Roughriders 30, Lions 27: B.C. has discovered a beast in Wyoming WR Ayden Eberhardt

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Once they say profitable doesn’t matter within the pre-season, they imply it.

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With indignant storm clouds rolling towards Mosaic Stadium on Saturday night time, and solely three factors separating the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders, they determined to wrap issues up rapidly.

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Some fast run calls by B.C. and a knee from the Riders, and the whistle blew on a 30-27 Saskatchewan victory simply earlier than the skies opened up over Regina.

“It was a novel state of affairs on the finish there. There’s an enormous storm coming in. And that’s why we ran the ball thrice on the finish in the event that they had been  gonna make us end the sport. And we didn’t wish to come on the locker room for a few hours,” stated head coach Rick Campbell.

“Clearly, this may by no means occur except it was a preseason recreation, however we didn’t wish to sit on this locker room for a very long time to should exit to play the final couple of minutes. So they really had been working the clock and performing some various things — that doesn’t usually occur.

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“However I’m completely pleased with our compete degree. And I believe we received a very good take a look at guys we wished to have a look at.”

SHOWING OUT

It was straightforward to select the standout for B.C. — he was the man catching nearly the whole lot thrown his method.

Persevering with his robust displaying at coaching camp, Ayden Eberhardt was a pass-catching machine, hauling in six catches and 104 yards on eight targets.

The free agent rookie performed 5 seasons on the College of Wyoming, the place he had a most complete of fifty receptions for 764 yards. However he caught nearly the whole lot tossed his method on Saturday, together with two the place he fought by means of penalty contact to make massive completions.

“As the times glided by (at camp), we had been considering ‘this man may do some actually good issues,’” Campbell stated of the 6-foot-2, 200-pound receiver.

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“I believe the CFL is an effective recreation for him. It’s his type. The man performed at Wyoming, so I don’t assume climate’s gonna scare him off. … You may simply inform he’s a competitor, made some powerful catches, , made some good catches for our quarterback after which glad to see it was a very good night time.”

NEXT GAME

Thursday

Calgary Stampeders vs. B.C. Lions

7:30 p.m., B.C. Place, TV: TSN, Radio: AM730

Half of quarterback Dane Evans’s yardage complete — 4 catches for 81 yards — got here on passes to the 25-year-old Eberhardt.

“Truthfully, he’s one of many guys since we received up in Kamloops on Day 1 and rookie camp that simply caught my eye. I believe what made me gravitate towards him is … he performed quarterback in highschool. He went to Wyoming and that’s the place he made the transition. So I believe when you may have a man like that, that may see the sport. Not simply as ‘OK I’m the Y receiver or the W, however can see the entire image and understands the offence. The place to be open and most significantly, when to be open. I believe the sky’s the restrict for him and clearly you’ve received to have the bodily instruments to do what he does.”

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QB CAROUSEL

Evans and Dom Davis did loads of alternating sequence in the course of the recreation, nevertheless it was Evans who had the very best night time.

The previous Hamilton Tiger-Cat was 13-of-16 for 162 yards an a landing, whereas Davis was 4-for-20 for 77 yards and an interception.

Judd Erickson was 1-of-1 for eight yards — to Eberhardt, who else? — in his one sequence within the fourth quarter.

“I believe the largest factor for me was simply proving to everyone I can nonetheless play. I do know with what I went by means of final 12 months, some individuals positively counted me out most likely nonetheless do rely me out,” stated Evans. “And I simply wished to indicate my guys that my new residence and my new staff that I can nonetheless play this recreation and play at a excessive degree and I hope that’s what I did. I don’t assume my job is completed by any means, and I’m simply gonna maintain making an attempt to stack days on prime of one another

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“The younger guys I used to be with tonight which are on the market actually busting it making an attempt to attempt to make the squad and I nonetheless take that very same angle as nicely. I imply, I’m simply making an attempt with each throw to show why I needs to be right here and I believe you noticed that work tonight.”

MAKING UP FOR MISTAKES

Receiver Jevoni Robinson, the previous basketball participant and World draftee, made the primary of the night time, making an attempt to stretch to get a primary down when the ball was jarred out of his palms for a fumble.

Ryder Varga made the second, getting referred to as for ‘pyramiding’ on a Riders’ subject aim try, with the penalty leading to a Saskatchewan first down, and eventual landing.

Each made up for them rapidly.

Robinson hauled in a three-yard rating at the back of the top zone on his subsequent sequence, whereas Varga made the primary choose six of his life to place the Lions up within the third quarter.

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“I used to be happy with Jevon for making some powerful catches. He’s such an enormous goal. You throw the ball up. He’s gonna be a mismatch for a defender after which Ryder, identical factor,” stated Campbell. “He’s a man making an attempt to compete to make a play the place you don’t wish to clearly do the pyramid factor. That’s going to be educating tape for us.

“However it was good to see that we saved enjoying and saved battling.”

Varga was the Lions’ 2022 third-round draft choose (twenty ninth general) however opted to return to the College of Regina to complete his engineering diploma. The 24-year-old had his finest Sports activities season, with 35 tackles, two sacks, and a choose in 9 video games, getting named to the convention and nationwide all-star groups, and being named Canada West Defensive Participant of the Yr.

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The Regina native had loads of family and friends within the stands to observe the sport, and he had a particular night time — even when it was simply preseason.

“I believe that’s my first choose six like, ever. At any degree. So it was fairly particular,” he stated. “I most likely would by no means have guessed it, however I used to be a betting man. I most likely wouldn’t have picked CFL recreation to get my first choose six once I was eight.”

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