The turnover battle is often looked at as a deciding factor in football games.
The more you turn the ball over, the more likely you are to lose, and for the Edmonton Elks, that’s exactly what cost them Saturday afternoon in a 24-19 loss to the Toronto Argonauts. While they bent instead of broke for much of the game, ultimately, a pair of interceptions from the usually safe Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo cost them.
“Everything wasn’t clicking for us,” said Fajardo during a postgame interview on 880 CHED. “We felt like everything was an uphill battle. We fought, we thought we still had a chance to win the football game. This team, we find ways to win, that’s what we’re built on, and tonight we just didn’t.”
The Elks would keep themselves in a tight affair for most of the afternoon, despite the Argonauts gaining just one rushing yard on six attempts in the game. Instead, it was quarterback Chad Kelly who gave the Elks headaches for much of the game.
Elks kicker Vincent Blanchard would open the games scoring in the first quarter, but it didn’t take long for the Argonauts to respond. Kelly would find receiver Kevin Mital for a touchdown, making it a 7-3 game, before kicker Lirim Hajrullahu would extend the lead to 10-3 before the quarter was over.
Fajardo would punch in a 1-yard rushing touchdown with five minutes left in the first half, tying the game up at 10. But once again, Toronto would respond, as Kelly found receiver Dymere Miller for a 19-yard touchdown, making it a 17-10 game. On the final play of the first half, Blanchard would kick another field goal, making it a 17-13 game at half-time.
In the second half, the Elks would tighten the game up more, as Blanchard would kick a 16-yard field goal, making it a one-point game. Disaster, however, would strike soon after. As the Elks were preparing to drive, centre Mark Korte flew a snap over the head of Fajardo, only to watch Argonauts defensive lineman Ralph Holley rumble into the end zone, and make it a 24-16 game. Edmonton’s next possession wouldn’t end well, either, as Fajardo was intercepted by Benjie Franklin as he took a shot at the end zone.
With just under 12 minutes left in the game, Blanchard would kick his fourth field goal, cutting the lead to 24-19 — exactly where the final score of the game would land, missing a field goal with six minutes left in the game. While the Elks would march down the field on the final drive, Fajardo would throw another endzone interception, this time to defensive back Tarvarus McFadden, sealing Edmonton’s loss.
Next up
The Edmonton Elks will return home on Saturday, Sept. 26, to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
