VANCOUVER — The BC Lions’ rollercoaster season continues on Friday night when the Calgary Stampeders pay a visit to BC Place.
Losers of two straight, the Lions are looking to get back in the win column with the season series against the Stamps in the balance as they try to climb the West Division standings.
Calgary sits fifth in the division is are trying to win its first game on the road after starting 0-6 away from McMahon Stadium.
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Nathan Rourke occupies the pocket again off a 264-yard performance in a loss to Hamilton in Week 17. Rourke’s ability to find rhythm with top receiver Justin McInnis will be critical to the team’s success down the stretch. Since Rourke’s returned in Week 11, McInnis is averaging 62.2 yards per game, a nearly 20-yard difference from his 80.5 season average.
With a bye last week, the Stamps’ secondary should be rested and ready to deal with a pass game that can be among the elite when it’s clicking. Defensive backs Demerio Houston and Tre Roberson are the main threats to Rourke’s success downfield and are tasked with keeping McInnis under wraps.
Watch live here. Calgary Stampeders @ BC Lions, Oct. 5, 04:00 CET (4 am, 10 pm Oct. 4, EDT)
If Rick Campbell wants to go to the run, he’ll hand the ball to one of only two running backs in the league to surpass 1,000 yards, in William Stanback. Stanback’s 103 yards against Hamilton was his third 100-plus yard game in his last six contests.
But the Stamps’ defensive front has held him to a 66.5 yards in two games this season. Lineman Mike Rose, who has five sacks, has not only been important against the run but will try to make Rourke uncomfortable in the pocket. Active linebackers Micah Awe and Cameron Judge also have the capability of impacting a game in more ways than one.
Rourke knows the Stamps’ defence well and is anticipating it trying to force him into quick decisions and mistakes.
“They’re a pressure team,” Rourke told reporters. “We’re expecting them to come after us. So, we have to make them pay. We didn’t do that last week and we have to do that this week. It’s going to have to come down to execution.”
Head coach Dave Dickenson’s team has its own questions under centre, ones it hopes veteran Jake Maier can answer.
Maier sits fourth in the league in passing yards with 3,354 and third in touchdown with 18. It’s no secret who he looks for on his first read as Reggie Begelton has been one of the best receivers this season. If Begelton can manage 79 yards against the Lions, he’ll crack 1,000 for the third time in his career. He can’t do it alone, though, so Cam Echols and Marken Michel need to provide additional options downfield.
Watch live here. Calgary Stampeders @ BC Lions, Oct. 5, 04:00 CET (4 am, 10 pm Oct. 4, EDT)
Maier does bring success against the Lions’ secondary into their third meeting, having thrown for 319 and 307 yards against them earlier in the season. Garry Peters and his nine pass knockdowns will attempt to lower the 289.7 passing yards they’re allowing per game. He’ll need the help of Adrian Greene and Emmanuel Rugamba to do so.
Much like the Lions, the Stamps can lean on their run game. Dedrick Mills has carried the ball 123 times for 667 yards over nine games, while also having the ability to jump into the pass game if required.
He’ll run into Mathieu Betts, Christian Covington and Sione Teuhema on the line of scrimmage and Ryder Varga at linebacker. Teuhema is tied for the league lead in sacks with seven and Varga is fresh off a 12 defensive tackle game.
Dickenson hopes his team can find a way to get back to basics and keep the game simple with four weeks to go.
“I just want them to be focused and take a step forward,” Dickenson told reporters. “I want us to kind of get back to what I would consider fundamental football. As an offence, you have to own that ball and move forward. As a defence, we just have to tackle as a group of 12 and have that grit. Special teams, same thing. We can’t accept up and down anymore, we have to just make sure we’re up.”
A BC win moves them back to .500 at 8-8.
Calgary is in desperate need of a victory to keep their slim playoff chances from slipping away for good.