Lions look to roar past .500, host West-leading Roughriders

If the last two weeks are any guide, the B.C. Lions appear to have found themselves.

Coming off rousing road wins over Montreal and Edmonton, B.C. tries to get above the .500 mark Saturday when it hosts West co-leader Saskatchewan.

The Lions stomped Edmonton 32-14 Sunday, getting a career-high 171 yards and a touchdown on the ground from James Butler. Nathan Rourke added 345 yards and a pair of scoring strikes in the air as B.C. squared its record at 3-3.

"It's good to be playing good football and it's also good not to have played our best football yet," Rourke said.

First-year coach Buck Pierce was happy to see the Lions take a 24-7 halftime lead. Slow starts were a problem for the team before Sunday as they had been outscored 72-32 in the first half of games, managing just three first-quarter points.

"Early execution was key for us and we've been lacking that the last number of weeks," Pierce said. "To be able to come out and start faster was good to see."

While B.C. has momentum, the Roughriders (4-1) are playing after a loss for the first time this year. They dropped a 24-10 decision on July 12 at home to Calgary. The game was postponed a day after wildfire smoke created unsafe playing conditions.

Saskatchewan struggled to generate any kind of offense, rushing for only 16 yards and allowing three sacks. It was the first slip-up this year for a line that had helped the team lead the league in scoring, rushing yards and fewest sacks prior to last week.

"We get no stats, right? So we take great pride in that and obviously, we need to get a lot better," offensive lineman Logan Ferland said.

The line will face some obstacles in bouncing back. Center Sean McEwen (torn ACL) and tackle Daniel Johnson (shoulder) are out with injuries. Dangerous kick returner Mario Alford (hip) is also on the shelf.

The Roughriders routed the Lions 37-18 on June 28 in Regina.

--Field Level Media