Travis Lulay, Lions down Alouettes with late surge

A two-game eastern road trip turned out to be a success for the B.C. Lions.

For a second week in a row, a fourth-quarter offensive surge produced a victory as the Lions topped the Montreal Alouettes 23-16 on Thursday night, with back-up quarterback Travis Lulay running in the from the two for the winning points with 2:43 left to play.

The Lions opted to stay in Kingston,Ont., after their win last week in Toronto to have fresher legs against the Alouettes. It worked.

"That's what we preached to the players," said Lions coach Wally Buono. "They've been away from their families eight or nine days.

"The guys were great about it. They were professionals. We knew this was going to be a tough game and it was. For them to come out east and win both games, now they can go home and relax and then we're back on the road next week [in Hamilton]."

Jeremiah Johnson scored a pair of touchdowns and Ty Long added a field goal for the Lions (2-1), who have won their last four meetings with Montreal.

Tyrell Sutton had a TD and Boris Bede kicked three field goals for the Alouettes (1-2), who struggled on offence for a third straight game to start the season. New quarterback Darian Durant has yet to put up 20 points in a game.

Durant not worried yet 

"It's a long season, it's our third game," said Durant, who went a third game without being sacked. "If it's game nine then there's a problem.

"We're a new team. We're trying to figure each other out. Figure the system out. Get on the same page. Everything is new to everyone. It's not like I've ever played with any of these receivers. Around the league, every team has continuity and we're a new team. So we're going to build that chemistry coming up. After three games, it's not time to write the season off."

Durant went 24 for 36 for 245 yards and was picked off on his final drive by Anthony Gaitor.

New CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie was among the 18,728 at Percival Molson Stadium to watch the teams slog their way to 6-6 tie in an uneventful first half.

Lions ignited by successful challenge

The game appeared to turn on a successful challenge by Buono for pass interference that wiped out a Montreal interception by Tyree Hollins. That seemed to ignite the B.C. attack as Jonathon Jennings took the ball 73 yards on 13 plays, but they settled for Long's 13-yard field goal for a 9-6 lead at 12:26 of the third.

Montreal marched back and Bede tied it with a 45-yard boot 34 seconds into the fourth quarter, but a pass interference call in the end zone against Hollins gave B.C. the ball on the one and Johnson ran it in at 3:35.

"A play like that helped to shift the momentum," said Buono. "That would have been a good play for them.

"I give the players credit. Travis saw it. He showed it to me and obviously there was contact with the player. That's all part of the new technology, which is good. It helps the league have a better product."