By The Numbers: Lions QB Rourke off to roaring start

Nathan Rourke is in impressive company through the first six starts of his career.

The second-year quarterback has posted numbers comparable to some of the best pivots in Canadian Football League history.

The BC Lions (3-1) are coming off their second bye week of the season and host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-4) on Thursday night.

Watch and stream the Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. BC Lions LIVE on TSN1/3/5 beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Rourke made two starts in his rookie campaign in Weeks 1 and 16 and has taken the reigns in each of the Lions’ four games so far in 2022.

The Victoria, B.C., native is 4-2 in those contests and has averaged 318 passing yards per game, topped only by Jeff Garcia and David Archer.

Rourke leads the CFL in 2022 with 338.3 passing yards per game this season which would rank third-most ever in a single season, behind only Doug Flutie and Matt Dunigan.

Dane Evans of the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats is currently second this season, averaging more than 50 less yards than Rourke (284.6 yards per game).

The 24-year-old is currently on pace for 6,098 total passing yards this season, which would also be good for third all-time.

Only four quarterbacks have ever topped 6,000 passing yards in a season, with Doug Flutie accomplishing the feat twice - in 1991 and 1993. Anthony Calvillo was last the to do so, throwing for 6,092 yards in 2004, and Michael Rielly (2018) is the only quarterback to top 5,700 yards since.  

In the early conversation for Most Outstanding Players along with undefeated Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, Rourke is currently also on pace for 54 touchdown passes.

Rourke, who has 12 touchdowns in four games this season, would break Doug Flutie's current record of 48 if he