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Preview August 14, 2025

5 Things To Know | BC vs. MTL

2024 CFL Week 20: BC Lions vs. Montreal Alouettes. Steven Chang/BC Lions

@BakesTakes84

The 4-5 BC Lions begin the second half of their season with a little bounce in their step, as the 5-4 Montreal Alouettes pay a visit to Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place on Saturday afternoon. And while Nathan Rourke and company may be back in the win column after last week’s rollercoaster affair in Hamilton, the challenge remains to put together a streak and make things even more complicated in this tight Western Division race.

The Lions also understand the importance of protecting their home turf against an opponent that is looking to get back on track and no doubt remembers how the last meeting came down to the wire before Sean Whyte kicked a winning field goal with no time remaining. Here are 5 Things To Know.

Week 11, August 16: BC Lions vs. Montreal Alouettes.

Kickoff: 4:00 pm, Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place.

TV: TSN/RDS/CBS Sports Network.

Radio: 730 CKNW/Sher-E Punjab Radio Am 600/Sirius XM Canada Talks 167.

1. Need The Home Cookin.’

For the first time since 2021, the last time they missed the playoffs, the Lions are in the midst of a three-game home losing skid. Their only triumph in front of the home fans came in the Concert Kickoff home opener against Edmonton in week one. With the stakes getting higher every week, the focus will be on re-establishing BC Place as a fortress.

That starts on Saturday against the equally hungry Alouettes. The squad then has four more home games after Labour Day, setting up what should be a very fun autumn stretch drive. Simply put, they need victories at home if they want a chance of staying here for a game in November.

2. Containing Caleb

With both Davis Alexander and now McLeod Bethel-Thompson on the six-game injured list, Montreal has given the keys to veteran Caleb Evans who came on in relief in their loss to Edmonton last week. Evans had a stretch as the starting quarterback in Ottawa from 2021-22 before joining the Als as a free agent the next season. As a group, the Lion defence knows they must be on their game, no matter who is starting behind centre for the opponent. The mindset is always about their execution and not what the opposition is bringing to the table.

It starts up front with establishing more pressure and not allowing Evans to get the ball out quickly to playmakers such as Charleston Rambo, Tyler Snead, Cole Spieker and our old friend Alexander Hollins will be a big part of the defensive recipe. Look for Mathieu Betts to have an extra gear against his hometown club. The Alouettes are missing some key playmakers: receivers Tyson Philpot and Austin Mack plus running back Sean Thomas Erlington and return specialist James Letcher Jr., all are on the injured list. That won’t play into the Lions’ defensive game plan. They know they have to execute regardless.

3. Field Position Is Key

Another way to keep Evans and the Montreal attack behind the eight-ball is to use Carl Meyer and the kick coverage unit to their advantage. The pride of South Africa leads the CFL in punting yards and has turned heads with his booming leg in year two.

With field position being such an important element, this is an area the special teams unit can focus on as they try to make life uncomfortable for Evans. It’s all part of this excellent chess match.

4. The Butler At Your Service

If we’re assessing the team’s top candidates for end-of-season awards, could you make a strong case for James Butler? The voters will certainly consider Rourke’s overall progression since returning from injury. But the versatile back has given this offence an entirely new dynamic, with his pass-catching ability creating more options. Butler enters this week as the CFL’s leader with 704 rushing yards and has an outside shot at the club’s single-season record of 1,510, set by Joe Smith in 2007.

As far as this game goes, if JB can pick up some big gains and set them up for some second and short situations, it will be tough for the Alouette defence to get off the field.

5. What They’re Saying

“I think we’re getting better every week but the sense of urgency certainly has to start settling in a little bit, at this point of the season. We’re still very much in it. The West is always competitive. But we’ve got to start to figure out how to win more games and have a good opportunity this week.”- Rourke on where the Lions stand at the halfway point of the regular season.

“Very good team. They do a lot of different things, give a lot of good different looks. (They’re) Well coached, play hard and dealing with some injuries, so it’ll be interesting to see who’s available for them. We know that the last time we played them, we felt like we kind of got away with one.

It was good to be able to execute down the stretch when we needed to and put together a drive. For me, I know I’ve got to play better and it’s a great opportunity at home where we haven’t been our best either. Hopefully, we can put it all together this weekend.”- Rourke on the challenge against Montreal.

“We need to worry about this week. I think those things come if you’re taking care of your daily process. We need to practice more consistently, play more consistently and those types of things will happen for us.

I think we’re doing a good job of focusing on where we are today and being able to handle our tasks and getting better at what’s in front of us right now. If we do that, things will turn that way.”- Buck Pierce on the importance of taking things one day at a time.

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com