The last time the BC Lions played the Saskatchewan Roughriders, their defense took a beating. This time, that same group flipped the script — forcing two turnovers inside the 30-yard line and setting up a fourth straight win for BC. Head coach Buck Pierce, quarterback Nathan Rourke and defensive back T.J. Lee all pointed to the same thing afterward: this defense is playing angry, and it's starting to carry the team.
"The defense got a lot of flak the last time you played the Riders. This time they were a big component in this victory," one reporter noted to Pierce, who didn't hesitate to credit the group. "They're a good big component every week. I mean, that's a good offense and Trevor's playing as well as anybody last couple of years," Pierce said. "Just proud of the way the guys stayed poised throughout."
Turnovers Inside the 30 Change Everything
Pierce called out the two takeaways in scoring position as the difference-makers in the game. "Defense, you know, as they're driving, 2 turnovers inside the 30-yard line. You know, those are massive plays," he said.
T.J. Lee, who picked off Trevor Harris himself, kept his explanation simple. Asked how the Lions were able to take the ball away against a Riders offense that torched them earlier this season, Lee didn't overthink it.
"Grit. Having a grit mentality, you know, taking initiative to pick the ball off, you know, being aggressive-minded and, you know, studying film and working together and collaborating. So that's what it takes." — T.J. Lee
Lee also pointed to the group's mindset heading into a rematch against a Saskatchewan team that had put up big numbers on them earlier in the year. "We had a great game plan. Coaches drew them up well. We were able to learn from our previous experience and capitalize on this opportunity," Lee said. "We know who we are. The world just got to find out as the season go on."
A Halftime Swing That Changed the Game
One sequence stood out to Pierce as a turning point — a defensive stop right before the half that took points off the board after Saskatchewan had ripped off a 35-yard gain. Pierce credited the read and the communication behind it.
"It's reading your keys. It's communicating with the other players on the field, understanding throughout the course of the game where the offense is trying to attack and being able to adjust on the fly just like that." — Buck Pierce
Pierce also detailed a mid-game adjustment after Rourke threw an interception that Saskatchewan converted into a score in about two minutes. Rather than stay passive, the Lions dialed up more pressure. "There was conversations on the sideline, talking to Benny and the defensive staff of, hey, let's go to this call right here," Pierce said. "Let's go ahead and make sure we take the explosives away, but we're in position to run and rally... making a quarterback like Trevor go through his full progression and then trying to get down to a quick, easy throw, that was kind of the plan going in there."
Rourke Gives the Game Ball to the Defense
Rourke wasn't in a mood to celebrate his own performance. Despite the win pushing BC to four straight, he was blunt about where the credit belonged.
"I think our defense is playing incredible. I think we owe this one offensively. I think we owe this one to them... I don't particularly feel like I played the way that I know I'm capable of playing." — Nathan Rourke
Rourke had plenty of respect for the quarterback on the other sideline, too. "That's a good — that's an incredible quarterback, Trevor Harris. I have the most utmost respect for him. And you can't expect him to go and play a game like he did today without our defense making incredible plays," he said. Rourke added that the game should have been more lopsided offensively, and he put that on himself. "We got to take advantage of that more. That should have been a way more high-scoring game than it was. So I just feel like I got to be better in this stretch."
The Berryhill Catch and the Ford Battle
One of the night's biggest offensive moments came on a Rourke throw that turned into a Stanley Berryhill highlight. Rourke was quick to spread the credit around. "Definitely got lucky. Stan made a really good play. There's plays that I would like back, but football is the ultimate team game for a reason," Rourke said.
Rourke also broke down his read against Saskatchewan defensive back Jackson Ford, who picked him off once but got beaten a couple of other times. "I think he's a heck of a player. Covers ground really well... hits hard. Came out of the sky a couple of times on the RPO and the sallies to make some big plays and disrupt what we were doing," Rourke said. He added that Saskatchewan's scheme, even with younger Canadian defensive backs starting, gave BC little room to simply target inexperience. "I thought they were very talented up in the back end and definitely making some plays out there."
Mauldin's Impact and Cottoy's Continued Rise
Both Pierce and Lee took time to praise Lorenzo Mauldin's presence in the locker room. "He's a fairly quiet guy, but his presence, the way he practices," Pierce said. "A guy doesn't have that kind of success and play for as long as he had if he wasn't a good teammate, a good pro."
Lee, who's built a relationship with Mauldin off the field, echoed that sentiment. "He's a veteran, he knows what to expect, he knows what to do. He has a work ethic and there's a lot that a lot of the younger guys can learn from him," Lee said. "We ride together on the roads when we travel and stuff, so it's somebody I hang out with."
Pierce also couldn't help gushing about Jevon Cottoy's latest 100-yard game. "He opens it up. He opens up the playbook. I mean, smart, physical, understands situational football, has a feel, a unique feel of getting open," Pierce said. Rourke was just as impressed watching Cottoy's growth. "It blows my mind a little bit that this is — he only broke 100 this year in his career, just in terms of how versatile he is... he's shown that he's an incredible yards-after-the-catch type of player. He just carries people and he's hard to tackle."
What's Next
BC sits on a four-game winning streak with its defense playing its best football of the season, and Rourke says the group knows there's another gear left offensively as the Lions hit the road east. If BC can find that complementary balance Rourke's chasing, this team gets a lot scarier heading down the stretch.
Watch the Full Videos
BC Lions: BC Lions Head Coach Buck Pierce | Post-Game | Aug.23.26
BC Lions: BC Lions Quarterback Nathan Rourke | Post-Game | Aug.23.26
BC Lions: BC Lions Defensive Back T.J. Lee | Post-Game | Aug.23.26