The Edmonton Elks were looking for a swift response coming off their Week 5 loss to the B.C. Lions, and boy, did they deliver.
It was all three facets of the game that came up clutch in their 40-17 win Thursday night over the Ottawa Redblacks. Quarterback Cody Fajardo would complete 19 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, running back Justin Rankin would rush for 107 yards and two touchdowns, adding another through the air, the defence would come up with four interceptions, and kicker Vincent Blanchard would put four field goals through the posts.
It wasn’t a pretty first half, despite carrying a 16-7 lead, but the team knew they were within punching distance.
“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot on a couple drives, stalled out a little bit,” Fajardo told CFL on TSN and Sports 1440’s Tom Gazzola after the game. “At halftime it was simple, we were winning the game by multiple possessions. As long as we won the second half, we won the game.”
Let’s take a look at what happened.
Edmonton Elks Week 6 Recap
The first half
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Elks would march down the field in eight plays, three of which were Rankin runs totalling 40 yards, before breaking a 19-yard rush for a touchdown to give the Elks an early 7-0 lead.
From there, both teams would struggle to generate much in the way of offence, as Edmonton’s three other drives, as well as the Redblacks’ three, all resulted in punts.
But things started to open up in the second quarter. The Elks would kick a field goal on their first drive to secure a 10-0 lead, before the Redblacks got on the board with a 70-yard drive resulting in QB Bryson Barnes punching in a one-yard rushing touchdown to make it 10-7.
Ottawa’s next drive would result in their first of three interceptions, as defensive back Tyrell Ford picked off Jake Maier along the sidelines. On Edmonton’s second play on the subsequent drive, quarterback Cody Fajardo would dump a short pass to receiver Brendan O’Leary-Orange, who made a man miss enroute to a 90-yard scamper down field. It would result in a field goal to give the Elks a 13-7 lead.
Vincent Blanchard would kick a third field goal on the final drive of the first half to make it 16-7.
The second half
With the Redblacks receiving the opening kickoff, the Elks defence would come up big, as defensive back Kordell Jackson would pick off Maier, giving Edmonton the ball on their own 21 yard line. The offence would squander it, however, turning it over on downs.
Ottawa would score their second touchdown on their third drive of the third quarter, as Maier completed three passes, all to receiver Ayden Eberhardt, with the final going 21 yards for a touchdown to make it a 16-14 game.
Edmonton responded on the final drive of the third quarter, as running back and return man Javon Leake would spell Rankin, gaining 32 yards on the ground, before Fajardo would find receiver Kaion Julien-Grant for a four-yard touchdown to make it 23-14.
The Redblacks would march 67 yards for a field goal on their first drive of the fourth quarter, making it 23-17, and from there, it was all Elks.
Edmonton’s first drive would result in a 33-yard receiving touchdown for Rankin, making it 30-17, and when Ottawa would get the ball back on their next drive, defensive back Chelen Garnes would pick off Maier, setting the Elks up on the Redblacks 54-yard line. Rankin would cap off a three-play drive with a 31-yard rushing touchdown to make it a 37-17 game.
The Redblacks’ next drive would be just one play, where Jackson picked off Maier once again.
Blanchard would kick his fourth field goal to make it a 40-17 game, capping the night off.
