VANCOUVER – Even after setting a CFL record, BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke saw room for improvement.
The 24-year-old, a native of Victoria, BC, pitched Saturday for 436 yards, propelling the Lions to a dominant 44-3 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.
They were the longest yards a Canadian quarterback has ever made in a CFL game, overshadowing the 427-yard mark set by Gerry Dattilio in 1981.
“I’m just a football dealer. These guys are getting the right positions and they’re making great plays,” Rourke said after the win.
“There were a couple of throws today, especially in the first half where I wasn’t as accurate as I should have been. But those guys made a few plays for me and made me look good.”
The performance came as no surprise to Lions veteran defensive end Gary Peters.
“When you enter the facility, he is the first one there. And I’m one of the last people to leave. He’s literally there behind me, walking around eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich, trying to find something to do. It’s always working no matter what, ”he said.
“He’s trying to perfect himself. He’s a young guy, but you can see in his eyes that he’s very hungry.”
Rourke completed 39 of 45 last Saturday, including four touchdowns. He was fired once.
Dominique Rhymes got two majors for BC (2-0), while Bryan Burnham and Jevon Cottoy had one. Winger David Mackie scored a quick TD at the end of the fourth quarter. Kicker Sean Whyte participated with three field goals, including a 50-yard shot.
BC’s defense suffocated Argos (1-1), keeping McLeod Bethel-Thompson at 178 yards. The Toronto quarterback connected on 15 of 21 attempts, threw an interception and was fired twice before being replaced at the end of the fourth quarter.
Chad Kelly went into relief and threw for 26 yards, completing two of the four attempts. He was fired once and threw an interception.
The only points of the night for the Argos came with a 23-yard field goal from Boris Bede early in the second quarter.
“I’m totally embarrassed. It was a horrible football show,” Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said. “It was a tough loss. It’s a shame. I hate it. But we can’t let it ruin our season. We just have to get back to work and find ways to improve.”
The Lions were coming off a week of dismissal, but showed no rust early in Saturday’s game, starting with an eight-play, 68-yard goal.
Rourke came out of a collapsed pocket to collect 11 yards and a first down, and then finished the run with a 19-yard pass to Burnham in the end zone. The veteran open receiver bowed out twice in front of the crowd after counting his first touchdown of the season.
BC’s defensive drive was tested in Toronto’s first possession of the night, with DaVaris Daniels on with an inning and Bethel-Thompson finding Dejon Brissett on the line for a Lions yard.
The Lions remained strong and denied the visitors the three times they tried to sneak into the end zone. Toronto turned the ball over.
“And then it made a snowball and we couldn’t do anything,” Dinwiddie said. “And we get a little started in the third quarter and then we sink. I mean, everyone had a hand in it. It’s just annoying, but we have to find ways to improve.”
Early in the second quarter, BC corner Delvin Breaux knocked down a long throw from Bethel-Thompson to Brandon Banks and Dinwiddie defied the call, arguing interference from the defensive pass. After the overhaul, officials agreed and Toronto received a first shot at the 21-yard line from BC.
Lions defensive lineman David Menard fired Bethel-Thompson on the next play, but the Argos still managed to score in the game, with Bede throwing a field goal that reduced Toronto’s disadvantage to 10- 3.
Rourke raised the Lions cushion in the middle of the half, finding Rhymes in the end zone with a 19-yard bullet to end a nine-game, 70-yard play.
BC led the locker room 20-3 after Whyte scored a 44-yard field goal to close out the second quarter.
An eruption of injuries swept the BC line-up at the end of the first half, however, with collegiate Bo Lokombo, runner James Butler and Burnham all heading into the locker room with injuries ending the match. Receiver Lucky Whitehead also appeared to suffer an ankle injury, but remained in the game.
“A couple of people fell, but that makes us stronger,” Rhymes said. “And it just demonstrates the versatility we have in attack. When a man falls, this is our brother, so we want to make sure we only pick it up for him.”
Lions head coach Rick Campbell said Burnham went to the hospital for further tests and the team will not know his condition until Sunday. Lokombo and Butler may be available to play next week.
Halfway through the third box, Wynton McMannis dragged Rourke through midfield for a seven-yard loss. However, the Lions were not discouraged and sent Whyte on a 50-yard field goal attempt. He made the shot and put BC 23-3.
Lions defensive end Obum Gwacham seemed to take revenge on the next possession, sacking Bethel-Thompson.
Rourke’s 29-yard arched throw to a well-opened Cottoy in the red zone set BC’s third night’s TD at the end of the third quarter. Cottoy took a couple of quick steps toward the end zone and made his first major of the season.
The final frame saw Rourke reconnect with Rhymes, this time with a 24-yard throw. Placed just outside the end zone, Rhymes easily completed the touchdown and the Lions took a 37-3 lead.
Peters added to Toronto’s problems in the middle of the fourth quarter, recovering Bethel-Thompson’s pass.
Mackie, who replaced the runner for injured Butler, muscled the ball over the goal line at the end of the quarter for his first CFL touchdown. A successful Whyte convert gave the home team a 44-3 lead.
Kelly replaced Bethel-Thompson to close out the game and was quickly fired by Menard.
The Lions will return to action Thursday when they face the Redblacks in Ottawa. The Argos will host the Winnipeg Blue Firefighters on July 4th.
NOTES ON FOOT: Victory gives BC a 2-0 start to the season for the first time since 2016.… Argos offensive lineman Jonathan Zamora limped off the field after being injured in a play in the middle of the fourth quarter . The 100th all-time meeting between the two teams was held on Saturday. BC has a 60-38-2 lead in the series.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 25, 2022.