Lions look to be in good hands with Rourke
Home team's pivots put on a good show in final tune-up before real games
B.C. 20, SASKATCHEWAN 18
Nathan Rourke's final minute of work Friday night showed why the B.C. Lions' brass are so excited about him.
The Lions edged the Saskatchewan Roughriders 20-18 at B.C. Place in their second of their two pre-season games for this coming CFL season. The B.C. starters played only the first half and that included Rourke, the second-year quarterback who was given the keys to the B.C. offence in the off-season when veteran pivot Michael O'reilly retired.
Rourke found Bryan Burnham open in the left corner of the end zone from two yards out with 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter, culminating a seven-play, 70-yard drive that lasted 57 seconds and cut Saskatchewan's lead at the time to 12-10.
Rourke set it up with his best throw of the night, a 45-yard seeing-eye strike down the right flank to Dominique Rhymes.
Rourke wound up 13-of-19 for 145 yards, with that one scoring strike. He had two quarterback sneaks for one-yard each.
The 24-year-old, who was born in Victoria and raised largely in Oakville, Ont., before going on to play collegiately at Ohio, got rid of the ball quickly. He seemed to get more comfortable as the game wore on, going with some play-action and rolling out. He, like the rest of the starters, didn't play at all last Saturday, as B.C. went with the young, inexperienced lineup in their 41-6 pre-season loss to the host Calgary Stampeders.
Rourke saw extended duty under centre in three games last season
for B.C., including the season finale against the Edmonton Elks when he was 23-of-34 for 359 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.
That's part of the story from Friday. Here's what else we learned as B.C. gets ready to open the regular season next Saturday, when they host Edmonton at the downtown dome.
CHEMISTRY WITH COTTOY
During that first half with the starters, Rourke showed chemistry with Jevon Cottoy, connecting with him four times for 41 yards.
Rhymes, who has drawn rave reviews from team brass for his training camp efforts, finished with four catches for 70 yards.
Lucky Whitehead had two catches for 11 yards, while Burnham had that one two-yard grab for the major.
The B.C. running game was led by James Butler, who finished with 34 yards on six carries. That was highlighted by a 16-yard run.
Three of B.C.'S first six plays from scrimmages were runs by Butler.
The Lions had a league-low 211 rush attempts last season. You'd
think with a second-year quarterback they'd run more to take pressure off of him.
QUARTERBACKS IN ROTATION
Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo, who didn't play in their pre-season opener on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, was 6-of-12 for 64 yards. He has also had a nifty 12-yard run as a part of his two carries for 13 yards rushing on the night.
The Roughriders went through three quarterbacks on the night, turning the passing duties to Mason Fine and then to Jake Dolegala.
Dolegala was at the wrong end of a B.C. defensive highlight, as defensive back Quincy Mauger picked
him off at the B.C. goal line in the third quarter.
FAJARDO EFFORT FAILS
In the second quarter, a Fajardo pass to receiver Duke Williams in the end zone with B.C. defensive back Jalon Edwards-cooper in coverage was initially called a touchdown on the field. An automatic from the CFL command centre overturned it, calling it an incomplete pass. Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson called for a review, and Edwards-cooper wound up being charged with pass interference.
That put the ball on the oneyard line, and Fajardo scampered in for a touchdown. Saskatchewan missed the convert, making it 9-3.