VANCOUVER – Nathan Rourke is aware of his B.C. Lions weren’t at their finest on Friday evening.
It didn’t matter.
The Lions (8-7) withstood a late push from the visiting Toronto Argonauts and floor out a 27-22 victory for his or her third straight win.
“Not fairly, however generally good groups discover a means,” Rourke stated of the efficiency. “And I feel we’re feeling proper now that we’re taking part in some good soccer as a workforce. If we’re struggling in a single space, different elements can decide you up. And I feel our defence did that tonight, so hats off to them.”
The Canadian quarterback threw for 235 yards, connecting on 16 of his 25 makes an attempt with one landing and three interceptions. He additionally drove in a pair of short-yardage majors.
Justin McInnis reeled in his sixth TD of the season whereas Sean Whyte made two subject objectives and three converts.
After lacking Toronto’s 21-19 loss to the Montreal Alouettes final week, Nick Arbuckle began below centre for the Argos (5-10) and put up 281 passing yards, going 28-for-38 with a landing move to Makai Polk and one interception.
Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made 5 subject objectives, together with three 50-yard strikes, and one conversion.
The Argos fought, stated head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, however finally got here up quick.
“We have been beat up on the O-line and the receivers,” he stated. “So I’m happy with their effort and their toughness. It’s a tricky loss. However I assumed, offensively, too many penalties, too many seconds and longs. However the defensive effort was there. They performed adequate soccer for us to win. I assumed particular groups did their half, too.”
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B.C. took a 12-point lead early within the remaining body earlier than the guests mounted a late comeback.
Rourke added his second speeding TD of the evening two-and-a-half minutes into the fourth, discovering area alongside the surface of a pileup on the objective line and diving by way of the our bodies into the top zone. Whyte’s single put the Lions up 27-15.
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Toronto received a lift halfway by way of the quarter when Lions defensive lineman Levi Bell was handed a 25-yard penalty for roughing the passer after he caught Arbuckle with a spear.
One other pricey name got here minutes later when B.C.’s Bradlee Anae was known as for pointless roughness, giving the Argos a primary down on the Lions’ two-yard line.
Arbuckle despatched a seven-yard toss to Polk ultimately zone for the landing and Hajrullahu made the additional level to chop B.C.’s result in 27-22.
The Lions discovered some respiratory room with lower than three minutes to go within the recreation when Mathieu Betts sacked Arbuckle. B.C. linebacker Josh Woods recovered the ball and darted up the sector.
Lions head coach Buck Pierce preferred what he noticed from his defence on Friday.
“I assumed they stored every thing in entrance of them for essentially the most half,” he stated. “We didn’t quit lots of explosive performs. I feel nearly all of their possibilities got here on some penalties that we took. I assumed later within the recreation, the second half, they did a very good job of tackling and rallying and working to the ball.”
Each groups struggled to get their offence going early within the recreation, and Toronto opened the scoring with an extended subject objective from Hajrullahu halfway by way of the primary quarter.
Minutes later, Rourke escaped from the pocket, received a number of steps in and lobbed a ball towards McInnis simply over the objective line, solely to see the move picked off by Willie Drew.
The Argos suffered an identical destiny on the subsequent possession. Arbuckle launched a rainbow from deep in Toronto territory and rookie Lions defensive again Jackson Findlay jumped as much as make the catch.
“When that ball was coming, it appeared prefer it was coming in sluggish movement,” Findlay stated, including that his dad and mom and a few associates have been within the stands to see the play.
“I most likely may have stayed at my ft after I caught it, however it was a fairly cool second. Went down with it, my teammates surrounded me. Stadium type of went quiet for a second and thought possibly one thing had occurred. However no, fairly cool second for positive.”
Rourke additionally hit a serious milestone on Friday, passing Gerry Dattilio and climbing into second place on the CFL’s record of all-time passing yards by a Canadian QB. The 27-year-old from Victoria, B.C., now has 10,054 throughout his profession.
“Clearly, any time that type of stuff occurs, I feel it does provide you with a second to pause and say, ‘That is cool,’” Rourke stated of the accomplishment. “There’s an even bigger factor than simply this season, having the ability to characterize Canadians in soccer and lots of nice Canadian quarterbacks.”
“Each time I feel I’m studying just a little bit extra in regards to the recreation and the gamers that got here earlier than me, and that’s at all times one thing particular for me, so I’m honoured. It’s not one thing you’re taking pictures for, I’d say, however it’s at all times one thing cool when it occurs.”
NOTES: Toronto was restricted to twenty-eight speeding yards on 12 carries. … The Lions took 5 penalties for 49 yards within the first quarter. … A number of B.C. gamers marked milestones within the recreation, together with Butler (handed 1,000 speeding yards on the season), McInnis (handed the 1,000 receiving yards mark) and linebacker Micha Awe (handed 100 defensive tackles).
UP NEXT
Lions: Host the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Argos: Face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Toronto on Saturday, Oct. 4.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Sept. 26, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
