By Canadian Press

B.C. Lions down Calgary Stampeders 25-15 to open 2023 CFL season

Jun 8, 2023 | 10:28 PM

CALGARY — Dominique Rhymes caught two touchdown passes and totalled 100 receiving yards for the B.C. Lions in a 25-15 win over the host Calgary Stampeders in Thursday’s CFL season-opener.

Rhymes picked up where he left off in 2022 when his 1,401 yards ranked second among CFL receivers behind Winnipeg’s Dalton Schoen and earned Rhymes a league all-star designation.

Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was efficient early throwing for 176 yards in a pair of first-half touchdown drives. 

The quarterback capped them with throws to Rhymes and also scored a rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Lions kicker Sean Whyte’s 44-yard field goal with 25 seconds remaining put the game out of reach for the Stampeders. 

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Tre Odoms-Dukes caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Jake Maier for Calgary’s lone touchdown in front of an announced crowd of 17,942 at McMahon Stadium.

Calgary’s Rene Paredes kicked three field goals on five attempts.

Adams completed 27 of 35 passes for 270 yards and two touchdown throws in the game. He was intercepted by Mike Rose.

The Lions acquired Adams, a 2019 CFL all-star, from the Montreal Alouettes midway through last season when Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke was injured.

With Rourke now property of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, the Lions looked to the 30-year-old Adams to lead their offence.

Maier struggled in Thursday’s first half in completing just seven of 15 passes for 56 yards. 

The 26-year-old was under pressure several times and sacked late in the second quarter by Mathieu Betts.

Maier finished 18-for-34 in pass attempts for 149 yards and a touchdown pass. He was intercepted once.

Ka’Deem Carey, the CFL’s leading rusher last season, ran for 42 yards on seven carries.

Trailing 13-3 at halftime, Calgary’s defence made adjustments to limit the Lions.

The Stampeder offence remained sluggish, however, until Odom-Dukes caught a five-yard pass from Maier in the fourth quarter.

Paredes’ field goal from 52 yards late in the quarter pulled the hosts within four points of B.C., but Whyte’s 44-yarder sealed B.C.’s win.

A Tre Roberson roughing-the-passer penalty gave the Lions the ball on Calgary’s 37-yard line to start the fourth quarter.

B.C. made the most of it with Adams scoring his team’s third touchdown of the game on a five-yard carry. 

The Lions then scored a point off Stefan Flintoft’s 69-yard kickoff.

B.C. led 14-3 on Flintoft’s 63-yard punt single midway through the third quarter, followed by Paredes’ 39-yard field goal.

Rhymes’ 30-yard catch in the end zone in the first minute of the second quarter made it 13-0 for the visitors. Lions kicker Sean Whyte was wide on his convert attempt.

After missing from 39 and 45 yards, Paredes was good from 22 yards out midway through the quarter for Calgary’s first points of the game.

The Lions scored on their first possession when Adams compiled 77 passing yards, and finished the drive with a nine-yard throw to Rhymes in the end zone.

B.C. took the first of three meetings this season against the Stampeders.

Calgary’s 2022 season ended with a 30-16 loss to the Lions in the West Division semifinal. Both clubs posted 12-6 records last season.

Notes: The Stampeders had nine rookies in their game-day lineup, including three receivers, compared to seven for the Lions . . . Since the CFL returned to a nine-team league in 2014, Calgary is 4-4-1 and the Lions are 4-5 in season openers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2023.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press