Whyte boots 8 field goals as B.C. Lions hang on for 24-17 win over Toronto Argonauts
Published 2:58 pm Saturday, October 3, 2026
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Sean Whyte booted eight field goals and the B.C. Lions came up with a huge goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter, as they held on for a 24-17 win over the host Toronto Argonauts in CFL action Saturday at BMO Field in Toronto.
Whyte’s eight three-pointers set a B.C. franchise record for field goals and eclipsed his previous personal best of seven.
Quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 254 yards and ran for 50 more for the Leos (9-6), who won their third straight game and are two games back of the first-place Edmonton Elks in the league’s West Division.
Toronto’s Nick Arbuckle, filling in for injured starting QB Chad Kelly, tossed for 292 yards and TDs to David Ungerer III and Makai Polk. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu added a field goal and two converts for the Boatmen (9-7), who saw their four-game win streak come to an end.
Both teams move the ball well in the first half but the defences stiffened deep in their own territory.
In the first quarter, Whyte (playing in his 100th game as a Lion) connected on field goals from 39 and 26 yards out and Hajrullahu responded with an 18-yarder as B.C. held a 6-3 lead after 15 minutes.
Congratulations Sean Whyte for 100 games as a BC Lion 🦁🧡 pic.twitter.com/GwCAZWIwmG
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) October 3, 2026
After a nice chunk play of 39 yards on a catch-and-run from Rourke to Keon Hatcher, the Lions settled for a 32-yard Whyte field goal with 2:29 left in the half to take a 9-3 lead.
The Argos responded quickly with the only touch of the half, with Polk making a nice one-handed grab off an Arbuckle pass from five yards out with 1:35 remaining. Hajrullahu’s convert gave the Argos a 10-9 lead.
Just before halftime, a late B.C. drive ended when Rourke was stopped inside the five-yard line with one second left and Whyte then added a 12-yard field goal to end the half with B.C. holding a 12-10 advantage.
In the third quarter, B.C.’s Deontai Williams made an athletic interception 2:19 in, deflecting an Arbuckle pass into the air and catching it himself. Shortly after, the Lions turned that into a fifth Whyte field goal, this time from 19 yards out and led 15-10.
After Zander Horvath was denied on a second-and-short rushing attempt deep in Toronto territory, the Lions settled yet again for a Whyte field goal, from 40 yards out with 4:03 left in the quarter to boost the lead to 18-10.
Just over two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lions struck again with (you guessed it) another Whyte field goal. His seventh of the game, tying a career high, from 30 yards out upped B.C.’s lead to 21-10.
The Argos pulled closer with nine-and-a-half minutes left, when Arbuckle found Ungerer III for a 36-yard touchdown. Hajrullahu added the point after to pull Toronto within 21-17.
Whyte’s eighth field goal of the contest, a 48-yarder, with just under five minutes to play and B.C. led 24-17.
With the Argos driving and looking to tie things up, B.C. defensive back TJ Lee came up with a huge play, picking off Arbuckle deep in B.C. territory with 2:38 to play.
The Toronto defence immediately forced a two-and-out, giving the offence another chance with good field position.
Facing third-and-goal from the B.C. one with 27 seconds to play, Arbuckle was rebuffed on a QB sneak by the stout B.C. defence, securing the win for the Lions.
NOTES: Rourke, Toronto linebacker Adarius Pickett and Montreal Alouettes linebacker Tyrice Beverette were named the CFL’s top players of September. Rourke threw for 1,067 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception over three games in the month while leading the Lions to a 2-1 record. The Victoria pivot also ran for 145 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and extended his streak of 300-yard passing performances to seven straight games… Jermaine Jackson led the Lions with five catches for 94 yards. Ungerer III had 12 catches for 124 yards in a losing effort… Darnell Sankey led the B.C. defence with nine tackles, while Parker McKenna had eight… The Lions host the winless Ottawa Redblacks Friday (7 p.m.) at BC Place.