SUNDAY SPORTS PAGE: LIONS TRIUMPH AND PRIME DELIVERS!

MONTREAL – Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 300 or more yards for the fourth consecutive game, and the B.C. Lions snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating the Montreal Alouettes 34-25 in a back-and-forth CFL affair Saturday night.

Adams, starting in Montreal for the first time since being traded by the Alouettes last season, went 21-for-33 for 306 yards and three touchdown passes for B.C. (8-4) at Molson Stadium. He also rushed for 54 yards.

Lions receiver Alexander Hollins had two touchdown receptions and 88 receiving yards.

Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo threw for 308 yards and one touchdown on 22-for-35 completions, but also committed two crucial interceptions.

Trailing 27-25 with five minutes left in the game, Montreal faked a punt on third down to get within 22 yards of B.C.’s end zone, but Fajardo’s throw on the next play was pick off by Lions safety Quincy Mauger.

Montreal (6-5) appeared to hold off B.C. on multiple occasions on the ensuing drive, but were undone by penalties, once for unnecessary roughness and once for roughing the quarterback on a play that was initially ruled a sack for defensive tackle Almondo Sewell. The reverse of the call after review received loud boos from the 17,112 spectators on hand.

**The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be in Regina today to face the Roughriders in their annual CFL Labour Day weekend clash. The Blue Bombers lead the CFL West Division with a 9-2 record, while the Roughriders are third at 5-5.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – After nine months of hype, Deion Sanders had Colorado ready for prime time in his much-anticipated debut as Buffaloes coach.

Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son, threw for a school-record 510 yards with four touchdowns – the winner a 46-yard catch-and-run by true freshman Dylan Edwards with 4:25 left — and the Buffs pulled off an opening shocker with a 45-42 win Saturday over 17th-ranked TCU, last year’s national runner-up.

Deion Sanders came to Boulder, Colorado, to revitalize a long-dormant program, with an unprecedented roster flip. Two-way star Travis Hunter, Edwards and Shedeur Sanders are among 87 newcomers at Colorado, which won only one game last season and has only two winning records since 2005.

Edwards caught three touchdown passes, including a 75-yarder in the opening minute of the second half when he turned another short pass into a big play. He also ran for another score.

Hunter, the former top recruit who came with the quarterback and coach from FCS school Jackson State, had 11 catches for 119 yards. As a defensive back, he had one of the two interceptions that TCU’s Chandler Morris threw in or near the end zone. He played over 120 snaps.

Shedeur Sanders completed 38 of 47 passes and the Buffaloes had four 100-yard receivers for the first time ever: Hunter, Edwards (five catches, 135 yards), Jimmy Horn Jr. (11 catches, 117 yards with a TD) and Xavier Weaver (six catches, 118 yards). Colorado outgained TCU 565-541 total yards.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) – Nebraska transfer Casey Thompson threw five touchdown passes, one of them a 72-yard hookup with Tony Johnson, and Florida Atlantic routed Monmouth 42-20 on Saturday night to usher in the Tom Herman era.

Thompson, who also played at Texas, where Herman was his coach, completed 20 of 25 passes for 280 yards. His five TD passes match the school record.

Johnson caught two touchdown passes, the highlight being when he caught a ball over the middle, broke a couple of tackles and outraced the defense to the end zone for the 72-yard touchdown. Ja’Quan Burton also had two touchdown catches.

FAU, which is joining the American Athletic Conference this season, got the job done on the ground as well, with Larry McCammon rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown. The Owls finished with 213 yards rushing and 493 yards of total offense.

Marquez McCray, a graduate transfer from Sacred Heart, threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns for Monmouth. Ryan Moran had 13 tackles, nine solo, for the Hawks (0-1).

MLB

The visiting Toronto Blue Jays blew a 5-0 lead and dropped an 8-7 decision to the Colorado Rockies. Charlie Blackmon had three hits and three RBIs on his bobblehead night as the lowly Rockies broke a four-game losing streak and won for just the second time in their last 12 games. Kevin Kiermaier homered and Whit Merrifield and Santiago Espinal had two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who remained one-and-a-half games behind Texas for the third and final AL wild-card playoff berth.

MLS

The visiting Columbus Crew got three goals from Cucho Hernandez, including two in the first half, to trip CF Montreal 4-2 in Major League Soccer action on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ryan Gauld scored on a penalty kick in the 60th minute as the Vancouver Whitecaps settled for a 1-1 draw with New York City F-C at Yankee Stadium. The Whitecaps are unbeaten in their last five road matches.

(Canadian Press)