Hamilton Tiger-Cats meet B.C. Lions in game with ’25 outstanding player finalists

HAMILTON — Another week, another matchup against a top CFL quarterback for Bo Levi Mitchell.

Mitchell leads the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-1) against B.C. (0-1) on Friday night. Last year, Lions starter Nathan Rourke got the nod ahead of Mitchell for the CFL’s outstanding player award while also being named its top Canadian.

But Mitchell isn’t feeling any extra incentive to outplay Rourke at Hamilton Stadium.

“You look at the quarterback play around the league in the last couple of years, it’s every game,” Mitchell said. “It used to be back in the day it was those rivalries like me and Mike (Reilly) or Ricky (Ray), Anthony (Calvillo), Henry (Burris) but it just seems like every single week there’s a guy that can get out there and get it done.

“I don’t really think too much about topping them. You look at last week, 287 and the other guy had over 400 but we came out on top. Just doing what I can to make sure we win.”

Mitchell, 36, threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns in Hamilton’s 37-27 road win over Winnipeg last week. Bombers starter Zach Collaros had 421 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception.

Rourke, of Victoria, completed 24-of-37 passes for 330 yards in B.C.’s season-opening 31-27 road loss to the defending-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders last week. He also ran for a team-high 59 yards and TD.

Rourke enjoyed a record-setting 2025 campaign, throwing for a career-high 5,290 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also had 564 rushing yards — tops among CFL quarterbacks — and averaged 9.2 yards per carry while scoring 10 TDs.

Rourke’s 5,290 passing yards was a single-season CFL record for Canadian quarterbacks. The 31 TD strikes were second-most by a Canadian behind the legendary Russ Jackson’s 33 in 1969.

But Mitchell will take the same approach Friday that he does each week.

“You always like to get out there and prove yourself against the best, no matter who it is, what position they’re playing,” Mitchell said. “I like to talk myself up and tell myself I’m the best player on the field every single time I step out there.

“That’s how my thought process is. I’m sure there’s 50-60 other guys who think the same thing.”

In last season’s two matchups with B.C., Mitchell threw for 694 yards with six TDs. Rourke had 697 passing yards with two touchdowns but also ran for 62 yards.

B.C. will be short-handed Friday night as receivers Stanley Berryhill III (thigh) and Seven McGee (foot) and Canadian Jevon Cottoy (thigh) are all out. Veteran Keon Hatcher Sr. (102 catches, 1,688 yards, nine TDs last season) is a game-time decision with a thigh ailment.

“No matter what, it’s professional football so you’re going to have guys who’re able to play,” said veteran Hamilton safety Stavros Katsantonis. “Our focus is on what they do really well and stopping that.

“Obviously they have a really good quarterback and we must do our best to contain him, confuse him with looks and keep him from running the football.”

Canadian Justin McInnis led all B.C. receivers against Saskatchewan with eight catches for 129 yards while Hatcher had four receptions for 64 yards. Berryhill (three catches, 46 yards) and Cottoy (four receptions, 51 yards) also made contributions while McGee — the Lions’ top kick returner last year — started but had no catches.

Hamilton is also dealing with injuries. All-star cornerback Jamal Peters (head) won’t play while middle linebacker Wynton McManis (knee) has yet to make his Ticats debut.

American Zamari Walton comes off the practice roster to replace Peters. Canadian Ryan Baker — a University of British Columbia alum — draws a third straight start at middle linebacker.

As Hamilton’s offensive play caller, head coach Scott Milanovich will match wits with Mike Benevides, who’s in his second stint as B. C.’s defensive co-ordinator. Benevides, a three-time Grey Cup champion, also served as Lions head coach (2012-14) as well as an assistant with Calgary (2000-’02), Edmonton (2016-18) and Ottawa (2021-22).

“Bene has been around so long,” said Milanovich. “He has the ability to go to any coverage that has ever been designed and he will.

“So it’s a game you go into with a plan of how we think they’ll play us. If they don’t, then I’m telling the players to just be ready and we’ll adjust.”

Hamilton must also contend with Lions defensive lineman Mathieu Betts, the CFL’s top defensive player last season after posting a league-high 15 sacks. Betts has 12 sacks in his last seven games.

“He’s obviously a great player,” Milanovich said. “They move him around … we’ll have to keep an eye on him.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.