The Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-6) hosted the B.C. Lions (11-7) on Saturday night from Mosaic Stadium in the Western Final. This was the second straight Western Final appearance by Saskatchewan. The B.C. Lions were making their first Western Final appearance since 2023.
The B.C. Lions were missing several players, including offensive lineman Dejon Allen (Arm), and defensive linemen Marcus Moore (Elbow) and Tomasi Laulile (Elbow). Saskatchewan did not have running back Mario Anderson Jr. (Knee) and wide receiver KeeSean Johnson (Knee).
First Quarter:
In the first quarter, B.C.’s offense had the ball on the 38-yard line. They went two-and-out. Saskatchewan’s offense got the ball on the 43-yard line. Running back A.J. Ouellette had two carries for 15 yards to the 52-yard line.
The drive stalled, and punter Jesse Mirco punted the ball 63 yards into the end zone. B.C. returner Seven McGee conceded the single point. The Roughriders took a 1-0 lead with 11:36 left.
For the rest of the first quarter, it was a defensive battle. With 1:06 left, Saskatchewan defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado sacked Nathan Rourke for a five-yard loss. B.C.’s offense moved the ball to the 49-yard line to end the first quarter, trailing the Roughriders 1-0.
Saskatchewan’s offense had 63 yards (36 yards passing, 27 yards rushing), and B.C.’s offense had 52 yards (40 yards passing, 17 yards rushing, 5 yards lost).
Second Quarter:
In the second quarter, B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke completed a 14-yard pass to Jevon Cottoy to the 35-yard line. Kicker Sean Whyte attempted a 43-yard field goal. The ball hit the right upright and was no good. The score remained 1-0 with 13:50 left.
Later, B.C.’s offense had the ball on the seven-yard line. Running back James Butler had four carries for 23 yards, and Nathan Rourke threw four passes for 76 yards to the four-yard line. Then, Rourke did a pump fake, causing Saskatchewan linebacker Antonie Brooks Jr. to jump, and Rourke ran it in for the touchdown. The Lions took a 7-1 lead with 3:49 left to cap off a nine-play drive for 103 yards.
Late in the second quarter, Saskatchewan’s offense had the ball on the 40-yard line with 1:23 left. Quarterback Trevor Harris completed five passes for 50 yards to the 14-yard line. Kicker Brett Lauther made a 22-yard field goal. The Roughriders trailed the Lions 7-4 at halftime.
First Half Stats:
B.C.’s offense had 171 yards (130 yards passing, 46 yards rushing, 5 yards lost), 9 first downs, 1 for 1 in the red zone, and the team was penalized two times for 15 yards. Quarterback Nathan Rourke completed 8 of 15 passes (53%) for 130 yards, two carries for four yards, and one rushing touchdown.
Running back James Butler had nine carries for 42 yards and two catches for 13 yards. Wide receiver Keon Hatcher made one catch for 31 yards, while Jevon Cottoy made two catches for 30 yards. The defense made one tackle for loss.
Saskatchewan’s offense had 146 yards (94 yards passing, 52 yards rushing), 6 first downs, no red zone opportunities, and the team was penalized two times for 10 yards. Quarterback Trevor Harris completed 10 of 15 passes (66%) for 94 yards.
Running back A.J. Ouellette had eight carries for 52 yards. Wide receiver Joe Robustelli made three catches for 40 yards, while Kian Scheffer-Baker made one catch for 28 yards. The defense made one tackle for loss and one sack.
Third Quarter:
Saskatchewan began the third quarter on the 46-yard line. Quarterback Trevor Harris started the drive by throwing three passes for 45 yards, including a 25-yarder to Kian Scheffer-Baker. Two plays later, Harris could not find anyone open and took off for a 10-yard run to the nine-yard line.
Running back A.J. Ouellette got them closer to the end zone with a six-yard run to the three-yard line. On third down, Harris threw a touchdown pass to Kian Scheffer-Baker for an 11-4 lead with 10:01 left to cap off an eight-play drive for 64 yards.
After B.C. went two-and-out, Saskatchewan’s offense had the ball on the 27-yard line. Running back A.J. Ouellette rushed for 13 yards. As he was leaping over a defender, B.C. defensive back T.J. Lee knocked the ball out, and Dewayne Hendrix recovered it on the 40-yard line.
B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke threw two passes for 33 yards to the seven-yard line. On the next play, he threw the ball intended for Keon Hatcher, but the ball bobbled up in the air and was intercepted by Marcus Sayles. Sayles returned it for 14 yards to the 18-yard line.
Saskatchewan’s offense moved the ball to the 26-yard line before kicker Brett Lauther made a 34-yard field goal for a 14-7 lead with 1:07 left. B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke had pressure in his face and escaped from being sacked before throwing a 17-yard pass to Justin McInnis.
After getting sacked by Antonie Brooks Jr. for a seven-yard loss, Rourke came back to throw a 19-yard pass to Javon Cottoy to the 41-yard line to end the third quarter. The Lions trailed the Roughriders 14-7.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Nathan Rourke threw two passes for 22 yards to the 19-yard line. On the next play, Saskatchewan’s defense left Keon Hatcher wide-open, and Rourke threw the ball to him for the touchdown. The game was tied 14-14 with 12:59 left to cap off a six-play drive for 70 yards.
Later, B.C. had the ball on the 53-yard line. Nathan Rourke threw three straight passes for 29 yards to the 29-yard line. Two plays later, Rourke avoided getting sacked by tossing the ball to James for a gain of 15 yards to the 14-yard line. Zander Horvath and James Butler rushed for a combined 14 yards to the two-yard line before Nathan Rourke took it in for the touchdown. The Lions led the Roughriders 21-14 with 6:17 left to cap off an eight-play drive for 53 yards.
Saskatchewan’s offense started its next drive on the 42-yard line. Trevor Harris threw a 31-yard pass to Tommy Nield to the 37-yard line. They continued to move the ball to the five-yard line. The drive stalled, and kicker Brett Lauther made a 13-yard field goal. The Roughriders trailed the Lions 21-17 with 2:40 left.
After B.C. went two-and-out, Saskatchewan’s offense was on the 34-yard line. Quarterback Trevor Harris threw six passes for 73 yards to the three-yard line. Then, he threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Tommy Nield for a 24-21 win over the B.C. Lions to cap off a seven-play drive for 76 yards. The Roughriders will play the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup next Sunday. It will be the first time since 2010 that these two teams play for the championship. The Alouettes beat the Roughriders for the Grey Cup twice in 2009 and 2010.
Final Stats:
Saskatchewan’s offense had 433 yards (305 yards passing, 128 yards rushing), 22 first downs, 2 for 3 in the red zone, and the team was penalized five times for 45 yards. Quarterback Trevor Harris completed 26 of 38 passes (68.4%) for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and three carries for 15 yards.
Running back A.J. Ouellette had 17 carries for 113 yards and two catches for 13 yards. Wide receiver Samuel Emilus made nine catches for 100 yards, while Kian Scheffer-Baker made three catches for 56 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 37 tackles, one tackle for loss, three sacks, and one interception.
B.C.’s offense had 349 yards (290 yards passing, 71 yards rushing, 12 yards lost), 20 first downs, 3 for 4 in the red zone, and the team was penalized four times for 30 yards. Quarterback Nathan Rourke completed 20 of 30 passes (66%) for 290 yards, one touchdown, one interception, four carries for six yards, and two rushing touchdowns.
Running back James Butler had 12 carries for 58 yards and five catches for 43 yards. Wide receiver Keon Hatcher made four catches for 75 yards and one touchdown, while Justin McInnis made four catches for 68 yards. The defense made 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
The 112th Grey Cup from Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, will air next Sunday at 6 pm on TSN, CTV, CBS Sports Network, and CFL+.
