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Morris: Momentum swinging in the right direction
After a bit of a rough stretch near the end of the regular season, the B.C. Lions appear to have regained their footing as they head into the playoffs.Quarterback Travis Lulay , who missed six weeks with a partially separated shoulder, looks capable of playing again. The B.C. running game has found its legs and an offensive line that was anemic much of the season has been flexing its muscles. Fan Poll Will Travis Lulay start in the Western Semi-Final? 1) Yes2) No View Results > The Lions ended their regular season Friday with a convincing 26-7 win over the Calgary Stampeders, a team B.C. will have to beat if they hope to play in the 101st Grey Cup game in Regina. The game meant nothing to either club in the standings but the victory, combined with a 43-29 win over the Edmonton Eskimos two weeks ago, gave the Lions some momentum heading into the playoffs.“We are getting our confidence back, especially on offence,” said running back Andrew Harris, who looks to have returned to last year’s form. “With the change of scheme and...bringing in some other guys that are making plays, we have the ultimate confidence now.“It’s perfect timing. We have a long stretch on the road in the playoffs. These two wins were crucial for us. I think if we can keep building off these (wins) we will be all right in the playoffs.”The Lions, who finished third in the West, face the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Sunday’s Western Semi-Final at Mosaic Stadium. Both teams finished with identical records but Saskatchewan beat the Lions twice this year, including a 35-14 rout in Regina the last time the teams met Oct. 19.After suffering through a mid-season drought, the Lions’ ground attack is flowing again. Harris rumbled for 102 yards on 16 carries against the Stampeders, earning him the Gibson Finest player-of-the-week award for top Canadian. It was his first 100-yard game since July 30. The addition of running back Stefan Logan has brought some shine back to the tarnished B.C. running game. The two men have different styles.The five-foot-seven, 185-pound Logan is a jitter-bug on the field. He uses his speed to slip through a crack then turns on the afterburners in the secondary. Harris, at five-foot-11, 195 pounds,Cheap NFL Jerseys, reads his blocks then uses his strength to run over people like pins in a bowling alley.“We can be a nice one-two tandem,” said Logan, who returned to the Lions last month after a four-year stint in the NFL. “They have to account for both of us out there.”In the last two games Harris had 178 yards on 27 carries. That compares to an 11-game stretch between Aug. 5 and Oct. 19 when Harris averaged 38 rushing yards and seemed like the forgotten man in the Lions’ attack. He finished the season just two yards shorts of reaching the 1,000-yard plateau for a second consecutive year.“There were parts of the season the touches were limited,” Harris said. “To be more productive now in this offence . . . it’s great to see.“Having a two-headed monster like we do now with me and Stefan, and the different styles we have, I think that brings a lot. Everything right now is where we want to be.”Quarterback Buck Pierce said the Lions must run the ball if they hope to beat the Riders and play Calgary in the Nov. 17 West Final.“You have to be able to run the football in the playoffs,” said Pierce. “You can’t be one dimensional at this point of time. The teams that are one dimensional don’t survive long or don’t make the playoffs. We’re confident in what we are doing right now with the run game.”By taking a test drive against the Stampeders Lulay answered some questions about his availability for Sunday in Regina. It was Lulay’s first game action since hurting his shoulder in a Sept. 15 win over Montreal.Against Calgary Lulay took 13 snaps,Arizona Cardinals Jersey, completed three of four passes for 54 yards and ran for one touchdown. One of his passes was a 35-yard throw to Nick Moore and another was a wide-size pass to Marco Iannuzzi. Granted it was a small sample size but it gave the Lions’ coaching staff some ideas what Lulay is capable of.“Now we have some data,” said head coach Mike Benevides.Benevides isn’t in a hurry to name his starter for Sunday but doesn’t rule out using both Lulay and Pierce. Related Links Western Semi-Final Playoff Centre Lions run game has come alive Buy: Western Semi-Final Playoff Centre “There’s something to be said for that,” Benevides said. “We need to have a guy that is healthy enough to play and make plays. It was nice to see Travis back. You saw the lift on the team.”Since 2001 the Lions have finished third or fourth in the West seven times. They have lost the playoff game on the road four times. In 2009 and 2008 B.C. won the first game only to lose the West Final.In 2000 the Lions finished third in the West with an 8-10 record, then beat Edmonton 34-22 in the West Semi-Final and Calgary 37-22 in the West Final before winning the Grey Cup 28-26 against Montreal.Veteran defensive half back Ryan Phillips believes the Lions can repeat history.“We feel like we are reaching our peak at the right time,” said Phillips. “The confidence is building within the organization.“To hit the playoffs moving and reaching our peak at the right time, you can’t ask for anything more.”