Lions-Alouettes a battle of top offense vs. top defense
The B.C. Lions' No. 1 offense meets the visiting Montreal Alouettes' No. 1 defense on Saturday night in Vancouver.
The Lions (4-5) are averaging 420.9 yards per game, more than 20 yards better than the runner-up Saskatchewan Roughriders entering Week 11. The Alouettes (5-4) are allowing 327.0 yards per game, more than 20 yards fewer than the runner-up Roughriders.
The advantage went to B.C. during the first meeting in Montreal on July 5, with the Lions racking up 431 yards and winning 21-20 on Sean Whyte's 43-yard field goal as time expired.
Nathan Rourke threw for 352 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for a score and Justin McInnis hauled in six passes for 109 yards to lead the Lions.
Montreal did manage to limit James Butler, who entered this week as the CFL's leading rusher (704 yards), to just 41 yards on 12 carries.
The Lions are coming off an emotional 41-38 overtime win at Hamilton last weekend. B.C. overcame a late 35-31 deficit and won it on White's 19-yard field goal.
First-year B.C. head coach Buck Pierce said his team is still learning what it takes to get better and not have to play from behind.
'I think I've seen some growth, and I've seen some guys, some light bulbs start to come on a bit, which is good,' Pierce said, per TSN. 'But we need to just continue to lift the group up, and everybody else gets to that level.'
The Alouettes have lost two in a row, including a 23-22 setback to Edmonton last weekend as Montreal could not hold a 19-11 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Montreal head coach Jason Maas turns to reserve quarterback Caleb Evans this week with both Davis Alexander and backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson on the six-game injured list.
'We've won games with backups here, with guys that are second- and third-string quarterbacks here over the last three years,' Maas said, per TSN. 'We did it already this year, we've done it with a backup quarterback.
'... So you ask me where my belief comes from, it's been shown. We've won games, and that's all I need to see.'
Montreal signed American quarterback Cameron Dukes on Wednesday. He passed for 2,204 yards with nine TDs and nine interceptions in 36 games with the Toronto Argonauts from 2023-24.
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