VANCOUVER — Even after putting up monster numbers in his first ever CFL playoff game, B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke saw room for improvement.
“We came out of it with a win. That was the most satisfying part to me,” the 24-year-old Canadian said Sunday after the Lions topped the Calgary Stampeders 30-16 in the West Division semifinal.
“I mean, it wasn’t pretty, but we got it done. And that’s what playoffs are all about.”
Rourke threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns, connecting on 22-of-30 attempts. It was his first full game since Aug. 19, when he suffered a foot injury that required surgery and forced the first-year star to the sidelines for eight games.
The performance didn’t surprise Lions’ head coach Rick Campbell.
“I’ve been the No. 1 Nathan Rourke fan for the last three years and he’s gonna approach it — playoff, pre pre-season, regular season — he’s going to have that same mentality (every game),” he said.
B.C. got solid performances across the lineup.
Antonio Pipkin added 45 passing yards and a TD for the Lions, while Sean Whyte connected for three field goals and the defensive unit limited Calgary — who boosted the CFL’s best run game in the regular season — to 83 rushing yards.
Stopping the league’s top running back was a focus for the defensive group all week, said defensive lineman Mathieu Betts.
“Obviously they have a really good guy with Ka’Deem (Carey) there,” he said. “Credit goes to our coaches for getting us ready, guys bought in and with our offence taking the lead … somewhere in the first half, they became one dimensional, so that helped.”
Calgary quarterback Jake Maier also started in his first playoff game Sunday and connected on 12-of-22 passing attempts for 138 yards before being replaced by veteran Bo Levi Mitchell in the fourth quarter.
Maier said he and his teammates simply didn’t execute.
“It hurts really bad, but I can assure you this — I’ll be back and we’ll be back from this,” he said.
Mitchell threw for 147 yards in what was likely his last appearance in a Stampeders’ uniform.
“It’s been an amazing ride, an amazing career for that chapter. And I just appreciate it and everybody that’s given me the opportunity,” he said. “I look forward to the next part.”
Renee Parades made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 32-yard kick.
The two sides came in with identical 12-6 regular-season records but the Stampeders were plagued by penalties on Sunday, taking eight for 83 yards.
“It’s disappointing, a 12-win season we didn’t make any noise in the playoffs,” said Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson. “I think we had a team that could win it. That’s the problem I have with not playing our best game, but (B.C.) has a good team, too. They played well.”
The Lions will head to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers in the West Division final on Nov. 13. The East Division final will see the Montreal Alouettes take on the Argonauts in Toronto the same day.
The Grey Cup will be played in Regina on Nov. 20.
A crowd of 30,114 fans took in Sunday’s game inside a chilly B.C. Place. Their cheers and energy helped propel the Lions to the win, Campbell said.
“Obviously the players deserve all the credit but I think it’s really cool the atmosphere, that’s a real deal atmosphere. The fans were fantastic,” he said. “It’s pretty fun and special to be a part of.”
Both sides were limited to field goals through much of the first two quarters, including a 41-yard kick by Whyte early in the second.
B.C. took a 13-6 lead into halftime after a series of solid passes put the Lions deep in Stampeders’ territory.
Rourke connected with Burnham on a 19-yard toss, then sent a 25-yard bomb to Keon Hatcher before capping the drive with a 13-yard rocket to Alexander Hollins deep in the end zone. The QB was hit hard as he let the ball fly but walked off the field on his own and was back for B.C.’s next possession.
The Lions’ offensive line had difficulty at times on Sunday and midway through the third, Rourke was sacked for the fourth time. He recovered quickly and followed up by threading a 16-yard pass to Bryan Burnham through a pair of Stamps defenders.
The Lions capped the drive when short-yardage specialist Pipkin came in on third down. While being hauled to the turf, Pipkin put up a 20-yard toss to an unmarked Hatcher, who sprinted 25 yards for B.C.’s second touchdown of the game.
The team had been working on the play all season, Hatcher said.
“When we heard in the huddle, me, (Dominique) Rhymes and Alex (Hollins) looked at each other like ‘Oh my god, they called it, they called it,'” he said. “I was super excited but you’ve got to execute. So that’s what happened. We executed and got a touchdown out of it.”
With less than 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Calgary opted to replace Maier with Mitchell in a bid to spark the offence.
“Jake played hard and I don’t think it was really on him,” Dickenson said. “I just don’t think there were enough guys open. We didn’t have the ball long enough. We weren’t protecting him well enough. Calls weren’t fitting well enough. It was a group effort.”
Mitchell, a two-time Grey Cup champion, drove his side to B.C.’s eight-yard line on his first possession before getting sacked. Parades finished the scoring drive with a 24-yard field goal, cutting the Lions’ lead to 20-9.
The Lions boosted their advantage to 27-9 with just over three minutes left on the clock.
Rourke dished a seven-yard pass to Hollins, who rushed for an additional 22 yards and put B.C. in scoring position.
The Canadian QB then waited patiently in the pocket for the right target and picked out Burnham in the end zone. Rourke sailed a 10-yard bomb to the veteran receiver for B.C.’s third TD of the day.
Calgary made a late push, with Carey appearing to punch in the Stamps’ lone touchdown with a one-yard run with a minute and 49 seconds to go. The play was overturned on review, with officials determining he had not, in fact, crossed the goal line.
The down was replayed, this time with Tommy Stevens as he muscled the ball into the end zone with a one-yard QB sneak that cut B.C.’s lead to 27-16.
Whyte capped the final drive of the day with a 15-yard field goal to seal the score at 30-16.
NOTES: Calgary took six penalties for 68 yards in the first half. B.C. had one for five yards. … Sunday marked the Lions’ first home playoff game since 2016 and the team’s first post-season appearance since 2018. The Stampeders made the playoffs for a club-record 17th straight season this year. … The last time two starting QBs made their playoff debut in the same game was Nov. 23, 2014 when Bo Levi Mitchell (Calgary) took on Michael Reilly (Edmonton) in the West final.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2022.
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
