VANCOUVER — The BC Lions get the Saskatchewan Roughriders at home this time.
A year ago, Saskatchewan ended BC's season in Regina, winning the Western Final 24-21 on a Trevor Harris touchdown pass to Tommy Nield with 11 seconds left. On Saturday, the Lions host the Roughriders in the West Semi-Final at Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place, and the winner goes to Edmonton for the West Final on Nov. 7.
Both clubs finished 10-8. BC took the season series two games to one, and both wins came at BC Place, 30-16 on Aug. 23 and 31-24 on Sep. 25. Saskatchewan won the first meeting 31-27 in Regina on June 13.
Rourke, facing Saskatchewan for the fourth time this season, said the familiarity runs both ways. "We're very familiar with them," Rourke said. "They're familiar with us." He is keeping the moment in proportion. "I don't want to minimize the moment, but you don't want to put too much into it and buy into the hype more than you need to."
The quarterbacks headline it. Harris led the CFL in passing this season for the first time in his career, throwing for 5,370 yards, and he has a 3-1 postseason record as Saskatchewan's starter. Nathan Rourke threw for 4,614 yards in the regular season and is 2-2 in four career playoff starts.
Harris pointed to the two receivers who drove Saskatchewan's passing game all season, KeeSean Johnson and Kian Schaffer-Baker. "They've been excellent," Harris said. "Conviction is a deep rooted belief in who you are. And that's who we have."
Pierce is not counting on home field to change the ending. "Playing good football. That's what it comes down to," the Lions head coach said Friday. "Played them three times this year."
His respect for the other sideline starts with Harris. "What's really impressive is his relationship with his receivers," Pierce said. "He'll almost blindly know where guys are going to be, and so he gets the ball out so fast."
Underneath them, BC brings the league's second-ranked net offence and its best run defence, allowing 71.3 rushing yards a game, the lowest mark by a BC defence since 1986. Saskatchewan allowed the second-fewest points in the CFL and gave up just 29 sacks all season, but the Roughriders also finished with a minus-eight turnover ratio, seventh in the league.
Harris credited the line that gave up those 29 sacks. "Well-coached," Harris said. "They play hard. They pay attention. They prepare their butts off. And so they do a tremendous job for us."
"It's a committed group," Pierce said of his defence. "We've done a great job of just continuing to improve each week and take steps in the right direction." He called winning the turnover battle "one of the biggest" parts of Saturday's game and said his defence's job is to "do our best to take it away."
Darnell Sankey anchors the BC defence after a 114-tackle season that made him a finalist for most outstanding defensive player. Jameer Thurman, named to the West Division All-CFL team this week, runs the middle of Saskatchewan's defence.
History favours the visitors in this round. Saskatchewan leads the all-time playoff series 8-6, has won the last three West Semi-Final meetings with BC, in 2010, 2013 and 2024, all of them in Regina, and the Lions' last West Semi-Final win over the Roughriders was in 2008. BC's counter is home field: the Lions have won their last four home playoff games and are 3-2 at home against Saskatchewan in the postseason.
The Lions listed nine players out on their final injury report of the week, with defensive lineman Debaillie, defensive back McGee and defensive back Thomas-Oliver all questionable. Pierce confirmed Friday that linebacker McKenna will not play.
Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. PT, 2:30 p.m. MT. The winner plays the Elks at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. MT.
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