Glenn comes up big as Lulay watches

The stage was set for a change in command, but Kevin Glenn never let it happen.
Glenn ran for a touchdown, threw for another and passed for more than 400 yards Friday night as the B.C. Lions beat the pesky Hamilton Tiger-Cats 36-29. He helped the Lions post their second-consecutive win and improve to 4-3 on the season, ensuring that the Lions did not need nominal No. 1 quarterback Travis Lulay as he dressed for his first game of the season following off-season shoulder surgery.
“It was a big, big team-character win,” said Glenn, who completed 22 of 36 passes for 407 yards, his highest yardage output as a Lion. “It was one of those things where you could tell in the guys’ eyes on the field when I was calling the plays. It didn't matter what the down and distance was. We were going to out there and fight and try and get it. When you see that in the guys' eyes, that means a lot."
It was also a big character performance from Glenn, who helped the Lions build an early 17-3 lead and then rally back after Hamilton managed to come back and take a 19-17 lead in the second quarter on a Brandon Banks touchdown off a 97-yard punt return and a pair of Justin Medlock field goals.
The second field goal came after Glenn threw his first of two interceptions on which he could not really be faulted. Defensive lineman Arnaud Gascon-Nadon was able to snare the ball after fellow lineman Bryan Hall knocked down a Glenn pass.
The second interception, which did not result in points thanks to a tenacious B.C. defence, came in the third quarter after Frederic Plesius caught a fortuitous bounce off B.C. receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux. But Glenn did not let the interceptions get him down.
“Ticked balls are killing me,” said Glenn, whose 11 interceptions well exceed the seven he threw in all of 2013 with Calgary. “It's one of those things that happens. As a QB, you have to be able to get over it. It’s going tohappen. You don't want it to happen as much as it has been happening. What I think the biggest thing is, what you do when you come back out. You overcome it. I'm not going to be afraid to throw the next one.”
The Ticats were left to lament a series of miscues and penalties that enabled B.C. to take an insurmountable lead on an Andrew Harris four-yard touchdown run with about 10 minutes gone in the third quarter. But the Ticats still managed to pull within a point on two occasions, trailing 27-26 at the end of the third quarter and 30-29 in the fourth. Ultimately, B.C. secured the win with a strong passing display from Glenn in the fourth quarter, which enabled Paul McCallum to kick the final two of his five field goals on the night.
The decisive field goal came after Glenn threw his longest pass of the night, 43 yards to Shawn Gore. But Glenn, who ran for 19 yards for his touchdown in the first quarter, downplayed the strong personal showing – and kept the team’s task first.
“It’s not like this game was the Grey Cup,” he said. “It's not. It was the next game and an important game. It was important because of the way the West is shaping up. We have to make sure we keep going with all these guys. All these teams in the West are winning games. We have to make sure we are winning games, too."
Thanks to Glenn’s effort Friday, the Lions are winning. But they still face difficulties. Harris and offensive guard Jemarcus Hardrick went down with injuries Friday. Depending on how long Harris is out, his absence could put more pressure on Glenn to excel more often through the air.
But at least the Lions can rest assured that, with Glenn playing like he did Friday, they can take their time with Lulay’s recovery.