On Sunday afternoon at BC Place, the BC Lions took on the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Semi-Final. This was the Lions’ first home playoff game since 2016. BC quarterback Nathan Rourke made his first career playoff start and showed why he is a force to be reckoned with in the CFL.
The game got off to a slow start in the first quarter when Calgary kicker Rene Paredes made a 32-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead before BC kicker Sean Whyte tied the game 3-3 with a 15-yard field goal. BC was at their 53-yard line to begin the second quarter.
In the second quarter, BC kicker Sean Whyte made a 41-yard field goal to put the Lions up 6-3 with 12:33 left. After Calgary’s offense punted the ball back to BC, the Stampeders’ defense came up with a big play when Folarin Orimolade stripped the ball out of running back James Butler’s arm and Jonathan Moxey recovered it on the Lions’ 47-yard line.
Calgary quarterback Jake Maier threw one pass for 13 yards and running back Ka’Deem Carey had two carries for 13 yards, setting up a 28-yard field goal made by Rene Paredes to tie the game 6-6 with 4:55 left.
Afterward, the Lions’ offense woke up from their nap. BC quarterback Nathan Rourke threw a 19-yard pass to Bryan Burnham followed by a 25-yard pass to Keon Hatcher. Then, Rourke threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Hollins for a 13-6 lead with 2:36 left.
Rourke did a good job with a pump fake to catch Calgary’s secondary off guard. However, he took a big hit after just getting rid of the football to Hollins. The Lions led 13-6 at halftime.
BC quarterback Nathan Rourke was 12/17 for 131 yards, and one touchdown, while running back James Butler had eight carries for 44 yards as part of BC’s 186 yards on offense. On the other side, Calgary quarterback Jake Maier was quiet going 8/13 for 76 yards, and running back Ka’Deem Carey had five carries for 137 yards as part of Calgary’s 136 yards on offense.
In the third quarter, the Lions got tricky. After marching down the field to Calgary’s 45-yard line, third-string quarterback Antonio Pipkin faked a quarterback sneak on third-and-one before throwing a 45-yard touchdown pass to Keon Hatcher with no Calgary defenders nearby. The Lions’ lead grew to 20-6 with 3:50 left.
Calgary’s offense continued to struggle late in the third quarter and early fourth quarter. They made a quarterback change with Bo Levi Mitchell in for Jake Maier. Maier’s night was done and he finished 12/22 for 138 yards.
Mitchell got the offense going by throwing a 30-yard pass to Malik Henry. He led the offense down to the Lions’ 17-yard line before kicker Rene Paredes made a 24-yard field goal, cutting BC’s lead to 20-9 with 8:11 left.
On the fifth Lions play, quarterback Nathan Rourke threw a 29-yard pass to Alexander Hollins. Two plays later, Rourke threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Burnham for a 27-9 lead with 3:19 left.
When Calgary got the ball back, Mitchell threw four passes for 57 yards to the Lions’ 14-yard line. Then, a defensive pass interference penalty on BC put the ball on the one-yard line, and third-string quarterback Tommy Stevens scored a touchdown with a quarterback sneak. BC’s lead was cut to 27-16 with 1:33 left.
Next, Calgary went for an onside kick, but the Lions recovered the ball. BC put the game away with a 15-yard field goal by Sean Whyte for a 30-16 win over the Stampeders. The Lions will play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Final next Sunday at 4:30 pm on ESPNEWS.
BC quarterback Nathan Rourke was 22/30 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Running back James Butler had 20 carries for 95 yards, and wide receiver Keon Hatcher had eight catches for 162 yards with one touchdown. BC’s defense allowed 368 yards, with 46 tackles, two sacks, and four pass breakups.
Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, in what was likely his final start, was 8/11 for 147 yards. Running back Ka’Deem Carey had eight carries for 43 yards, and wide receiver Malik Henry had seven catches for 119 yards. Calgary’s defense allowed 478 yards, with 54 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery.
The Stampeders have a lot of work to do in the offseason. They have regressed in recent years, and changes are coming not just from the players, but the front office as well. Calgary has already committed to Jake Maier with a contract extension earlier this year, and now they need to build a roster around him to his strengths.
