Rourke throws 3 TDs as B.C. Lions dump Edmonton Elks 31-14 in season opener

Nathan Rourke threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns as the B.C. Lions opened their CFL season with a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. 

The Canadian quarterback went 27-for-36 on his passing attempts, linking up with Stanley Berryhill III twice in the end zone. Justin McInnis caught his first touchdown of the year and James Butler drove in another major. 

Veteran kicker Sean Whyte, who played his first game under rookie head coach Buck Pierce, contributed a 22-yard field goal for the Lions.

Elks quarterback Tre Ford put up 178 passing yards, connecting on 17 of his 27 attempts and throwing one interception. He was sacked twice.

Cody Fajardo chalked up two short-yardage rushing majors for Edmonton, who also have a first-year head coach in Mark Kilam.

Rapper Snoop Dogg performed for the announced crowd of 52,837 fans before kickoff.

The game got off to a promising start for the Lions with Rourke and his teammates steadily working the ball up the field to give B.C. a first down at Edmonton’s two-yard line. 

Chase Brice came in for short yardage duty and appeared to stretch the ball into the end zone on third down. A review by the command centre, though, determined the QB went down before getting the ball across the line. 

Ford struggled early, going 0-for-3 on his first attempts of the game, before connecting with Zach Mathias for a six-yard gain on his fourth attempt of the night. 

Edmonton got on the board with just over three minutes left in the first quarter when Cody Grace sent a 66-yard punt into the end zone for a rouge. 

B.C. again came within inches of a touchdown early in the game when Rourke threaded a crisp pass to Jevon Cottoy directly under the uprights. The Canadian receiver fumbled the ball, then stared at his gloves in apparent disbelief. 

Whyte posted the home side’s first points of the night, booting a 22-yard field goal to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. 

The Elks took control again midway through the second quarter when Fajardo muscled his way through traffic for a one-yard rushing major. Vincent Blanchard missed the convert and Edmonton went up 7-3. 

The score stood at the end of the first half after the Elks kicker sent a 49-yard field goal attempt wide in the final seconds of the frame. 

B.C. came alive early in the second half, stringing together a possession that ended with Rourke escaping the pocket, taking a few steps and sailing a 34-yard pass to Berryhill in the end zone. 

Whyte made the convert and the Lions jumped out to a 10-7 advantage. 

Edmonton had an opportunity to level the score minutes later when Blanchard lined up for a 45-yard field goal, but the kick again went wide. 

Rourke proved on the next possession that he’s a dual threat, rushing for 13 yards on one play and 22 on another. 

He capped the drive with a 37-yard lob to Berryhill under the uprights and another convert from Whyte increased the Lions’ lead to 17-7 midway through the third quarter. 

Ford responded with some fast feet of his own in the dying seconds of the third quarter. The 27-year-old Canadian deftly darted around midfield to avoid multiple sack attempts and got a 37-yard pass off to Justin Rankin, who similarly snuck past several B.C. defenders before being felled at the three-yard line. 

Edmonton opened the fourth with Fajardo powering through traffic for his second touchdown of the night. Blanchard sent the convert through the uprights to cut the Elks’ deficit to three points. 

B.C. kept pressing and launched a seven-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped by a 17-yard pass from Rourke to McInnis in the end zone. 

McInnis, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que., led the CFL in receiving yards last season with 1,469. 

The Lions defence got to work next with linebacker Ben Hladik picking off Ford’s pass and dashing 61 yards to put his team back in prime scoring position. 

B.C. capitalized with Rourke handing off to running back Butler, who sprinted into the end zone for the home side’s fourth touchdown of the night. Another convert from Whyte put the Lions ahead 31-14. 

A massive 92-yard kickoff return by Javon Leake looked to cut Edmonton’s deficit midway through the fourth, but Elks linebacker Josiah Schakel was called for an illegal block on the play.

Fans voice frustration over long entry wait times

Some attendees expressed frustration on social media about lengthy delays getting into the stadium ahead of the game. Several fans said they waited in line for over an hour, with some describing the situation as “chaotic” and “poorly organized.”

The B.C. Pavilion Corporation, which owns the venue, said the largest influx of fans arrived just 30 minutes before Snoop Dog’s concert start time, leading to congestion at certain gates.

“While our teams worked hard to get fans safely into the building, and as efficiently as possible, there were wait times at certain gates that averaged 10-20 minutes,” it said in a statement.

The organization said 95 per cent of attendees were inside by the time Snoop Dogg went on stage.

The B.C. Lions also said all gates were open, and some had no lines at all. The club said it had urged fans throughout the week to arrive early.

WATCH | Lions president previews season: 

B.C. Lions president previews 2025 season with Snoop Dogg concert opener

Duane Vienneau said the Lions are looking to improve in the 2025 season after they made the Canadian Football League playoffs last year. Ahead of the home opener, which will feature a concert by American rapper Snoop Dogg, Vienneau said the team is looking forward to the reign of new coach and former Lions quarterback Buck Pierce.