REGINA- The BC Lions are coming home for the start of their Grey Cup Playoffs journey, courtesy of a 27-21 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium. Nathan Rourke hit Keon Hatcher Sr. with a nifty, seven-yard shovel pass with 4:05 to play to give the red-hot Lions a sixth straight win to close out the regular season.
The 11-7 Lions now play host to the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Semi-Final on Saturday, November 1. Kickoff is 2:30 pm. At stake is a return to Regina and the Division Final. The Riders finished in first place with a record of 12-6.
Now for some Game Takes.
60-Minute Effort Required, As Riders Don’t Lay Down
This one featured most of the hallmarks of the Lions’ current winning streak. Clutch play in all three phases and a better job of executing late. The two teams traded punches back and forth in an eventful opening half, one that saw Rourke connect with Ayden Eberhardt for a 63-yard touchdown on the opening play from scrimmage. The Lion defence later got the ball rolling, first with the fourth interception in as many games from Jackson Findlay that led to a Lion field goal that cut the home team’s lead to 18-13.
Then, with quarterback Jake Maier, who replaced Trevor Harris in the second quarter, leading the Riders on another long drive, Mathieu Betts pounced on a fumble that deprived the Riders of at least three, and possibly seven more points, to keep it a five-point game at the break.
They then got a huge break in the third quarter when Hatcher’s fumble at the goal line was blown dead before Tevaughn Campbell returned it 99 yards for a Rider major that would have put them up by 12. With the play blown dead, Saskatchewan took over at their own three and the damage was limited. Hatcher’s effort to scoop the ball on his eventual winning score was a nice bounce-back from what could have been a critical mistake. At the end of the day, they get it done and avoid a crossover trip to Montreal.
“You know, the games that we lost, we feel like we were basically shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Rourke of the remarkable turnaround.
“And we think when we got out of our own way and started making a little more plays, I think good things happen for us. We believed in ourselves since training camp, we believe in this team and believe in each other and we just got to go out there and execute and glad that we’re able to get one more at home.”
Rourke finished 23/28 for 368 yards, three touchdown strikes and a first-half interception. He narrowly missed beating out Bo Levi Mitchell for the league’s passing title, falling just six yards shy. At any rate, he’s engineered quite the turnaround story.
“It’s a one-game season now,” said Buck Pierce.
“We’ve got to make sure we correct some things from tonight and get ready to play Calgary.”
Every game comes down to those five or six plays that make a difference. And this Lions team was on the right side of a few big ones.
“Hopefully there’s still more to come,” Rourke added.
“I think there are a lot of good things, a lot of things to work on. I’m propped up by an incredible cast of supporting characters who make my job easy. One of the best offensive lines and the best receiving cores and the best running backs, if not the best. It’s a quarterback’s dream out there and I’m very thankful for them. Hopefully, they feel just as much a part of that mark.”
Key Numbers
5,290- passing yards for Rourke on the season, as mentioned, he came up just short of the league lead. Rourke is the first Lion to pass for over 5,000 yards in a single season since Jonathon Jennings in 2016.
1,688– receiving yards for Hatcher Sr. on the season, best in the CFL.
101- a game-high receiving yard total for Eberhardt, who had a pair of touchdown receptions.
2- the Lions were very disciplined in this one, taking only two penalties for 11 yards.
6-4- the Lions end up with a winning record against Western opponents in the 2025 regular season.
Quotable
“I feel like the home-field advantage is important, but I’m really happy just to play in front of our fans. They’re so supportive and it’s just getting the reward for the work we put in this season. But for us, it’s just step one of what was looking what’s coming forward. For me, it was, it’s really, really important to be able to get the job done today and to get this home playoff game.-” Mathieu Betts on getting the chance to be at home next week.
Next Up
The Western Semi-Final at Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place. The Lions and Stampeders meet in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Kickoff is 2:30 pm and tickets are available NOW.