Vernon Adams Jr. will lead the BC Lions into hostile territory as they face Trevor Harris and the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday in the Western Semi-Final. The Lions and Riders met twice this season and each meeting was won by the home team.  Since 2021 these teams have met 10 times with each team winning 5 games.

Game Details:

Date/Location: Saturday, November 2 /Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK

Kickoff Time: 6:30 PM ET, 5:30 PM CT

Channel: TSN, RDS (Canada), CFL Plus: free streaming (USA, Global)

Odds: 

Spread: B.C. +3.5 (-120), Saskatchewan -3.5 (-102)

Moneyline: B.C. +146, Saskatchewan -178

Over/Under: 50.5 (Over -105, Under -115)

B.C. Lions: The BC Lions had a season of ups and downs. After losing the season opener to Toronto the Lions went on a 5 game winning streak before losing the next 5. Vernon Adams Jr. was playing at an extremely high level through the first 7 games and was on pace for the third most passing yards in a CFL season with 2,395 yards 14 touchdowns and 5 interceptions over that span. Unfortunately, he had a down game in BC’s 8th game and was injured. Nathan Rourke started in the next 8 games and the team went 3-5 over that span. Adams Jr. started again in BC’s final game of the season which saw the Lions emerge victorious over the Montreal Alouettes 27-3. Adams Jr completed 26 of his 36 passes for 385 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions against Montreal.

Saskatchewan Roughriders: The Riders had an up-and-down season of their own. They began the season with a 4-game win streak and had a 5-1 record before entering a 7-game winless streak. They then won their next 4 games before losing the final game of the season to Calgary.

Trevor Harris completed 72.4% of his passes this season for 3,264 yards and 20 touchdowns with 9 interceptions over his 11 starts this season. Harris will make his 8th career CFL playoff start and has won 3 of his 7 previous playoff starts. He set the record for highest completion rate in a playoff game at 92.3% in 2019.

Lions Keys to the Game

Win the Turnover Battle

Over the last 2 years, the home team has won in 7 of the 8 playoff games. BC will greatly improve their chances in this game if they can win the turnover battle as they look to overcome Saskatchewan’s home-field advantage.

Strong Game From William Stanback

William Stanback finished the season second in rushing yards after rushing 231 times for 1,175 yards and 3 touchdowns. If Stanback can have a strong game it will help BC take control of the game and quiet the home crowd. Against Saskatchewan he was limited to 49 yards on 20 carries this season, a 2.45 average.

Strong Pass Protection

It was not a great season for the BC Lions in pass protection with the pressure rate allowed being high. Left tackle Jarell Broxton was probably the most reliable on the line among those to start the majority of the season. Left guard Kory Woodruff has been good for the Lions over his 5 starts since joining the starting lineup. BC will need the offensive line to step up this week.

No Big Passing Plays Allowed

At times this season, BC struggled in pass coverage but finished the year strong keeping Montreal limited to just 134 passing yards in their final game of the season. BC will need their secondary to play well to keep Trevor Harris and the Riders’s passing game in check.

Roughriders Keys to the Game

Make BC Abandon the Run

Early run stops in the game will help to try and get BC to deviate from incorporating run plays in their offense. Last year in the Western Final BC abandoned the run which led to significant problems in pass protection.

Get Meaningful Pressure on Vernon Adams Jr.

Last year in the Western Final one of the key reasons Winnipeg took over in that game was the way in which they frequently got pressure on Vernon Adams Jr. while keeping him contained.

Strong Game From A.J. Ouellette

If Saskatchewan’s run game is having success then it will be very difficult for BC to slow down the Rider’s offense.

Another Strong Game From Trevor Harris

Harris will need to maintain the high level of play he had in the regular season. Both teams have great quarterbacks and this game could potentially turn into a shootout.

5 Lions to Watch

#18 WR Justin McInnis

McInnis led the league in receiving after catching 92 passes for 1,469 yards and 7 touchdowns.

#13 WR Alexander Hollins

Hollins has 61 receptions for 937 yards and 6 touchdowns this season.

#4 Keon Hatcher

Hatcher caught 38 passes for 608 yards over 11 games this season. Last year he had over 1,200 yards and 6 touchdowns over the regular season. He had a massive game in last year’s Western Semi-Final as he caught 9 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown.

#90 DE Mathieu Betts

Betts has 13 tackles, 2 sacks, and an interception over 7 games since returning to the CFL after spending the NFL preseason with the Detroit Lions. He had 18 sacks over 18 regular season games last year. Last year Betts generated pressure in the Western Semi-Final very frequently as he pressured Jake Maier 8 times by my count.

#1 CB Garry Peters

Peters was one of the best lockdown corners all season long very rarely allowing completions his way. Peters Island continues to be a very restrictive fly zone. Over the last 5 Lions games he only allowed 3 completions his way for a total of 36 yards.

5 Roughriders to Watch

#45 RB A.J. Ouellette

Ouellette rushed 130 times for 550 yards and 3 touchdowns this season, 4.2 yards per carry. His yards per carry is down partially due to the Riders struggling in run blocking in his games early in the year. He is a dangerous running back and will require a strong game in run defense from BC.

#19 WR Samuel Emilus

Samuel Emilus led the team in receiving this season as he caught 87 passes for 1,064 yards and 5 touchdowns.

#3 WR KeeSean Johnson

KeeSean Johnson caught 56 passes for 746 yards and 5 touchdowns over 12 games. He recently had his first 100-yard game on September 28 against Ottawa and had another 100-yard game the following week against Edmonton.

#0 HB Rolan Milligan Jr.

Milligan Jr. led the team in tackles with 91 and led the league in interceptions with 8.

#4 DT Micah Johnson

Johnson had 28 tackles and was tied with Bryan Cox Jr. for a team-leading 6 sacks.

Injury Report:

Depth Charts:

Score Prediction:

I am predicting the BC Lions to win this game with Vernon Adams Jr. and Keon Hatcher having a big game on offense and Mathieu Betts on defense. BC 30-27.

@JonathanClink on Twitter