'Need to clean up': Lions look to get first win of the season versus unbeaten Elks

B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke (12) rushes for a first down against the Calgary Stampeders during first half CFL football action in Kelowna, B.C., on Saturday, June 27, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Dunsmoor

KELOWNA — The B.C. Lions have done a lot of things right, but it’s what they’ve done wrong that has resulted in them starting the CFL season 0-3.

Take their 41-33 loss to the Calgary Stampeders last weekend.

A fumble on a kickoff return late in the second quarter resulted in the Stampeders scoring two touchdowns in just over a minute for a 10-point halftime lead. The Lions also gave up a 90-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.

B.C. head coach and offensive coordinator Buck Pierce knows the Lions have to reduce the mistakes to end their losing skid when they face the 3-0 Edmonton Elks Saturday in Kelowna, B.C.

“We need to clean up some things,” Pierce said after his team practised this week at Kelowna Secondary School. “We’ve had a lot of self-inflicted mistakes and execution errors. Those get you beat.

“You can do a lot of things well, but you have those three or four plays a game that you can’t have.”

With BC Place Stadium being used for the FIFA World Cup, the game will be played at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, which drew over 19,000 fans against Calgary.

The Lions haven’t started a season 0-3 since 2019.

The consequences of a poor start first took their toll on Sunday when special teams coordinator Cory McDiarmid was fired. Pierce said the Lions special teams will be coached by committee against Edmonton.

“When you look at special teams, we have guys on staff that have done those type of things in the past,” he said. “We have a veteran group.

“We’re going to lean on each other.”

The Lions have been moving the ball. Their average of 447 net yards per game is fourth in the league and they are second overall with 83 first downs.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke, last year’s Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian, threw for 462 yards against Calgary for the sixth 400-plus yard game of his career. On the season, he’s thrown for 1,083 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Rourke has never lost four consecutive games in his CFL career.

A problem for the Lions is poor field position to open drives. On average, teams this season have started on their own 38-yard line. For B.C., it’s been their own 32, the poorest by any club in the last 10 seasons. That six-yard difference adds up to 210 extra yards to cover.

The Lions are sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 29 points a game. B.C.’s rushing game is eighth in the league at 70 yards a game, with running back James Butler averaging just 3.9 yards per carry.

The Lions defence has also struggled, giving up a league-high 37.7 points per game. B.C. is tied for last with Ottawa with just three sacks, and hasn’t forced a turnover all year.

“We know we haven’t played our best football this season yet,” said linebacker Darnell Sankey, who the Lions signed as a free agent in the off-season. “We understand we’re a great team. We’ve just got to come together and just have fun.”

Injuries have taken their toll on defence. Defensive lineman Levi Bell, linebacker Ben Hladik and defensive back T. J. Lee are all questionable for Saturday.

But Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo knows the statistics don’t matter once the game starts.

“They’ve had a lot of injuries on the defensive side, especially in the back end,” said Fajardo, who has 764 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception this year. “It’s a lot of shuffling.

“They’re a formidable opponent. We are going to have our hands full with a really good team.”

The Elks are off to their best start since going 7-0 in 2017. Edmonton is seventh in points scored (28 per game) but the defence has allowed a league-low 22.7 points a game.

All three of Edmonton’s wins have been decided in the final three minutes. Two of the games have been by four points or less.

“It’s a testament to the character we have in this locker room,” said Fajardo. “It goes to show the perseverance of this team. We know we’re never out of it.”

The Lions have history on their side. They have won 12 of their last 13 against Edmonton. BC won all three games last year by a combined score of 100-52.

Pierce believes the team can still turn things around.

“We’re focusing on where we can improve,” he said. “We’re a resilient group. At some point through the course of the season, you go through stretches like this.

“We’ve seen improvement in some areas. The guys are understanding more and more each week what winning needs to look like.”

This report by Jim Morris, The Canadian Press, was first published July 3, 2026.