Sole possession of second place in the West Division is on the line Saturday when the Calgary Stampeders visit the BC Lions in Vancouver.
The Stampeders (8-6) have lost three in a row to see their lead over both the Lions (8-7) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-7) reduced to a half-game. The Blue Bombers are idle this week.
BC, in turn, has won three consecutive contests — including a 52-23 decision in Calgary on Sept. 19 — and can clinch a postseason berth with a victory on Saturday.
Nathan Rourke totaled five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing) in the previous encounter versus the Stampeders. He is 3-0 all-time against Calgary as a starter.
Rourke, however, didn’t turn in a gem in his last outing. He offset three interceptions with three touchdowns (one passing, two rushing) in the Lions’ 27-22 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.
“Not pretty, but sometimes good teams find a way,” Rourke said. “And I think we’re feeling right now that we’re playing some good football as a team. If we’re struggling in one area, other parts can pick you up.”
Calgary hasn’t turned in a pretty performance in quite some time, however it needs just one more win in its final four games and a loss by the Edmonton Elks (6-9) to clinch a playoff spot.
Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. has struggled mightily with three interceptions in his last two games. The team’s defense hasn’t done him any favors, yielding 121 points during its three-game losing streak.
The Stampeders addressed the latter issue on Sunday by acquiring All-Star defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV from the Ottawa Redblacks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft.
The CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2022, Mauldin helps Calgary as it attempts to get over the hurdle of losing veteran lineman Folarin Orimolade to a season-ending Achilles injury.
Mauldin, however, dismissed the notion of feeling pressure to contribute to a team that has been sliding.
“Pressure? I apply pressure,” Mauldin said, via the Calgary Herald. “Pressure is never on me. I always have that sort of kind of feeling coming into a game or coming into a new team that I feel comfortable. It feels weird to say, but I feel comfortable.”
–Field Level Media
