LIVE STREAM PPV: CFL – Saskatchewan Roughriders v. BC Lions, Aug. 5 @ 7p EDT (Aug. 6, @ 1a CEST)

CFL.CA STAFF

VANCOUVER — The Saskatchewan Roughriders take a trip to BC Place Stadium for an all-West showdown to close out Week 7 action on Saturday night.

The first meeting of 2017 between the Riders and Lions is also the first of back to back games between the two teams, in what could be a significant early-season turning point.

The Riders are coming off of a big win after getting past the Toronto Argonauts 38-27 last week. Saskatchewan trailed by four heading into the final quarter but outscored the Argos 18-3 in the final 15 minutes to solidify the victory.

The Riders’ offence proved to be too much for Toronto. Kevin Glenn put on a show in front of the hometown crowd, completing 24 of 37 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns. Duron Carter was on the receiving end of two of Glenn’s tossing majors and led all receivers with 131 yards on nine catches. Bakari Grant also had an impressive day, racking up 115 yards on just five catches. The Riders’ ground game was equally as lethal as their passing game as Cameron Marshall rushed for 110 yards.

The matchup against the Lions is the first of a critical five-game stretch against divisional opponents for Saskatchewan. Glenn says it is important to concentrate on each game as it comes — one at a time.

“I just think you go in and you prepare,” Glenn told Riderville.com. “You make sure that you pay attention to all the little details you need to do within the week and you take it one game at a time. Don’t look to far down the road, and that’s why we’re focusing on BC right now.”

Jones: They’re not invincible, but they play very good football

The Lions are looking to capture a win in front of their hometown crowd after falling 37-26 to the Edmonton Eskimos in Week 6. BC battled back from an early 14-point deficit to tie the game up midway through the third quarter but Esks pivot Mike Reilly rushed for two short majors in the final quarter to pull away from the Lions.

BC quarterback Travis Lulay completed 22-of-26 passes for 259 yards with two passing touchdowns, a rushing major, and two interceptions.

The 33-year-old veteran will get his third straight start on Saturday. Lulay’s offence will receive a boost as Chris Williams is set to make his season debut for the Lions. BC’s prized off-season acquisition has been recovering from a knee injury that cut his 2016 campaign short. Williams finished 2016 with 1,246 receiving yards despite being sidelined for the REDBLACKS’ final four games. The 29-year-old was one of the most sought after free agents on the market during the off-season despite his injury.

Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian led the league in tackles heading into Week 7. He says he is looking forward to the challenge of facing a tough Saskatchewan squad.

Elimiman told BCLions.com:

“Obviously they’re a very talented team. The receivers they have, I mean, look at the catch Duron Carter made last week, making headlines. They have a lot of good talent on the offensive side of the ball. Obviously I think they’re a better team than the last time we faced them in preseason. At the end of the day it’s about us, and I always preach that.”

The Lions have won the past six matchups against the Riders but Chris Jones and co. hope this is the start of the turnaround in Riderville. The win over the Argos last week was a season saver for the Riders, who, at 2-3, remain in the thick of things in the highly-competitive West.

BC ranks second in the league in yards per game (414.8) and third in points per game (31.7). They will be in tough against a Riders squad that boasts one of the best defences in the league, ranking second in total yards given up per game (359.6).

The Riders will have to stop the Lions’ ground game and, more specifically, try to stop Johnson from finding the end zone for a seventh straight game. Johnson ranks second in the league in rushing yards with 343 through six weeks.

A factor in both home-and-home series matchups could be decided by who wins the turnover battle. While Lulay has thrown an impressive seven touchdowns in three games, he is averaging two interceptions a game. Glenn on the other hand has only thrown four interceptions in five games.

AFI, Yare Media and the CFL

American Football International is collaborating with Yare Media and the Canadian Football League to present 2017 CFL games live. This is more than a livestream. This is a stream of the top flight TSN network television broadcast.

If you can’t watch it live, each game is available for 48 hours after the original broadcast.

LIVE STREAM PPV: CFL – Saskatchewan Roughriders @BC Lions Sat. Aug. 5 7:00p EDT (1:00a Aug. 6 CEST)