Nathan Rourke and B.C. Lions can take care of two objectives with one win Friday night at Mosaic Stadium.
B.C. (7-1) visits the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-4) to open a home-and-home series riding a four-game win streak. Included was a 32-17 decision at Mosaic Stadium on July 29, a game that saw Rourke, of Victoria, throw for 336 yards and two TDs and rush eight times for 20 yards and a touchdown.
The Lions would clinch the season series against Saskatchewan with a victory and also move to within two points of idle Winnipeg (9-1) atop the West Division standings. The Riders enter this week’s action tied with Calgary (5-3) for third in the conference, although the Stampeders have a game in hand.
The Riders will visit B.C. Place Stadium on Aug. 26.
Defensive reinforcements could be on the way for the Riders with defensive linemen Pete Robertson and Garrett Marino both expected to return.
Robertson has been out since suffering a foot injury in Saskatchewan’s 28-13 win over Ottawa on July 8. At the time, he’d registered a CFL-high seven sacks in just five games and a testament to Robertson’s dominance is that he remains tied for the league lead in that category despite his absence.
Marino has finished serving a four-game suspension — the longest in league history — he received July 11 for delivering a low hit on Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and making comments about Masoli’s heritage.
CFL defences have had trouble containing Rourke and Co. B.C. ranks first in offensive points (36.4 per game), offensive TDs (35), net offence (456 yards per game), passing (366.8 yards), time of possession (32 minutes 51 seconds), completion percentage (79.7), most 30-plus yard completions (20) and passing TDs (23).
Riders Depth Chart for Friday’s game against the BC Lions.
–With Files from Dan Ralph, the Canadian Press–
