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Preview June 11, 2025

5 Things To Know | BC @ WPG

@BakesTakes84

They took 24 hours to enjoy the spoils of their week one victory. Since then, it’s been all business for a BC Lions team looking to make another statement against another rival. The squad makes its lone regular season visit to Winnipeg for a Thursday night battle with the Blue Bombers (5:30 pm/TSN/CBS Sports Network/730 CKNW/Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600).

There are never any shortages of talking points when these rivals get together. With this contest serving as the first of a home-and-home series, the stakes are mighty high. With more, we present 5 Things To Know about this week two clash in Manitoba.

1. Homecoming For Coach Buck

Fresh off a big ‘dub in his debut as the Lions’ 28th head coach, Buck Pierce doesn’t have to wait long to go back to the city that not only extended his career as a player, but one that provided a kickstart to his coaching life. Five consecutive Grey Cup appearances, with two victories, plus numerous All-CFL and Outstanding Player Award accolades for the players he coached on offence, is the type of model he’s now aiming to build on the West Coast. The chess match against his friend and former boss, Hall of Famer Mike O’Shea, will be a neat one to track. It’s no secret Pierce knows the Bombers well, as do they when it comes to the first-year head coach’s tendencies. Ultimately, it will be the players strapping on the pads who decide the outcome.

2. Which Receiver Steps Up?

All eyes will be on Nathan Rourke as he looks to beat Winnipeg for the first time in four tries in his young career. Thursday marks his first trip to Princess Auto Stadium since the 2022 Western Final when they fell 28-20 and were denied an appearance in the Grey Cup. He isn’t coming into hostile territory by himself. Last week’s solid outing by Stanley Berryhill III- six catches, 104 yards and a pair of touchdown grabs- served as a reminder that any one of these solid playmakers can break out on any given week. Who will shine under the Winnipeg lights? There is no shortage of candidates. Look for James Butler to be relied on heavily, as sustained drives and time of possession will both be factors in the result.

 

Streveler Gets The Call

The Bombers will hand the keys to Chris Streveler for one week as Zach Collaros serves his suspension handed down last month for violating the CFL’s drug policy. The veteran Streveler gets his first taste of action since season-ending knee surgery following the 2024 Banjo Bowl. With his running ability, the veteran and former NFL pivot brings a different wrinkle to the Winnipeg offence. In three seasons with the Bombers, Streveler has 426 pass attempts compared to 291 rushes. His one start last season was a 25-16 win over Ottawa, where Winnipeg rushed the ball 37 times for 212 yards. They know it will likely be a run-heavy Winnipeg attack. An early turnover might do the trick in throwing them off their game plan. Any way you slice it, it will require a full 60-minute effort.

4. Oh Yeah, There’s That Other X-Factor

Looking at last week’s triumph over the Elks, Mathieu Betts and the defensive line made their presence known as Betts put up a CFL-leading ten quarterback pressures and will be counted on again to contain Streveler’s scrambling ability. Oh yeah, there is also the reigning CFL rushing champ, Brady Oliveira, who should be used heavily in the Bombers’ plan of attack. Consistent pressure and containing that stout run game would give the visitors a bigger chance of coming away with another victory.

5. What They’re Saying

“It’s the next game on the schedule for us. Winnipeg’s a good football team. We have to execute and we gotta play smart, we gotta focus. For me, that’s in my past. I’m excited to walk into that building with the players we have in that locker room.”- Pierce is doing his part downplaying his big return to Winnipeg.

“We played them well one time last year, then the last two times we played them, they’ve kind of had our number. Of course, we’re going in with a chip on our shoulder. It’s always a good competition with Winnipeg, a great environment playing there, so I’m excited to get out there and get on the field.”- Berryhill on the matchup.

“We had a bit of a rough season last year, I’m hoping we can bounce back from that. We started out very strong and then kind of hit a wall last year. I’m hoping we could work through that this year and at least win the West and then win the Grey Cup.”-  Berryhill on the mindset as they look to establish themselves against the top-tier teams in the West.

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com