BC Lions rally past Roughriders 33-26 to reach CFL West Final
The BC Lions came from behind to beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 33-26 in the CFL West Division semifinal on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at BC Place in Vancouver. The win sends the Lions into the West Division final and ends the Roughriders’ run as the reigning Grey Cup champions.
Saskatchewan looked in control early. The Roughriders led 17-3 midway through the second quarter after a four-yard rushing touchdown from Tommy Stevens and a two-point conversion. BC hit back before half-time, with Nathan Rourke finding Stanley Berryhill III for a 69-yard touchdown and Sean Whyte adding a 48-yard field goal to make it 17-13.
The Lions took over after the break. Rourke threw two touchdown passes to Jevon Cottoy in the third quarter — a 70-yard score that tied the game at 20-20, and a 13-yard score that gave BC its first lead at 27-23. Whyte added two more field goals in the fourth quarter, and a late Lauther 44-yard field goal made it 33-26 before Saskatchewan’s final drive stalled at the BC 34-yard line.
Rourke finished with 366 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 21 of his 32 passes. Cottoy caught eight passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns; Whyte kicked four field goals, longest 48 yards. Lauther kicked six for Saskatchewan, including two from 55 yards.
Saskatchewan had knocked BC out of the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025. Both teams finished the regular season 10-8, but BC earned the home game by winning their season series 2-1.
Why it matters
The win keeps BC’s Grey Cup hopes alive and ends the title defence of the team that won the championship last year. It also confirms Rourke as the difference-maker in the biggest game of the Lions’ season so far, after a first half in which BC trailed by two scores.
What happens next
BC travels to face the Edmonton Elks, who finished 13-5, in the West Division final on Saturday, 7 November. The winner goes to the Grey Cup in Calgary on 15 November. In the East, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will play the Montreal Alouettes on 7 November after beating the Toronto Argonauts 25-22 in Saturday’s other semifinal.
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