The first half of Friday night’s affair between the Edmonton Elks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers didn’t quite go as planned for the hometown team.
When both teams broke for their respective locker rooms, the Elks faced a 16-6 deficit after Winnipeg kicked three field goals and scored a touchdown in the first half. But the war of attrition was won by Edmonton, as kicker Vincent Blanchard walked off the game with a 40-yard field goal in the dying seconds of the game.
It marked the second straight week where Edmonton, which leads the Canadian Football League’s West Division, had a poor start to the first half. It also marked the second straight week where they had a big performance in the second half.
Winnipeg would march down the field for a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring on the first drive of the game, and on their second, would get within five yards of scoring, but a third-and-goal attempt was stopped short. They’d eventually break through when quarterback Zach Collaros hit receiver Tim White with a 40-yard strike to set up a 10-0 lead.
Having fumbled on the second drive, Edmonton’s fourth would end on its first play, when quarterback Cody Fajardo was picked off by Jonathan Moxey. It would set up a 52-yard field goal from Blue Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo, giving Winnipeg a commanding 16-0 lead.
The Elks would find their way into the end zone late in the second quarter, when Fajardo found Austin Mack for a 15-yard touchdown, and a failed two-point convert kept the score 16-6 at halftime.
Edmonton would march 44 yards downfield to start the second half, leading to a 42-yard Blanchard field goal, tightening the score. After the Blue Bombers punted on their next drive, the Elks would then head 82 yards downfield before Fajardo punched in a two-yard touchdown to make it a 16-16 game.
Despite Fajardo fumbling on the first drive of the fourth quarter, the Elks would take their first lead of the night on their next, when a 34-yard Blanchard field goal made it 19-16.
Already leading the CFL in interceptions, the defence would add another on Winnipeg’s next drive, as Terez Reid picked off Collaros. It led to a two-and-out punt, setting up the Blue Bombers in just good enough field position for Castillo to kick a 53-yard field goal, tying the game back up.
On the final drive of the game, Edmonton started on their own 23-yard line, deking and dunking down the field to give Blanchard a chance to walk off the game, which he made no mistake on for the second time this season.
With the win, Edmonton secured the season series against the Blue Bombers, boosting their record to 8-3 on the season.
Next up
Edmonton will get a Week 13 bye before heading south to face the Calgary Stampeders on Sept. 7 in the Labour Day Classic.
