jul 11, 2019 | 11:10 PM

VANCOUVER — Trevor Harris and the Edmonton Eskimos systematically picked apart the B.C. Lions en route to a 33-6 win in Vancouver on Thursday.

The Eskimos (3-1) quarterback threw for 276 yards, completing 22-of-28 attempts, including two touchdown passes. Harris also darted across the goal line to score a TD himself.

Edmonton’s Sean Whyte made all four of his field-goal attempts, with the longest sailing 47-yards through the uprights.  

Sergio Castillo put up the Lions’ (1-4) only points of the night with a pair of successful field goals, including a 52-yard kick in the first quarter. 

A seemingly absent offensive line stymied B.C.’s scoring efforts, allowing quarterback Mike Reilly to be sacked five times in the first half alone.

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Reilly threw for 157 yards and one interception. He completed 17-of-26 attempts.

In addition to a weak offensive line, the Lions were plagued by untimely penalties.

Defensive back Anthony Thompson was called for defensive pass interference in the first quarter, leading to a 25-yard penalty that put the Eskimos in scoring position.

Edmonton capitalized on the advantage, advancing towards the goal line with a series of plays that gave Harris an opportunity to sneak into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown.

The quarterback briefly left the game with less than a minute to play in the first half after taking a low hit from B.C.’s Odell Willis.

The defensive lineman was called for roughing the passer on the play, but the Lions challenged the penalty and the call was overturned on review.

Harris returned to the field to start the third quarter and immediately made his presence known, throwing a quick pass to Natey Adjei.

The wide receiver caught the toss, weaved through a series of Lions defenders and streaked down the field for a 77-yard touchdown.

Minutes later, Harris lobbed a 28-yard pass to a diving DaVaris Daniels in the endzone for yet another TD strike.

Just five minutes into the second half, the Lions were stuck in a 27-point hole.

B.C. showed signs of life early in the fourth quarter when Reilly connected with wide receiver Bryan Burnham for a 39-yard throw.

The quarterback looked first to Burnham, then to Lemar Durant for endzone strikes on the drive, but both passes fell incomplete. Reilly eventually ran the ball across the line himself on the third down only to see the play called back on a holding penalty.

The Lions eventually settled for a successful 29-yard field goal by Castillo.

A 45-yard field goal from Whyte capped the game with less than two minutes to go in the final frame.

The Lions will visit Saskatchewan next Saturday for the first game in a home-and-home series with the Roughriders.

The Eskimos will battle the Alouettes in Montreal the same night.

NOTES: Edmonton’s Harris has not thrown a single interception so far this season. … Daniels’ touchdown was his first as an Eskimo. The former Calgary Stampeder signed with Edmonton as a free agent during the off-season, but missed the team’s first three games of the year with an injury. … Lions receiver Bryan Burnham has caught passes in each of his last 69 games. 

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press