‘Run Rankin run’: Justin Rankin’s monster night helps Elks break Week 1 curse in 29-21 win over Redblacks

It was a soggy Saturday night when the Edmonton Elks and Ottawa Redblacks took to TD Place for their Week 1 affair.

And in the end, it was the Justin Rankin show that would help the Elks break their Week 1 curse, as the running back’s 200 yards of total offence led them to a 29-21 win. The Elks clearly had a desire to keep control of the ball, giving Rankin 13 carries and five receptions on seven targets, three marks that lead the team.

“‘Run Rankin run’ — that pretty much was our game plan tonight,” quarterback Cody Fajardo, who completed 23 of 34 passes for 266 yards, told TSN after the game. “We did a great job of staying on the field. This week, I told the guys this organization hasn’t won their opener since 2019, let’s be the change. They answered the call tonight.”

Rankin, meanwhile, gave credit to his offensive line and receiver group for opening things up for him all night.

“The O-Line was working for me, the receivers was working for me,” he told TSN after the game. “I can’t do none of that without them blocking down the field, opening holes up. That’s a nasty O-Line there and I love running behind them.”

Edmonton Elks Week 1 recap

The Elks started the game strong, forcing the Redblacks into a two-and-out before, and while Edmonton’s opening drive stalled out after gaining 30 yards, their second would be more successful. After pinning the Redblacks offence to their own 20 after as second-straight two-and-out, the Elks took advantage of multiple Redblacks infractions.

A shifty 17-yard run from Justin Rankin through a heavy Redblacks blitz would put the Elks on the 10 yard line, and while they Cody Fajardo failed to convert on an option run, or a shot to Kayvon Julien-Grant in the back of the endzone, Vincent Blanchard would open the scoring with a field goal.

Five minutes into the second quarter, the Elks would force a third-down conversion, allowing Fajardo to set up shop on the Redblacks 53-yard line. A 39 yard completion to LUTHER would get the Elks to the 10-yard line, allowing Fajardo to find his guy Austin Mack in the endzone for their first touchdown in the Green and Gold.

The Elks’ defence would come up big on the Redblacks’ next offensive play, as linebacker Justin Dublanko would force a fumble, which was quickly scooped up by defensive lineman Malik Carney. The offence would stall, however, as another Blanchard field goal gave Edmonton a 13-0 lead.

Ottawa would strike back, however, as on their next drive, they would march 60-yards down the field as running back Daniel Adeboboye, who started the game as the backup, took over the backfield, punching in a one-yard rush to cut Edmonton’s lead to 13-7.

Edmonton’s next two drives would feature just four plays, sandwiched by a Redblacks four play drive, before they marched 53-yards down the field in 32 seconds to kick a field goal, making it a 13-10 game heading into halftime.

Fajardo would get the ball to start the second half, and the Elks would get to work. They would get down the field to kick field goals on each of their first two third-quarter drives, and punting on each of their final two. The Redblacks, meanwhile, struggled to generate much offensively, netting just 26 offensive yards on their three drives, forced to punt in all situations.

Come the fourth quarter, Edmonton would force a quick two-and-out, before a 15-yard return from Javon Leake would put the Elks on their own 49-yard line. Offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic would put the ball in Rankin’s hand, who scampered 61 yards to the house to give the Elks a 26-10 lead.

Both teams would trade field goals on their subsequent drives with the score 29-21 in Edmonton’s favour. With 3:52 left in the fourth quarter, the Redblacks would get the ball on their own 55 yard line. A 35-yard pass to receiver Eugene Lewis would put the Redblacks in a spot to score, and he would find receiver Justin Hardy for a 12 yard touchdown two plays later to make it 29-21, a score that would hold through the end of the game.

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