CFL: Jennings leads Lions in rout of Roughies with four touchdown passes

VANCOUVER— Jonathon Jennings threw four touchdowns and caught another on a trick play as the B.C. Lions hammered the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders 46-20 on Saturday.

Making his second professional start and first at home, the 23-yearold quarterback showed the poise of a veteran in leading his team to a critical victory in the CFL’s West Division standings.

After an interception by defensive lineman Michael Brooks in the third quarter set B.C. up at Saskatchewan’s 21-yard line, the Lions dug into their bag of tricks with the score already 33-5 to cap the club’s most complete performance of the season.

Running back Andrew Harris took a direct snap before moving left and pitching the ball to receiver Austin Collie, who found a streaking Jennings in the end zone between two defenders to make it 40-5 after the extra point.

The Lions (5-8) are now two points up on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-10) for third in the division with game in hand ahead of next weekend’s meeting between the clubs at B.C. Place Stadium. The Edmonton Eskimos did the Lions a huge favour earlier Saturday when they downed Winnipeg 24-23.

The Lions came in having lost three straight and five of six, but picked up their third win over the Roughriders in 2015 to complete the season sweep.

B.C. is not only battling Winnipeg for the final playoff spot in West, but also the Montreal Alouettes (5-8), who are a threat to crossover from the East.

Saskatchewan (2-12) was trying to keep its faint post-season hopes alive, but instead fell to 2-3 under interim head coach Bob Dyce. Roughriders quarterback Kevin Glenn, who started all but one game for the Lions last season, looked out of sorts all game, fumbling and throwing an interception on his team’s first two possessions.