The B.C. Lions (12-6) play their first home playoff game since 2016 when they entertain the Calgary Stampeders (12-6) in the CFL West semifinal on Sunday.
The teams’ two top pivots – Lions star Nathan Rourke against Jake Maier of the Stampeders -- are set to square off for the first time in this one.
Both players are in their first year as starting quarterbacks with Maier taking over at mid-season and Rourke missing most of the second half because of injury.
After years of anywhere from middling to low interest in the Lions in Vancouver, the market seems re-energized with new owner Amar Doman making plenty of good moves. More than 30,000 fans are expected just days after the league announced that the Grey Cup will return to Vancouver in 2024.
Here is a capsule look at the West final.
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT at BC Place
The Lions were favoured by 1.5 on FanDuel as of Saturday morning. The spread was 2.5 three days earlier.
The winner goes to Winnipeg to face the two-time reigning Grey Cup champion Blue Bombers in the West final on Nov. 13.
The Lions won 2-1, which is why this game is in B.C.
The question is whether that’s an advantage as all three games were won by the road team this year.
In the only game Rourke started, he threw for 488 yards in a thrilling 41-40 win over then-starter Bo Levi Mitchell in Calgary on Aug. 13.
The Lions won another dramatic game in Calgary on Sept. 17, prevailing 31-29 in overtime with Vernon Adams Jr., at QB for B.C. against Maier.
The Stampeders bounced back the following week with a 25-11 win in Vancouver with Maier throwing for 294 yards and beating Adams Jr.
The Stampeders are in the playoffs for the 17th year in a row. However, they’ve exited in the West semifinal the past two seasons.
The Lions have missed the playoffs the past two seasons and lost 48-8 in their last post-season trip when they were the crossover team for a CFL East semifinal in Hamilton against the Ticats in 2018.
It’s the first B.C.-Calgary playoff game since the Stamps hammered the Lions 42-15 in the 2016 West final.
THE COACHES
Dave Dickenson (Calgary) vs. Rick Campbell (B.C.)
Two guys who know what they’re doing.
Dickenson, a former Lions and Stamps quarterback, is in his sixth season as Calgary head coach and guided the team to the Grey Cup in 2018 after losing in the title game in his first two years at the helm.
Campbell, a former Stamps defensive co-ordinator, is in his second season as head coach of the Lions after spending the previous five years as the first head coach of the Ottawa Redblacks. Campbell led the Redblacks to the Grey Cup in 2016 and also was runner-up with Ottawa in two other years.
Nathan Rourke (B.C.) vs. Jake Maier (Calgary)
In his first year as starter, Rourke seemed to be on his way to winning the most outstanding player award before suffering a foot injury that required surgery in late August.
Rourke was the story of the year in the CFL before he required surgery, putting up Doug Flutie-like numbers as a Canadian – a true rarity in the CFL.
The Stampeders made the tough decision to replace Mitchell, one of the best players in team history, with Maier in late August.
Maier is 6-3 as Stamps starter. For the season, he had a good touchdown to interception ratio (14-7) and completed 74.7 per cent of his passes, second to Rourke among starting quarterbacks.
It’s worth noting that it’s very rare for inexperienced starters to capture a Grey Cup. The last to really do so was B.C.’s Travis Lulay in 2011, taking the Lions to the title in his second season as starter.
Rourke vs. rust
The good news for Rourke is that he played a quarter in a meaningless season finale last week in Winnipeg and looked OK.
Of course, the intensity will be significantly higher before an expected big home crowd for a playoff game.
Rourke also has to contend with the second-ranked defence in the league – featuring West defensive player of the year Shawn Lemon (second in the league with 14 sacks) and an excellent defensive line.
Calgary RB Ka’Deem Carey vs. B.C. RB James Butler
The top two running backs in the league this season square off.
Carey rushed for a league-high 1,088 yards in 14 games, 28 more than Butler notched in 17 contests.
The Stamps, whose offensive line is as good as any, also have two more dangerous running backs in Dedrick Mills and Peyton Logan.
Calgary had the second-best rush defence in the league, while B.C. was fourth.
Both teams vs. the officials
After the game in Calgary in September, players from both teams were involved in a heated altercation in a parking lot with police officers needing to intervene.
The incident seemed to be linked to an on-field punch thrown by Stampeders linebacker Cameron Judge at Lions receiver Lucky Whitehead at the end of the game.
Judge was given a one-game suspension.
It’s likely neither team has forgotten about this. Discipline will be important.
The Lions are pulling out all the stops to make this a big event with Sarah McLachlan singing the national anthem and former Barenaked Ladies lead man Steven Page and alt-rockers The Odds performing at halftime. … The Stamps led the way with 11 players on the West Division all-star list. The Lions had four. … It’s an intriguing kicking matchup. B.C.’s Sean Whtye is third in CFL history in field-goal percentage, while Calgary’s Rene Paredes is second. … The Stamps tied for the league lead with a 7-2 road record this season.
Calgary 28, B.C. 20
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