Deadspin | Roughriders hope to clinch home playoff date in clash with Lions

The Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions have wrapped up West Division playoff berths, but Saturday’s clash still has significant ramifications.

The Roughriders (8-7-1) can guarantee themselves a home playoff game if they defeat the visiting Lions (8-8) in Regina.

“With the game against BC coming up, we need the fans to be loud and proud,” Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris told reporters. “We need them to show up and show how difficult a place this is going to be to play in if we can get a win and clinch a home playoff game.”

The Roughriders are part of the playoff field for the first time since 2021. They also are a hot team with three straight wins following an 0-6-1 stretch.

“We’re happy that we’ll have an opportunity to check one more thing off our list that we had set for ourselves,” Saskatchewan coach Corey Mace said. “To be honest with you, we’ve still got to get ready for BC. There’s still so much to play for this season.”

If the Lions should win Saturday, they will move ahead of the Roughriders and be in position to earn that home-field slot.

BC is coming off a 32-15 home victory over the Calgary Stampeders. The Lions led just 9-8 after three quarters but back-to-back defensive touchdowns turned a close game into an easy victory.

Mathieu Betts had a 70-yard interception return for touchdown and T.J. Lee scooped up an errant backward pass and returned it 27 yards for a score.

“The more we’re on the field, the more opportunities we have to make plays,” Lee said. “And that’s how I broke it down to them. You saw it resonate. It doesn’t matter what was happening. Defense was coming out. We were thinking about game-changing plays and when it got down the stretch, we started making plays. All it takes is one little play for everybody to start believing.”

BC quarterback Nathan Rourke, who was 20-of-24 passing for 218 yards, appreciated the defensive scores.

“It was huge. They won the game,” Rourke said. “They took over the game for us, it was 9-8, and as an offense we blinked and it was 25-8 and we hadn’t done anything.”

Meanwhile, the Roughriders are coming off a 28-24 win over the host Edmonton Elks. Harris passed for 358 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

BC produced a 35-20 home victory over Saskatchewan on July 13 when Justin McInnis set career highs of 14 catches and 243 yards as well as scoring a touchdown. McInnis leads the CFL with 1,244 yards.

–Field Level Media