Reigning champion Riders take aim at favored Lions in West semifinal

The BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders finished the regular season with identical 10-8 records, but one has emerged as a clear favorite to win their CFL West Division semifinal on Saturday afternoon in Vancouver.

Saskatchewan linebacker Jameer Thurman knows it isn't his team favored to win by 6.5 points, and that's just fine with him.

"Ain't nobody picking us to win this game," Thurman said, per the Regina Leader-Post. "People in Regina aren't picking us to win this game. So I'm not worried about any of that. We just worry about us. We focus on us right now. That's it."

Saturday's winner gets a crack at the first-place Edmonton Elks in the West final on Nov. 7.

The Roughriders may be defending Grey Cup champions, but a four-game losing streak late in the season exposed some issues. The defense banded together and Saskatchewan ended the season with a 16-12 win over Montreal and a 16-9 victory over a resting Edmonton squad to ensure a playoff bid.

Trevor Harris led the league with 5,370 passing yards and tossed 32 touchdowns as he guided the Riders back to the playoffs. The 40-year-old is vying for his fourth Grey Cup triumph.

The Lions rallied from a poor start to win nine of their final 12 games. That included two wins over the Roughriders in Vancouver, 30-16 and 31-24, after they dropped their season opener in Regina 31-27.

"We were fortunate to come away with two victories against (Saskatchewan), but it's a brand-new series now," Lions defensive coordinator Mike Benevides said, per The Province. "They've got a Hall of Fame quarterback and a physical running game. We've got our hands full, but it should be a ton of a fun and I'm grateful that we're playing in our house."

Nathan Rourke passed for 4,614 yards and 24 touchdowns this season for BC, and Zander Horvath led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns while gaining 4.9 yards per carry (894 total yards, fifth in the CFL).

This marks the third consecutive year the Riders and Lions collide in the postseason. Saskatchewan prevailed 24-21 in the West final last year as Harris threw a 3-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left. The Riders beat the Lions in the West semifinal in 2024.

--Field Level Media