BC Lions fullback Nathan Rourke has been the talk of the 2025 CFL season, but his Western Finals counterpart isn't interested in adding more heat to that discussion.
“I’m not here to talk about Nathan Rourke,” Saskatchewan Roughriders defenseman Trevor Harris told the media Friday. “I think it's our time.”
Rourke is a finalist for both Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian, having thrown for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, while also gaining another 564 yards and 10 bigs. The Oakville, Ontario native led the CFL in pass efficiency in 2025 with a 112.2 mark and has now led his team to seven straight wins and a second-round appearance in the playoffs.
That overshadowed a pretty strong season from Harris, who ranks second in passer efficiency at 110.7. Although the 39-year-old veteran finished well behind Rourke with 4,549 yards passing, 26 touchdowns and none rushing, he boasted a higher completion percentage of 73.6 and fewer interceptions with 11.
Most importantly, Harris led his team to the best record in the CFL and secured home-field advantage in the upcoming showdown between two of the West Division's top passers.
“Without dismissing the last question, Nathan Rourke is a tremendous player and we all respect him. We all love him. He's fun to watch, but we're very happy to be here at this moment,” Harris explained. “The Saskatchewan Roughriders really want to be here and we have a solid team. We've had a great week of preparation and we're just glad this moment has finally arrived.”
“I'm just trying to be the best version of myself for my team, and that's about right. Just going out and praising my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and doing the best I can tomorrow. I've never really worried about the other defensemen. I understand Nathan is a great player, but I feel like this is our time.”
While Harris' refusal to discuss Rourke will only add to the outside rumors ahead of their personal battle, the man he doesn't want to talk about won't argue with that. The Lions QB has never viewed the game as a duel between defenders and understands why Harris wouldn't want it to be framed that way.
“We don't worry about their offense, we prepare for their defense. I certainly understand that mentality,” Rourke said.
“I think the same thing happened last week. They tried to make a lot of things about me and (Vernon Adams Jr.). Even though I follow all the quarterbacks in this league and respect them and watch them and try to learn from them, we never get a chance to play. We're not on the field at the same time. This is a really good Saskatchewan defense and that's what I'm worried about right now.”
Rourke is making his fourth career playoff appearance and is back in the Western Finals for the first time since 2022, when he lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers while still dealing with the effects of a Lisfranc sprain. Harris has much more postseason experience, having already appeared in 10 contests, including one Gray Cup, but is 4-6 all-time in elimination games.
His most recent loss came in last season's Western final, when the Riders lost to Winnipeg on the road. This time he feels that everything has changed.
“We're big dogs,” Harris said confidently when asked what has changed this season.
“Winnipeg has ruled the West for a long time and so we were going to Princess Auto Stadium trying to take the reins and get to the Gray Cup, but unfortunately we fell short. British Columbia is coming here this year. It's going to be a tough fight tomorrow.”
While there's a fine line between confidence and false bravado, Riders head coach Corey Mays believes his quarterback is in the right mindset heading into Saturday's game.
“I think you have to have that mentality in any game you play. If you think you're nervous and you're not going to do well, I don't know if that bodes well for a physical football game,” he said. “As a team, I just think the experience we had last year bodes well for doing well the second time around.”
Despite the high stakes, Harris says he won't feel the pressure in front of a strong home crowd at Mosaic Stadium. All external factors, be it the scene itself or the defender he faces, are irrelevant to the task at hand.
“I think you know there's more to the game, but I was raised by a guy who never let me take every moment too seriously and just take every moment as it comes,” Harris said. “Tomorrow it's a 12-on-12 game. The rules are still the same. Defense is defense, so just come out and play our game to the best of your ability.”
“We know they're going to go into battle, and so are we. It all comes down to taking it one play at a time. I think it's easy to get caught up in the hype and let the pressure build. But at the end of the day, who's going to handle the elements best tomorrow? Who's going to deal with every big moment? Who's going to react to situational things in the game when they're unexpected, maybe a turnover or a big play? How do you react? In those big moments, I I think this locker room is made for moments like this?”
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-6) will host the BC Lions (12-7) in the Western Final at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Saturday, November 8, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 pm EST. In the West semi-finals, the Lions defeated the Calgary Stampeders 33–30.while the Roughriders remained on the sidelines after finishing atop the West Division standings.
The weather forecast in Regina calls for plus minus six degrees and mostly sunny weather. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in to 730 CKNW in Vancouver and 620 CKRM in Regina.
