CFL

• First vs. worst in the West, as Stampeders tangle with Lions

  Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - As the only team in the league still without a home win in 2010, the British Columbia Lions give it another shot this weekend as they host the Calgary Stampeders at Empire Field in Vancouver on Saturday night.

  Except for a season-opening win against a woeful Edmonton club, little has gone right for the Lions thus far as they find themselves tied for last place in the Western Division with the aforementioned Eskimos at just 1-4. The last three weeks have seen the Lions play some tight games, but each time the squad came out on the losing end, as it did again against Edmonton last weekend by a score of 28-25.

  In a game that was delayed about 40 minutes due to poor weather conditions that actually knocked out power at the stadium, BC scored 15 of its 25 points on the night in the final quarter, but it was the defense that let the Lions down late in the meeting.

  Travis Lulay, who again stepped in for the injured Casey Printers at quarterback, didn't have much luck against the Edmonton defenders as he completed 16-of-26 passes for a mere 134 yards and a pair of interceptions, all while shaking off three sacks. However, Lulay did manage to generate 62 yards and a score on seven rushing attempts, helping the team to log 163 yards on the ground overall in the setback.

  As for the Stampeders, the team that is tied with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for first place in the division, they celebrated their 23-20 victory against Winnipeg last weekend on a number of levels. Not only did the win represent the fourth in five tries this season, it also saw the return of receiver Ken- Yon Rambo who was back on the field for the first time since suffering a torn knee ligament against the Lions on July 24, 2009. Rambo caught six passes for 86 yards and one touchdown as he again became a crucial piece of the offensive puzzle for the Stamps.

  Also getting in on the receiving action was Nik Lewis who reeled in a game- high 10 passes for a team-best 160 yards in the narrow victory. Quarterback Henry Burris completed 28-of-38 passes for 340 yards and a pair of touchdowns, although losing one of his two fumbles did hamper the team's play somewhat. Kicker Rob Maver made all three of his field goal attempts and finished with 11 points for the home team.

  The return of Rambo is huge for the Stampeders because it adds an extra element to the offense that was lacking for much of last year. In his 15 previous matchups against the BC defense, Rambo has accounted for 50 receptions for 839 yards and scored three times. However, the receiver has also turned the ball over four times while averaging better than 16 yards per catch. Put him together with Lewis and Calgary has a lethal receiving duo, seeing as how Lewis has averaged better than 16 yards per grab and has scored seven touchdowns in his career versus British Columbia.

  Over on the other side, Lions receiver Geroy Simon has been no slouch himself against Calgary in his career, posting 89 catches for 1,412 yards and five touchdowns. However, Simon has not hit the end zone versus the Stamps defense since late 2007 when he made five grabs for a whopping 211 yards and two scores.

  Burris, who hasn't thrown an interception against the Lions since 2008, has tossed one TD and ran for two others in each of his last two encounters against BC in 2009. Even though he has eight interceptions already this year, keeping the ball in the hands of Burris is generally a solid decision, especially since he currently leads the league in TD passes with 11 and has completed more than 64 percent of his pass attempts.

  The quarterback has the luxury of leaning on Joffrey Reynolds as usual, even though the running back gained a mere 30 yards on nine carries last weekend versus Winnipeg. Reynolds has averaged 6.5 yards per carry in his 17 games versus British Columbia and has run for at least 100 yards in five of the last six meetings. After five games this season, Reynolds ranks fourth in the league in rushing with 381 yards, averaging almost six yards per attempt.

  This is the first of four meetings this season between the clubs, with the second contest being played later this month at BC as well. Dating back to the 1954 season, the Stamps lead the series by a count of 91-71-5. Calgary won all three meetings last season, although the latest one was also the closest as the Stamps slipped by with a 28-26 decision on the road at the end of October.

  08/04 11:13:10 ET