The phrase “must win” gets tossed around pretty loosely, and I was probably guilty of it before this one.
Mathematically, this was nowhere near a must-win. But when you are an organization as proud as Edmonton, with that history, sitting 0-5 against the West Division, and you just got rocked by the same team five days ago, the term felt right. A loss here would have crushed the Elks. They would have been 4-8, 0-6 versus the West, and, most importantly, they would have lost in front of the biggest crowd of the season when the place was rocking.
They did not lose. They handled business. More than that, they ran all over the Stamps. Literally. Justin Rankin piled up 204 rushing yards, and the Elks finished with 245 on the ground. Rankin became only the second player in franchise history to top 200 rushing yards and the first since Sean Millington in 1999. He also ripped the longest rush in the CFL since 2000 and the longest by an EE player since 1977.
Wow.
It was the performance everyone needed. The crowd showed up. The atmosphere was electric. Coach Kilam said the fans helped them win, and I could not agree more. It is a lot easier to play for 28,000 fans going crazy than 11,000 humming and hawing. That one was on your shoulders, ElksNation, and we are proud of it.
THE GOOD
Justin Rankin. Duh. That dude ate. He averaged 12.8 per carry, had four runs over 20 yards, and scored two TDs. He did not even need catches to be the most impactful player by a mile. Jonathan Kongbo stepped in for the injured Jake Ceresna and had two sacks, including a crucial one late in the fourth. Noah Taylor balled out, and his spin-move sack with about three minutes left looked like a video game. The Elks had 10 sacks all season coming in and got four on Saturday. Huge. Kordell Jackson brought a different level of intensity, flying around, knocking balls loose, and stacking PBUs. It is easier to play with that edge in front of 30,000 screaming fans, and Jackson set the tone against Calgary’s receivers.
THE BAD
I do not feel like dwelling on it. Yes, they are only 5-7 and there is work to do, but enjoy this one. The crowd was rocking, the Elks won by double digits, and it finally felt like EE football.
CODY’S COMMENTS
Cody Fajardo on the short week and response: “We did not have time to change a lot. We were just pissed off that no one gave us a chance. It was doom and gloom everywhere except in that locker room. The guys believed and we are a 4-1 football team in our last five games. We showed up and answered the call.”
On what this win means: “We believe we can beat any team in the league. A showing like this proves it.”
On Rankin: “I had front row tickets to the best show on turf. That was one of the best running back performances I have ever been a part of.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is still work ahead, but this one felt good. It was the rival that just smacked you, and it was a win you needed to stay in the hunt. Two winnable road games are up next against Toronto and Hamilton before Saskatchewan at home. Handle business and let’s aim for 35,000 against the Riders on September 27. Why not?
