B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 488 yards and engineered a 41-40 comeback win Saturday over the Calgary Stampeders.
The 24-year-old from Victoria recovered from two early interceptions, which the Stampeders converted into touchdowns, running for a pair of short-yardage touchdowns and throwing a pair of touchdown passes in the exciting CFL contest.
Completing 39 of 52 pass attempts, Rourke broke his own single-game passing record by a Canadian following the 477 yards he posted in last week’s win over Edmonton.
“There’s going to come a time in my life when I’m going to look back and realize how fortunate I was to be able to play with him,” Bryan Burnham said, a B.C. Lion receiver.
“I’m just excited to be a part of it.”
Sean Whyte’s 25-yard field goal with two seconds left in the game capped the Lions’ comeback.
The Stampeders led by nine points midway through the fourth quarter when Peyton Logan scored on an electric 99-yard kick return, but the Lions chewed through that deficit.
“It wasn’t pretty by any means but we found a way to win, but I’m proud of the guys for staying together and finding a way,” Rourke said.
Rourke threw touchdown passes to Burnham and Dominique Rhymes. Whyte also kicked field goals from 19, 38 and 23 yards out.
The Lions (7-1) and Stampeders (5-3) rank second and third respectively in the CFL’s West Division behind the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-1).
“Bad penalties, bad decisions. Everybody, from the sidelines to the guys on the field, everybody was terrible,” Bo Levi Mitchell said. “It was a bad second half. You score 40 points, you can’t lose a game.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2022.
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