On Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium, the Edmonton Elks took on the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Elks were looking to end a 1,036-day winless drought at home. Meanwhile, the Roughriders were looking to end a three-game losing streak.
The Roughriders got excellent field position to begin the game when Mario Alford returned a kick-off for 43 yards. After Jamal Morrow carried the ball twice for ten yards, punter Kaare Vedvik punted the ball for 72 yards in the endzone for a single point, 1-0 with 12:24 left.
The Elks’ offense marched down the field towards the Roughriders’ ten-yard line. Then, quarterback Taylor Cornelius ran up the middle for the touchdown, putting Edmonton up 7-1 with 7:07 left.
On the Roughriders’ next possession, quarterback Cody Fajardo threw three passes for 29 yards, Jamal Morrow had three carries for 27 yards, and Kian Schaffer-Baker had a carry for 14 yards, leading them to the Elks’ one-yard line. Fajardo scored the touchdown with a quarterback sneak to take an 8-7 lead with 1:55 left.
After the Elks went three-and-out, the Roughriders got the ball back and faced a 2nd and 4 to begin the second quarter. They got to Edmonton’s 26-yard line before Brett Lauther converted a 34-yard field goal for an 11-7 lead with 13:04 left.
Late in the second quarter, Elks’ kicker Sergio Castillo made a 38-yard field goal, making it a one-point game 11-10 with 2:49 left. When Saskatchewan got the ball back, the offense went down to Edmonton’s 38-yard line, where Brett Lauther made a 46-yard field goal for a 14-10 lead with 56-seconds left.
On Edmonton’s next possession, Taylor Cornelius threw two passes for 44 yards. Then, Cornelius was looking to throw the ball and couldn’t find anyone. He took off for a 26-yard touchdown, giving them a 17-14 lead with 22-seconds left.
On the kickoff, Roughriders returner Mario Alford ran up the middle before cutting to his left side and scored a 98-yard touchdown for a 21-17 lead at halftime. The start of the third quarter was delayed for 30 minutes due to lightning.
In the third quarter, the Roughriders extended their lead 22-17 with 8:52 left after punter Kaare Vedvik punted the ball for 62 yards that went into the endzone for a single point. Edmonton had the ball late in the third quarter and were in a 1st and 10 at the Roughriders’ 32-yard line to begin the fourth quarter.
The Elks made it to the Roughriders’ 37-yard line before Sergio Castillo made a 44-yard field goal, cutting Saskatchewan’s lead 22-20 with 13:45 left. On the Roughriders’ next drive, Cody Fajardo’s pass was intercepted by Nafees Lyons. The Elks added three more points on a Sergio Castillo 46-yard field goal to take a 23-22 lead with 10:52 left.
Edmonton’s lead didn’t last long. Roughriders’ quarterback Cody Fajardo threw a couple of passes before throwing an interception. However, a defensive pass interference on Edmonton put the ball on the Elks’ 24-yard line. Then, Cody Fajardo threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Duke Williams, giving them a 28-23 lead with 4:30 left.
The Roughriders were fired up. Saskatchewan’s defense stepped up when Rolan Milligan intercepted Taylor Cornelius’s ball on Edmonton’s 21-yard line. The Roughriders put the game away with a six-yard run by Cody Fajardo for a 34-23 lead with 1:40 left. Edmonton had two more chances to get back into the game but could not score, and the Roughriders ended a three-game losing streak with a 34-23 win. Saskatchewan is now 5-4, while Edmonton drops to 2-7.
The win for Saskatchewan puts them one game behind Calgary for third place. Cody Fajardo looked good after having a couple of weeks off. They will need him to be at his best if the Roughriders have a shot at moving up in the standings. Meanwhile, Edmonton fought hard in the game but were overmatched in the end. They will have to wait another day to end the winless drought at home.
Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo went 11/20 for 130 yards, one touchdown, one interception and led the rushers with eight carries for 51 yards and one touchdown. Running back, Jamal Morrow had 13 carries for 46 yards, while wide receiver Duke Williams had four catches for 80 yards and one touchdown.
The Roughriders’ defense allowed 365 yards, 50 tackles, four sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery. The Roughriders host the BC Lions next Friday at 10 pm on ESPN+.
Edmonton quarterback Taylor Cornelius went 13/23 for 209 yards, one interception, and led the rushers with seven carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Running back, Ante Litre-Milanovic had nine carries for 38 yards, while wide receiver Kenny Lawler had six catches for 105 yards.
The Elks’ defense allowed 261 yards, 44 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one pass breakup, and one interception. The Elks visit the Ottawa Redblacks next Friday at 7 pm on ESPN+.
