British Columbia Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke set the Canadian Football League record for most passing yards by a Canadian in a single season on Friday. He accomplished the feat in a dominant 52-23 Lions win over the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta.
Rourke set the record with a 33 yard pass to Keon Hatcher Sr. in the first quarter two and a half minutes into the game. He now has 3935 passing yards. Russ Jackson of Hamilton, Ontario had 3641 passing yards with the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1969. Rourke finished the game on Friday by completing 20 of 24 passes for 331 passing yards and two touchdown passes alongside six rushes for 43 rushing yards and three touchdown rushes.
Rourke’s two touchdown passes were to Justin McInnis of Pierrefonds, Quebec. The first was for 35 yards and the second was for 11 yards. Rourke’s touchdown runs were of one, three and 26 yards.
On the season, Rourke completed 267 passes in 384 attempts for 3935 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also has 46 rushes for 424 rushing yards and seven touchdown runs. McInnis has 62 catches for 976 receiving yards and five touchdown catches in 2025.
Meanwhile, in Hamilton on Saturday, Brendan O’Leary-Orange of Toronto, Ontario had a 12-yard touchdown catch from Bo Levi Mitchell in a 29-27 Hamilton Tiger-Cats win over the Edmonton Elks. The major score put Hamilton up 10-7 with three minutes and 44 seconds left in the first quarter. In the game, O’Leary-Orange had three catches for 32 yards. For the season, he has 17 catches for 202 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With the win, the Tiger-Cats lead the East at nine wins and five losses.
