It’s going to be a long offseason for Nathan Rourke and the BC Lions.
There were multiple opportunities for the Lions to pull off the upset against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Final, but they let them hang around.
They had a 21-17 lead with 11 seconds remaining, but a Trevor Harris touchdown pass to Tommy Nield gave Saskatchewan a 24-21 victory.
Trevor Harris threads the needle!!!! Saskatchewan is within five yards of the game winner!
🗓️: Western Final LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🌎: CFL+#GCPlayoffs | @sskroughriders pic.twitter.com/43lSYGIQ6f
— CFL (@CFL) November 9, 2025
Saskatchewan will now play the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup on Sunday, Nov. 16.
For a moment, it looked like Rourke was going to stick it to the Riders for their disrespect towards him heading into the game.
“I’m not here to talk about Nathan Rourke,” Harris said the day before this game. “I think it’s our time.”
The story of the game was almost Rourke and his heroics.
With the game tied in the fourth quarter, Rourke made an unreal play under pressure, shoveling the ball to James Butler for a first down.
HOW DID NATHAN ROURKE GET THIS BALL AWAY?!!
🗓️: Western Final LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🌎: CFL+#GCPlayoffs | @BCLions pic.twitter.com/3MolpfvHkO
— CFL (@CFL) November 9, 2025
Three plays later, Rourke ran it into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown of the game.
After getting the touchdown, Rourke was seen shouting to the Roughriders fans: “It’s our time!”
“IT’S OUR TIME!” — Nathan Rourke
The MOP and MOC finalist with PASSION as his side takes the lead in the fourth on the road!
🗓️: Western Final LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🌎: CFL+#GCPlayoffs | @BCLions pic.twitter.com/FSETDI8N5q
— CFL (@CFL) November 9, 2025
He was almost right.
Instead, the Lions will be kicking themselves for how the game played out in the final minutes.
Leading 21-14 in the last three minutes, the Lions got a crucial second-down stop while Saskatchewan had the ball on the BC five-yard line. It forced Saskatchewan into a field goal, giving BC the ball back with a four-point lead.
After going two-and-out, they punted to Saskatchewan before forcing a quick Roughriders punt of their own.
Rourke once again had a chance to close out the game, but he was stuffed after trying to run the ball on a second-and-three, meaning Saskatchewan got the ball back once again with 70 seconds left. They proceeded to march 76 yards down the field in less than a minute to win the game.
The Lions gave Saskatchewan one chance too many, and now their season is over.
This marks the 14th year that the Lions have failed to reach the Grey Cup, which is the longest current drought in the league.
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