While the Edmonton Elks were able to come out on top of their Week 3 battle with the Montreal Alouettes, they weren’t so lucky on Saturday afternoon.
The Alouettes improved to 8-1 with a 48-30 win thanks to a 10-reception, 131-yard, and three-touchdown performance from Tyson Philpot, who was the difference maker for the Montreal side.
It was a back-and-forth first half, but it started on the wrong foot for Montreal, as quarterback Davis Alexander was picked off by Tyrell Ford. The Als’ third drive went much better and they were the ones who struck first, as Alexander scampered for a 10-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead.
The Elks would get it back in short order, though, as quarterback Cody Fajardo would drive Edmonton 63 yards down the field, punching in a one-yard run, leading to a 7-7 tie. The back-and-forth affair would continue through the second quarter.
Montreal struck first on their first drive of that frame, as quarterback Davis Alexander found Philpot for a six-yard touchdown.
Ford picked off Alexander again in the second quarter, and just three plays later, Fajardo would find receiver Joshua Cephus for a six-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. The Alexander-Philpot connection struck again later in the quarter for a four-yard touchdown to take a 21-14 lead, while the Elks’ final drive of the first half would see Vincent Blanchard would kick a field goal to make it 21-17.
Come the second half, the Als would start to pull away. Elks receiver Austin Mack fumbled on Edmonton’s opening drive, and three plays later, Alexander fired a 32-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Snead, making it a 31-17 game.
Fajardo would throw his first interception since Week 5 on Edmonton’s next drive, as Alexander drove the Alouettes 51 yards down the field, kicking a field goal to make it 34-17. Blanchard would miss a field goal for a single on Edmonton’s third-quarter closing drive.
Then, as there is in the CFL, chaos happened in the fourth quarter. Alexander would find Philpot for a 56-yard touchdown, capping off his hat trick to take a 41-18 lead, before Edmonton responded on their next. Fajardo bombed a ball to Mack for a 33-yard touchdown, making it 41-24.
A quick Als drive saw quarterback Terry Wilson punch in a one-yard touchdown to make it 48-24. Edmonton’s final drive saw backup Taylor Powell hit the field, marching the Elks 92 yards, finding University of Alberta product Carter Kettyle for a six-yard score.
Next up…
The Elks will have another matinee next Saturday afternoon, hosting the Toronto Argonauts. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. MT.
