Saturday afternoon’s CFL clash between the BC Lions and the Toronto Argonauts produced one of the most unusual ways to get a first down in a while. With B.C. trailing 24-23 with 2:25 left in the fourth quarter and facing a second-and-10 situation on their own 32, Lions’ quarterback Travis Lulay dropped back to throw and had his pass picked off near the B.C. 40 by Argos’ linebacker Marcus Ball. But as Ball crossed the 30 with it, he fumbled and couldn’t recover, with Lions’ running back Chris Rainey chasing the loose ball down. The changes in possession meant the Lions were given a first down, but on their own 22, 10 yards back of where they started.

Whoa! Marcus Ball picks off Travis Lulay, and then fumbles it right back. That's certainly one way for the @BCLions to get a first down. #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/Sj7a8tkk2F — CFL on TSN (@CFLonTSN) August 18, 2018

That’s an unfortunate mistake for Ball (seen mourning it above), but he wound up atoning for it soon afterwards. Later in the drive, with the Lions on their own 50 and facing second-and-five with just 48 seconds left, Lulay hit Emmanuel Arceneaux over the middle past the first-down marker, but Arceneaux fumbled after a hit, and Ball was there to pounce:

Redemption for Marcus Ball! The @TorontoArgos LB comes up with a huge fumbled ball to preserve a 1-point lead in the final minute. #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/QhqThnolTb — CFL on TSN (@CFLonTSN) August 18, 2018

That let Toronto run the clock down before punting the ball back, and meant B.C. only had time for one final desperation play. And that play wound up presenting a chance for Arceneaux to redeem himself, as he caught a pass, broke a couple of tackles, got to midfield and then tried to punt the ball through the end zone for a game-tying rouge. However, he was hit and didn’t get the punt off, and Toronto recovered to end the game.

A wild play at the very end of the game, as Emmanuel Arceneaux tries to go for a game-tying rouge but gets knocked down on the attempt! #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/bg9mXqb2sN — CFL on TSN (@CFLonTSN) August 18, 2018

So it was Ball who wound up with the key redemptive moment, and the Lions’ negative-yardage first down didn’t wind up paying off for them in the end.

[CFL on TSN on Twitter]