Rourke suffered the injury when he was sacked by Riders defensive lineman Pete Robertson. The 24-year-old needed the help of two teammates to leave the pitch after being watched by the Lions’ coaching staff. Rourke wore a walking boot when he left the field at the end of the game. Starting in the first year, the Canadian has become a candidate for the best player of the CFL this season. Rourke completed 22 of 31 passes for 375 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions as the Lions improved to 8-1 and extended their winning streak to five games. He also rushed for 63 yards on three carries, including a 36-yard run in the third quarter that set up an 11-yard pass to Bryan Burnham. Rourke set the tone for the Lions in the first half, going 16-of-22 for 285 yards and a touchdown. Both of his steals also came in the first half. With continued attacks downfield, the big play came with 1:58 left in the first half when Rourke connected with Lucky Whitehead for a 90-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 21-3 lead. Three Saskatchewan defenders focused on a short route by BC receiver Bryan Burnham, allowing Whitehead to run free on a deep route. Lions backup Anthony Pipkin added two touchdowns on quarterback sneaks. QB Michael O’Connor, who replaced Rourke, finished 5-of-5 passing for 36 yards. Saskatchewan QB Cody Fajardo was 8-of-13 passing for 41 yards and two interceptions before being pulled by Riders head coach Craig Dickenson in the second quarter. Fajardo, who is battling a knee injury, was replaced by backup Mason Fine, who led the Riders down the field on their first drive, connecting with Justin McInnis on a four-yard touchdown pass. Fine completed three of four passes on the drive for 47 yards. Fine completed 16 of 26 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown in his first time seeing extended action this season. He was also intercepted once. The Riders got interceptions from Larry Dean and Derrick Moncrief. Robertson, who returned to the Riders’ lineup from a foot injury on July 8, picked up his eighth sack of the season. McInnis had six receptions for 111 yards to go along with his one touchdown. Former Rider Loucheiz Purifoy, Ben Hladik and Marcus Sayles each had interceptions for the Lions. David Menard and Oburn Gwacham each had two sacks for BC This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 19, 2022.
