It was a day late, and a dollar short for the Edmonton Elks.
The Elks just couldn’t find an edge late in Saturday’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, falling 28-26 in a much-anticipated Week 9 matchup. After all, the week prior, quarterback Cody Fajardo threw for a career-high 510 yards and four touchdowns in a massive 36-34 win.
While Fajardo couldn’t quite find the same level on Saturday, despite throwing for a still-solid 286 yards and a touchdown, there was a massive, 31,757-person crowd at Commonwealth Stadium to cheer them on.
“First off, hats to our crowd — I mean, freaking electric,” he said of the atmosphere that forced the organization to open the upper level of the stadium for the first time since 2023. “I hope that’s the norm going forward, because we need them.”
That’s not all the Elks will need, however, as once again, too many mistakes cost them. For one, the team ran into penalty troubles all night. Early in the game, it was Elks defensive lineman Noah Taylor getting ejected after two quick personal foul penalties — the second of which was a rare embellishment call. By the end of the game, it was 10 penalties for 92 yards given up, including head coach Mark Kilam, who got rung up for objectionable conduct in the second quarter.
“I’m as guilty as they are,” said Kilam after the game. “But all of these experiences, positive and negative throughout the year, you hope that you keep your trajectory going up, you’re learning from both experiences.”
Edmonton Elks vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders Week 9 recap
Edmonton would get off to a hot start, as after Elks return man Javon Leake brought the ball 37 yards forward to his own 48, the offence would get to work. It would take them seven plays to march down the field before Justin Rankin would punch in a 3-yard run to give Edmonton an early lead.
Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris would get even better starting field position, as when the Elks kicked the ball back, Johnny Johnson III scampered 87 yards, giving the Riders’ offence possession on Edmonton’s nine-yard line. Tommy Stevens would punch in a one-yard rushing touchdown, and the game was tied at 7.
Both teams would punt back and forth before the Elks would take a 10-7 lead on its final drive of the first quarter, as a Vincent Blanchard field goal would go through the uprights.
Saskatchewan would take its first lead on the opening drive of the second quarter, as Harris would find receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker for separate 10- and 17-yard gains, marching down the field before Stevens would punch in his second of the night, setting up a 14-10 lead.
Both teams would then stall, with each ending up in two-and-out situations, before a 44-yard Blanchard field goal made it 14-13 with just over two minutes to go. No further points would be scored, and with a thunderstorm cracking in the streets of Edmonton, a weather delay forced an extended halftime.
But the second half would feel much tamer than the chippy first. The Roughriders would receive the kickoff, and on its second offensive play, Elks defensive back Tyrell Ford would pick off Harris in the game’s lone turnover, but Edmonton’s offence would go two-and-out.
Edmonton would regain the lead thanks to a 13-yard Blanchard field goal on its final drive of the third quarter, making it 16-14, but the Roughriders would do more damage, as Stevens would complete the touchdown hattrick, making it a 20-16 game.
Saskatchewan wouldn’t look back. They held the Elks to a field goal on Edmonton’s fourth-quarter opening drive, making it 20-19, before Harris would complete a 4-yard touchdown pass to receiver KeeSean Johnson on its next drive, setting up a 28-19 lead.
The Elks would make it close, as on its second-to-last drive, a 27-yard catch-and-run by Justin Rankin would help set up a 4-yard Fajardo touchdown pass to T.J. Luther, making it 28-26. Both teams would punt on its following possession, and the Roughriders would hold onto the ball for the final two minutes and 28 seconds of the game, putting a stamp on the rematch.
Next up
The Elks will head east to face the Montreal Alouettes next Saturday afternoon for a Week 10 matchup between the two top teams in each division, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. MT. Edmonton will return home on Aug. 15 to host the Toronto Argonauts.
