Kaidon Salter’s first CFL start didn’t need to be pretty. It needed to be loose, fast, and dangerous with his legs — and that’s exactly what BC got in a road win over Winnipeg that snapped a brutal stretch and gave the Lions their second win of the season.
Salter ran for 160 yards, unofficially breaking a rushing record held by his own cousin, Casey Printers, who had 125 as a CFL quarterback. Zander Horvath punched in three touchdowns on the ground behind him. And for a team that came in dealing with real locker room tension after a 1-6 start, the whole night felt like a turning point.
Salter Lets His Legs Do the Talking
Head coach Buck Pierce didn’t hesitate when asked to grade his rookie starter’s first outing under center.
“I thought he operated well for his first start. Obviously there’s going to be some things that he’s going to want back. But I think the group rallied behind him and it wasn’t too big for him. He was able to step in, make some throws early to get comfortable, but then our efficiency up front and with our run game, just how it was looking and feeling, you know, we wanted to make sure we leaned into that,” Pierce said.
Salter himself pointed straight to what Winnipeg gave him. The Bombers played zone, and he made them pay for it every time the pocket opened up.
“I had to take what they gave me, and sometimes it was me using my legs, and that’s what I did today. Took full advantage of the zone defense that they was playing on us, and whenever I had the chance to take off running, I took it, took the chance and got what I could get,” Salter said.
The record chase wasn’t something Salter set out to do. He said the family connection makes it mean more.
“It wasn’t something that I was coming out here looking forward to doing, but you know, it’s a big blessing just to be able to come out here and compete, show the CFL that mobile quarterbacks can play in this league. And it’s not all about just having to go out there and chunk the ball around. You want to be able to throw that ball, but when you got the legs, that’s a big advantage playing in this league with a whole lot of field to use,” Salter said.
Horvath Does Damage on the Ground
Salter wasn’t shy about crediting the guys blocking for him and running behind him. Horvath’s three-touchdown game was the difference-maker, and Salter made sure everyone in the room got their due.
“Big shout out to the offensive line, man. I just want to thank them and the running backs. Xander went crazy today, bro. We rushed over 300 yards today, so I just heard it was a record-breaking rushing yard game, and just all glory to God,” Salter said.
Horvath said the calls that worked stayed simple. Nothing exotic, just guys doing their job and defenders getting sucked out of position.
“We watch film all week on all different types of stuff, but when it came down to it, we kind of kept it pretty simple on offense. We made a few calls early in the game that worked and we stuck to it. A few of these runs weren’t anything crazy. It’s just guys up front were executing. So simple stuff — receivers backside carrying out fakes to draw guys out of the box. It’s just everyone did their job,” Horvath said.
Asked if he’s ever had a three-touchdown game before, Horvath had to think back further than his CFL career.
“I’ve been playing a long time, so I’d have to go back maybe in grade school, but not since I’ve been playing college, NFL, anything like that. So that’s a big one,” Horvath said.
A Slow Start, Then a Finish
BC didn’t blow the doors off early. Both Salter and Horvath pointed to the scoring drive right before half as the moment the game turned in their favor.
“One play at a time, man. We just had to go out there and execute what we can. We didn’t want to just have to go out there and take the big shots all the time. Us being able to open up the run game today really helped us win this game,” Salter said.
Horvath echoed the same idea, framing it as a long-game mentality no matter what the scoreboard says early.
“When it comes to a game, like we always say, it’s only an hour, but it’s a long game. No matter what the score is, you got to come out next week, every play, like it’s a one-play series. We come in halftime, see what’s going to work, see what’s not going to work, and we make some calls,” Horvath said.
Pierce credited the finish to identity as much as execution. Winning that way on the road, he said, says something about where this team is headed.
“We talk about finish and we talk about physicality and toughness, and to be able to do that on the road, just happy for the guys. That’s football. Excited to be on this side of it,” Pierce said.
What This Win Means Going Forward
Horvath didn’t shy away from admitting the mood inside the Lions locker room had been rough before this one. A 1-6 start does that. But he sees this game as the kind of result that can flip everything.
“We talked about this week, just momentum not being in the locker room, just tension in the air. So we had a lot of new guys step up and play, and I’m glad we could go on the field and execute. If it went the other way around, it would’ve been a whole different outcome. But the momentum change is the biggest thing. I think guys are gonna buy in a lot more now, too,” Horvath said.
Horvath also made a point of putting his rookie quarterback over. Salter’s calm demeanor going back to camp stood out to him well before this start.
“I’m happy he came out, stepped up, and just played loose. That’s the biggest thing, especially for coming in as a young guy. There could be a lot of stress — I don’t want to do this, do that, to mess it up. But he came out, just played like he played in college too. It was just throwing, running, and I’m glad he got a lot of those runs too because that set up a lot of touchdowns on offense. He did great. I expect him to do that for the rest of the games,” Horvath said.
Pierce was also asked about Nathan Rourke’s status and gave a measured update, saying nothing has changed but the trend is positive.
“Yeah, nothing’s changed. I think he’s feeling better and better every day. So we’re hopeful. He’s on track right now to play at some point in the near future,” Pierce said.
For now, the job belongs to Salter, and Pierce made clear the door isn’t closing on him just because Rourke gets closer to a return.
“I think he’s earned that. And I think the team rallied around him. Once again, I say this to all the quarterbacks in our room, we’re only as good as our group. It’s not about who’s listed one on the depth chart. It’s about the room and guys stepping up when need to be. And it’s going to continue to be that way for the rest of the year,” Pierce said.
BC sits at 3-5 after the win, still buried in the West but no longer staring up from the bottom of the league. If Salter keeps running like this and Horvath keeps finishing drives, this offense has a new identity heading into the rest of the schedule. Check the standings and schedule to see where the Lions go from here.
Watch the Full Videos
BC Lions: BC Lions Head Coach Buck Pierce | Post-Game | July.30.26
BC Lions: BC Lions Quarterback Kaidon Salter | Post-Game | July.30.26
BC Lions: BC Lions Running Back Zander Horvath | Post-Game | July.30.26