3 storylines to watch in the Western Final presented by Wegovy®

One game separates the BC Lions and Edmonton Elks from the 113th Grey Cup: the Western Final presented by Wegovy®.

The BC Lions defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Semi-Final presented by Wegovy® last weekend, while the Elks finished atop the West Division and were off last week on a first-round bye.

Who will punch their ticket to Calgary? We'll find out Saturday.

In the meantime, to get you set for kickoff, here are three storylines to watch in the Western Final.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE, WIN THE GAME?

Edmonton finished the regular season as the league's top defence and a big reason for that was their ability to force turnovers. The Elks forced 53 turnovers this season, giving offences headaches every time they lined up against them. Their +23 turnover ratio was best in the league and they led the CFL in interceptions (27), forced fumbles (18), fumble recoveries (15). The Elks defence also got behind the line of scrimmage to make plays, leading the way in tackles for loss (37).

What made those turnovers dangerous, however, was the offence's ability to score after them, as Edmonton led the league in points off turnovers (178). The BC Lions gave up the second-most points after turning the ball over (134), second to only the Ottawa REDBLACKS (154).

If the Elks are able to force Nathan Rourke into making mistakes, it could be the key to victory, provided Cody Fajardo and co. can make the most of those opportunities.

WILL JUSTIN RANKIN GO CRAZY?

Justin Rankin started the season on a tear. He tallied three straight games of 100+ rushing yards and scored four rushing touchdowns. The Elks running back seemed unstoppable on the ground to start the 2026 campaign.

That was until the first meeting of the season between Edmonton and BC in Week 5 and the Lions seemed to have figured out how to stop the elusive, big-play running back. Rankin had just 19 yards on seven carries in his team's loss against BC, with Mike Benevides' defence taking him out of the run game. He wasn't quiet in that matchup, however, tallying 100 yards through the air. The teams' next meeting was in Week 7, when, after hitting 107 yards against Ottawa the week before, Rankin was shut down on the ground once again, finishing the game with nine yards on seven carries to go along with 46 yards on six receptions.

BC finished the regular season with the league's best run defence, allowing just 71.3 yards per game, led by this year's Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Darnell Sankey. The Elks, on the other hand, finished the regular season with the best rushing offence, averaging 127.6 yards per game.

Will BC stuff Rankin on the ground and force Fajardo to use his arm to find his receivers downfield? Or will Rankin put the game on his back and pound the rock all the way to the 113th Grey Cup?

CAN NATHAN ROURKE WIN A WESTERN FINAL?

Nathan Rourke has been just one game away from the Grey Cup twice in his CFL career, falling just short in a pair of Western Finals.

The first was in 2022 when his BC Lions were defeated by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He then reached the Western Final last season, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders ending BC's season with a last-minute, game-winning touchdown.

This weekend, the Leos pivot is facing an Elks team that he has only lost once to in his career (7-1). That loss came this year, but it was also in a game that Rourke left after sustaining an injury in the opening series and didn't finish. Other than that technicality, the Canadian has been perfect against the Green and Gold.

Rourke started his 2026 postseason run with an impressive performance, throwing for 366 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in last weekend's Western Semi-Final presented by Wegovy®. He also showed off his signature escapability, extending plays when he needed to, like on the Stanley Berryhill III 69-yard touchdown late in the first half.

Can Rourke get over the hump this year and make it to his first Grey Cup?