The Edmonton Elks’ Cinderella push for a CFL playoff berth officially came to an end on Friday night, as the BC Lions stormed back from an early deficit to win 37-24 at BC Place. Edmonton jumped out to a 10-2 lead and held BC’s high-powered offence in check for much of the first half, but a second-half collapse — highlighted by three Cody Fajardo interceptions, including a costly pick-six — sealed their fate.
The loss dropped the Elks to 7-10 and mathematically eliminated them from postseason contention. It also clinched playoff spots for both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders.
Fast Start, Familiar Finish
Edmonton came out strong, dominating time of possession and moving the ball methodically. A 44-yard field goal attempt from Vincent Blanchard sailed wide early, but the Elks broke through in the second quarter. Fajardo connected with Kurleigh Gittens Jr. three times on the drive before faking a handoff to Justin Rankin and pitching to Javon Leake for an easy four-yard touchdown, his first of the season.
After a late first-half push from BC, capped by a James Butler rushing score, the teams went to halftime tied 10-10. Edmonton’s defence had limited Nathan Rourke and the league’s top offence to just 124 total yards through 30 minutes, but the momentum wouldn’t last.
Turnovers Flip the Script
The second half belonged entirely to the Lions. On Edmonton’s first drive of the third quarter, rookie defensive back Robert Carter Jr. jumped a Fajardo pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, giving BC its first lead of the game.
From there, things spiralled for the Elks. The offensive line struggled to protect Fajardo, and the veteran quarterback threw two more interceptions, one to T.J. Lee and another to Jackson Findlay. Between those turnovers, Rourke ran 70 yards for a stunning touchdown, leaving Edmonton’s defence chasing shadows.
Rourke finished the night 21-for-32 for 338 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing major, while Butler added 82 yards and a score on the ground. Keon Hatcher Sr. led all receivers with 97 yards and a touchdown as BC extended its winning streak to five games, improving to 10-7.
Bright Spots and What’s Next
Despite the loss, there were silver linings for Edmonton. Running back Justin Rankin eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season — a milestone in his breakout campaign — while Gittens Jr. hauled in six catches for 96 yards. Fajardo finished 19-of-34 for 230 yards with one passing and one rushing touchdown, but his three interceptions proved too costly.
With one game remaining, the Elks will return home to face the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, October 24, at Commonwealth Stadium. The Lions, now in firm control of second place in the West Division, will travel to Saskatchewan for their regular-season finale against the Roughriders on Saturday, October 25.
