CALGARY – The B.C. Lions downed the Calgary Stampeders 30-26 for their third straight victory Thursday.
Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke ran in a touchdown and threw two more to Keon Hatcher Sr., while Zander Horvath rushed for his team-leading eighth TD.
Sean Whyte kicked a field goal from 45 yards for the Lions (4-5).
Erik Brooks had a touchdown catch and Quincy Vaughn rushed for his eighth major this season for Calgary (4-6). Damien Alford caught a two-point convert.
Jude McAtamney kicked field goals from 55, 13, 29 and 44 yards, but missed a fourth-quarter try from 39 yards out in front of an announced 17,076 at McMahon Stadium.
Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was injured early in the fourth quarter when his head was slammed into the turf on a six-yard carry. Adams walked off the field to the medical tent, but didn’t return.
It got worse for the Stampeders as CFL leading rusher Dedrick Mills also headed to the dressing room in the fourth quarter.
Josh Love drew in for Adams to complete 6 of 10 pass attempts for 58 yards. Adams went 13 of 23 for 148 yards and a TD before he left the game.
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Rourke was 15 of 22 passing for 301 yards and two touchdown in his second game since missing almost three straight with an injury to his non-throwing arm.
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McAtamney’s 44-yard field goal just before halftime gave Calgary an 18-13 lead. The Lions took 55 yards in penalties to the Stampeders’ none in first half.
But Horvath’s 41-yard rumble on B.C.’s first drive of the third quarter put the Lions deep in Calgary territory. Rourke finished the drive with a 10-yard dash to the end zone to give the Lions a two-point lead, which carried into the fourth.
Whyte padded the advantage with his 45-yard boot to start the quarter, but Calgary’s Anthony Johnson intercepted Rourke after Adams and Mills left the game.
The Lions lost a challenge for roughing the passer and an additional B.C. illegal block penalty gave Love the ball on the 10-yard line.
B.C. was called for pass interference on the next play before Vaughn scored a short-yardage touchdown. Love threw a two-point convert pass to Damien Alford as Calgary regained the lead 26-23 with three minutes to play.
Kelon Thomas recovered Stanley Berryhill’s fumble on the subsequent punt and Calgary had the ball on B.C.’s 30-yard line, but McAtamney missed that 39-yard attempt.
The Lions scored on their next possession, with Rourke connecting with Hatcher in the end zone on an 11-yard pass.
Love marched Calgary’s offence to B.C.’s 10-yard line for a potential winning TD with half a minute to play, but the backup was intercepted by T.J. Lee.
The Stampeders lost a fifth game this season by four points or less.
Light rain and a temperature of 11 C were weather conditions at kickoff, although not windy as it often is at McMahon.
The Stampeders produced field goals on their first three drives of the game with McAtamney good from 55, 13 and then 29 yards.
Rourke aired the football out to Jermaine Jackson for an 86-yard passing play to Calgary’s doorstep early in the second. Horvath scored on a two-yard plunge.
The Stampeders were up 15-7 when Brooks wrestled the football from Ronald Kent Jr.
Both players had their hands on Adams’ 15-yard throw to the end zone, but Brooks hauled it in for the major.
The visitors countered with a 70-yard-drive capped by Rourke’s eight-yard throw to Keon Hatcher in the end zone. Their two-point convert attempt failed.
Zy Alexander recovered a fumbled Jackson catch on B.C.’s second drive of the game to get the hosts the ball on Lions’ 40-yard line, which Calgary converted into a field goal.
UP NEXT
B.C. faces the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Aug. 23. The Stampeders head into a bye week before hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 29.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
