VANCOUVER – Nathan Rourke passed for 375 yards and his B.C. Lions held off the Saskatchewan Roughriders for a crucial 31-24 victory on Friday.
The Canadian quarterback connected on 22 of his 28 attempts with four touchdowns as the Lions (8-6) climbed into second place in the CFL’s West Division.
The result saw B.C. win the three-game season series between the two sides 2-1, and could be the tiebreaker if the Lions and Riders finish the season with identical records.
Keon Hatcher Sr. reeled in a pair of TD passes, while Jevon Cottoy and Jermaine Jackson also found the end zone, and Sean Whyte made a 14-yard field goal.
The Riders (8-6) got some key pieces back on Friday, including running back A.J. Ouellette, who amassed 77 rushing yards and a TD in his return from a knee injury that saw him sidelined for seven games.
Trevor Harris put up 302 passing yards, throwing a touchdown to Dylan Djete in the second quarter. Kicker Dawson Hodge chalked up three field goals for Saskatchewan, including a 32-yard strike.
The Riders looked dangerous on their first possession of the game, with Harris working his way up the field.
Looking to connect with a teammate in the end zone, the QB sent a pass off of the upright and Saskatchewan settled for a 27-yard field goal to open the scoring.
The Lions responded swiftly.
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Rourke lobbed a massive pass up centre field to Stanley Berryhill III for a 56-yard gain, then followed up with a toss to Hatcher in the end zone. Whyte’s single-point convert gave the home side a 7-3 lead.
A 31-yard field goal from Hodge cut Saskatchewan’s deficit to a single point early in the second quarter.
The Lions worked their way back into the red zone, but took a penalty for a time count violation and turned to Whyte for a 14-yard field goal.
With just over two minutes to go in the quarter Harris spotted Djete alone near the sideline and hit the unencumbered wide receiver with a 13-yard pass. Djete darted over the goal line and Hodge made the single to put the Riders back on top by a score of 13-10.
The lead didn’t last until halftime.
Rourke made five passes up the field to put B.C. at Saskatchewan’s 19-yard line, then tossed a short ball to Hatcher, who avoided a tackle from Mike Rose en route to the end zone for his second major of the night. Whyte’s convert gave the Lions a 17-13 lead with 16 seconds to go in the first half.
Hatcher registered 66 receiving yards on the night and hit 1,015 for the season. It’s the fifth season in his CFL career that the American receiver has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark.
The Lions boosted their advantage midway through the third after Rourke came up big with a giant pass to Justin McInnis that gave the home side a first down in the midfield.
Saskatchewan head coach Corey Mace challenged the play for offensive pass interference but after video review, officials determined the call on the field would stand.
Rourke continued to push his team up field and capped the drive with a pass to Cottoy just above the goal line for another TD. Another single-point conversion from Whyte gave B.C. a 24-13 lead.
The final play of the third quarter saw the Lions’ defence stymie Harris and his side deep in B.C. territory. The Riders’ short yardage team tried to extend the drive but instead turned the ball over on downs.
Saskatchewan continued to push but struggled to break through the Lions’ back end. Another field goal from Hodge — this time a 32-yard kick — made it 24-16 for B.C. midway through the fourth quarter.
The crowd at BC Place jumped to their feet late in the final frame when Rourke scrambled out of the pocket under pressure, sprinted up field and delivered a long bomb into the hands of McInnis.
The Canadian receiver was hauled down, but Rourke found Jermaine Jackson for yet another major on the next play to give the Lions a 31-16 lead.
With just over two minutes left on the game clock, Saskatchewan finally made its way back into the end zone with a two-yard plunge from Ouellette.
The Riders gave themselves hope when Tommy Stevens made it through the fray for a two-point conversion that left the score 31-24.
At least one provincial politician made room in his busy election campaign schedule to attend the game. Newly minted B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson was spotted at field level with former B.C. Premier Christy Clark before kickoff.
UP NEXT
Riders: Host the Calgary Stampeders on Oct. 2.
Lions: Visit the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 3.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
