B.C. Lions edge Stampeders 30-26 in Calgary as Adams Jr. exits injured
Nathan Rourke passed for 301 yards and ran for a score as B.C. rallied late, while Calgary's QB and top rusher both left the game injured in the fourth quarter.
The B.C. Lions defeated the Calgary Stampeders 30-26 at McMahon Stadium on Thursday, their third straight win, in front of an announced crowd of 17,076. Nathan Rourke ran for one touchdown and threw two more to Keon Hatcher Sr., finishing 15 of 22 for 301 yards in his second game back from a non-throwing arm injury. Zander Horvath added his team-leading eighth rushing touchdown, and Sean Whyte kicked a 45-yard field goal.
Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was hurt early in the fourth quarter when his head hit the turf on a six-yard carry; he left for the medical tent and did not return, finishing 13 of 23 for 148 yards and a touchdown. CFL rushing leader Dedrick Mills also exited the game in the fourth quarter. Backup Josh Love went 6 of 10 for 58 yards in relief.
Calgary got touchdowns from Erik Brooks and Quincy Vaughn, plus a two-point convert to Damien Alford, and briefly retook the lead 26-23 with three minutes remaining. Jude McAtamney made field goals from 55, 13, 29 and 44 yards but missed a 39-yard attempt in the fourth quarter after Calgary recovered a B.C. fumble on a punt.
Rourke answered with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hatcher to put B.C. back ahead, and Love's potential game-winning drive ended in an interception by T.J. Lee with 30 seconds left. The loss was Calgary's fifth this season by four points or less, dropping the Stampeders to 4-6 while B.C. improved to 4-5. B.C. next plays Saskatchewan on Aug. 23, and Calgary has a bye before hosting Hamilton on Aug. 29.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.