Lions outlast Roughriders in down-to-the-wire playoff contest

There will be a new Grey Cup champion in 2026.

After being eliminated by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2024 and 2025 West Division playoffs, the B.C. Lions flipped the script by overcoming a 17-3 deficit and defeating the Green and White 33-26 on Saturday at BC Place Stadium.

The Lions advanced to the CFL’s Western Final against the host Edmonton Elks (Nov. 7, Commonwealth Stadium). The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will visit the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Final. Next week’s winners will advance to the 113^th Grey Cup Game, set for Nov. 15 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

As for the Roughriders, they have been thwarted in their bid to become the first repeat champion in franchise history.

“I’m grateful that I get to come to work with a group of guys like that,” quarterback Trevor Harris, the 2025 Grey Cup MVP, told reporters in Vancouver.

“We had aspirations to accomplish more. A game like this is one that will keep you up at night. It’ll drive you for improvement and other ways to get better.”

The Roughriders, powered by an effective running game and a swarming defence, led 17-3 in the second quarter but were outscored 30-9 the rest of the way.

“We had an opportunity and I’m proud of those guys,” Head Coach Corey Mace told reporters. “They fought until the very last second.”

The Roughriders began the game in robust fashion when Melique Straker — the team’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2026 — delivered a devastating tackle on the opening kickoff.

On the Lions’ opening play from scrimmage, middle linebacker Jameer Thurman forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive back DaMarcus Fields.

The turnover was converted into the first points of the game — a 55-yard Brett Lauther field goal at 2:01 of the first quarter.

Another Lauther field goal, from 26 yards, gave the visitors a 6-0 lead at 8:56 of the opening frame.

The Lions countered with a 26-yard field goal by Sean Whyte, who made it 6-3 at 12:19 to conclude the first-quarter scoring.

After the Lions were stuffed on a third-and-one gamble — Jaxon Ford registered the stop on Zander Horvath — Saskatchewan moved 49 yards in five plays.

The capper was a four-yard touchdown run by Tommy Stevens at 8:39 of the second quarter. Samuel Emilus added the fourth two-point convert by the Roughriders in a playoff game.

The Lions quickly countered with a 69-yard touchdown bomb from Nathan Rourke to a wide-open Stanley Berryhill III at 10:07 of the second frame. Whyte’s convert pared the Roughriders’ lead to 17-10.

The first half ended at 17-13 when Whyte kicked a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.

Lauther’s 34-yarder at 4:41 of the third quarter gave the Roughriders a 20-13 advantage.

The Lions responded in a hurry when Rourke and Jevon Cottoy collaborated on a 70-yard aerial score at 5:28 of the third frame. Whyte’s convert created a 20-20 tie.

At that point, 139 of the Lions’ 214 passing yards were courtesy of the long TD passes to Cottoy and Berryhill III.

“I feel like we did play a strong game for the most part, but it’s the small mental errors that really hurt us,” cornerback Tevaughn Campbell told the media.

Lauther restored the Riders’ lead at 10:10 of the third quarter, kicking a 33-yard field goal to make it 23-20.

“We’ve got to make sure we finish drives with touchdowns,” Harris said “It’s that simple. That was kind of the difference in the game.”

The Lions went ahead for the first time when Rourke hit an uncovered Cottoy for a 13-yard TD at 13:14 of the third quarter. Whyte’s point after gave the Lions a 27-23 lead.

B.C. went up 30-23 when Whyte split the uprights from 34 yards at 4:36 of the fourth quarter.

Another field goal by White, from 23 yards at 12:04 of the final frame, fattened the Lions’ lead to 33-23.

Lauther made it 33-26 with his sixth field goal — a 44-yarder with 1:36 left in the game.

He then attempted an onside kick, which was unsuccessful.

The Lions then attempted a game-clinching field goal, but Whyte was wide from 49 yards. Mathew Sexton returned the football to the Roughriders’ 22-yard line.

Saskatchewan began its final series on its 22-yard line with 38 seconds left.

Harris found Kian Schaffer-Baker for 20 yards, A.J. Ouellette for nine, Schaffer-Baker for nine, and Johnny Johnson III for 15. That gave the Roughriders one final play, from the Lions’ 34.

However, Harris was sacked on the final play.

“It didn’t go our way today, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about those guys,” Mace said.

Harris was 29-for-40 for 309 yards. Rourke was 21-for-32 for 366 yards.

Cottoy was the game’s leading receiver, with eight catches for 131 yards. Four of his receptions were on second down.

Schaffer-Baker paced the Roughriders’ receivers, with seven catches for 73 yards.

Thurman and Seyi Oladipo Jr. each had eight defensive tackles.

Oladipo Jr. and Habakkuk Baldonado had the Roughriders’ sacks.

LONG-DISTANCE LAUTHER

Lauther’s 55-yard field goals set a Roughriders playoff record.

Until Saturday, the Riders’ only other field goal of 50-plus yards in the post-season was a 51-yarder by Bob Macoritti in the 1976 Grey Cup versus the Ottawa Rough Riders.

Lauther hit two from 50-plus for the first time in his CFL career. The feat has been accomplished six times by a Roughrider:

• Dave Ridgway vs. Winnipeg (53, 50), Sept. 5, 1982.

• Paul McCallum vs. Calgary (53, 51), Oct. 17, 1999.

• Paul McCallum vs. Ottawa (56, 52), Sept. 28, 2002.

• Luca Congi vs. B.C. (53, 53), Sept. 24, 2006.

• Paul McCallum vs. B.C. (50, 50), July 17, 2015.

• Brett Lauther at B.C. (55, 55), Oct. 31, 2026.

Ridgway has the most 50-plus-yarders in Roughriders history (32), followed by McCallum (29) and Lauther (27).

Lauther tied a Roughriders record for field goals in a playoff game (six).

Luca Congi kicked six field goals against the visiting Calgary Stampeders in the 2007 Western Semi-Final.

TREVOR’S TIMETABLE

Harris, who signed a one-year contract extension shortly after the 2025 Grey Cup win, was asked if a decision had been made regarding his football future.

“No, not right now,” he replied during Saturday’s post-game media conference. “I don’t take too long with decisions like that. You do kind of mull over things like that at this point. You just don’t know what the plan of the organization is and what the plan is for me and my family.

“I’m going to pray about it and talk to my family. I’ll deal with that here in the next few weeks.”

Here is what else Harris had to say after the game:

• “This is our job and I love those guys in that locker room. To say it’s an honour and privilege to suit up for the Green and White and play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders would be a massive understatement. I love this city. I love this province. I love this team. It has been an honour to be the quarterback here. I’m grateful.”

• “You want to win a championship every single year. Of course you do. So when you come up short, it sucks. It hurts. You can’t lie about that. It hurts because we put so much into it. If we were all chipper and saying, ‘Hey, that’s all good,’ it means that we didn’t care. I hope everybody knows how much it means to me to represent this province.”