Week 17 CFL Wrap

ELKS 27 ROUGHRIDERS 25

EDMONTON – Justin Rankin scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Edmonton Elks kept their slight playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 27-25 CFL victory over the West Division-leading Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday.

The Elks (6-9) snapped a two-game losing skid, but will still likely need to win their remaining three games and get some help in the process to make post-season play.

The Roughriders (10-4) have lost two in a row for the first time all season.

After the Elks got a punt single on their opening drive, Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris was picked off twice on his team’s first possession, first by Kenneth Logan Jr., who promptly fumbled it back, and then by Brock Mogensen. However, Edmonton was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

The next points didn’t come until early in the second when Elks kicker Vincent Blanchard nailed a 47-yard field goal.

Edmonton added to its lead late in the opening half as a 47-yard pass from quarterback Cody Fajardo to Kaion Julien-Grant set up a one-yard touchdown plunge by backup QB Cole Snyder.

Saskatchewan responded with a 44-yard field goal by Brett Lauther to trail 11-3 at halftime.

The Roughriders tightened things up with four minutes left in the third quarter on a five-yard TD run by A.J. Ouellette, but the two-point convert failed.

After a big fumble recovery by Kosi Onyeka at the Edmonton 41, eventually leading to a 30-yard field goal by Lauther and Saskatchewan’s first lead.

Edmonton quickly responded with a 37-yard touchdown run by Rankin, followed by an unsuccessful two-point convert pass attempt, to surge back in front 17-12.

The Elks got another big play with 3:35 to play, a 44-yard pass to Odieu Hiliare, that set up Rankin’s second TD, as he battled hard to push into the end zone from five yards out.

Saskatchewan fought back with 2:13 left on the clock, as Harris completed a 24-yard TD pass to Tommy Nield.

Edmonton came back with a 30-yard Blanchard field goal.

The Riders weren’t done yet, though, and marched all the way back down field to the one-yard-line with one second to play and got a touchdown from Tommy Stevens. However, the two-point convert passing attempt to tie the game and force overtime failed.

FOOT NOTES

The Elks held a moment of silence and had painted tributes in the end zones to honour owner Larry Thompson, who died on Thursday of complications following an unspecified surgery earlier this week at age 65. Thompson, a former season-ticket holder who had long dreamt of becoming an owner, only purchased the team on Aug. 15, 2024. … Edmonton, which hasn’t qualified for the CFL playoffs since 2019, lost its previous two games by a combined three points and had lost four games this season by four points or less. … Rider KeeSean Johnson reached the 1,000-yards receiving mark for the first time in his career. Meanwhile Ouellette passed the 1,000-yards rushing mark for the second time in his career. … Saskatchewan came into the contest having won 10 of its last 13 meetings going back to 2019 and with a rare seven-game road win streak in Edmonton. … The attendance was announced as 30,053.

UP NEXT

Roughriders: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, Oct. 3.

Elks: Host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday, Oct. 11.

BLUE BOMBERS 40 TIGER-CATS 3

WINNIPEG – Zach Collaros returned from injury and threw for a season-high 367 yards, but the Winnipeg quarterback wasn’t highlighting his performance in a 40-3 Blue Bombers’ victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.

Collaros, who missed the previous two games with a head injury, completed 20 of 25 pass attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions in front of a 12th consecutive sellout of 32,343 fans at Princess Auto Stadium.

Trey Vaval set the tone early with a 98-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown.

It marked his CFL-leading fourth return touchdown this season, including two from kickoffs, one on a punt return and last week’s franchise-record 128-yarder off a missed field goal by the Ottawa Redblacks.

Winnipeg (8-7) is now tied for second in points in the West Division with the B.C. Lions and the Calgary Stampeders, although the latter has a game in hand on the Blue Bombers and Lions.

It was the lowest-scoring game of the season for Hamilton, which had a three-game win streak come to an end. (9-6). The Tiger-Cats have already clinched a home playoff game in the East Division.

“We got whipped from the opening kickoff to the end of game,” Ticats head coach Scott Milanovich said. “It was a three- or four-phase loss, including the coaching staff. They were more ready to play, that’s my responsibility.”

Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell went 21-of-32 in passing for 212 yards for no touchdowns and no interceptions.

He disagreed with one target of his coach’s finger pointing.

“Scott is going to come out and take blame, say it’s on him to get us ready,” Mitchell said. “It’s on players to realize that we are the ones that play the game. It’s not Xs and Os. We didn’t get beat by scheme.”

Winnipeg led 13-0 after the first quarter, 19-3 at halftime and 33-3 heading into the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Tiger-Cats: Visit the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Blue Bombers: Visit the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, Oct. 11.

LIONS 27 ARGONAUTS 22

VANCOUVER – The BC Lions (8-7) withstood a late push from the visiting Toronto Argonauts and ground out a 27-22 victory for their third straight win. 

“Not pretty, but sometimes good teams find a way,” Lions QB Nathan Rourke said of the performance. “And I think we’re feeling right now that we’re playing some good football as a team. If we’re struggling in one area, other parts can pick you up. And I think our defence did that tonight, so hats off to them.”

The Canadian quarterback threw for 235 yards, connecting on 16 of his 25 attempts with one touchdown and three interceptions. He also drove in a pair of short-yardage majors. 

Justin McInnis reeled in his sixth TD of the season while Sean Whyte made two field goals and three converts. 

After missing Toronto’s 21-19 loss to the Montreal Alouettes last week, Nick Arbuckle started under centre for the Argos (5-10) and put up 281 passing yards, going 28-for-38 with a touchdown pass to Makai Polk and one interception. 

Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu made five field goals, including three 50-yard strikes, and one conversion. 

The Argos fought, said head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, but ultimately came up short. 

“We were beat up on the O-line and the receivers,” he said. “So I’m proud of their effort and their toughness. It’s a tough loss. But I thought, offensively, too many penalties, too many seconds and longs. But the defensive effort was there. They played good enough football for us to win. I thought special teams did their part, too.”

NOTES: Toronto was limited to 28 rushing yards on 12 carries. … The Lions took five penalties for 49 yards in the first quarter. … Several B.C. players marked milestones in the game, including Butler (passed 1,000 rushing yards on the season), McInnis (passed the 1,000 receiving yards mark) and linebacker Micha Awe (passed 100 defensive tackles). 

UP NEXT

Lions: Host the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Argos: Face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Toronto on Saturday, Oct. 4.

ALOUETTES 38 STAMPEDERS 20

MONTREAL – Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander entered the history books Friday with one touchdown and 350 passing yards in a 38-20 victory over the Calgary Stampeders, setting a CFL record with nine straight wins as a starter to begin his career.

Alexander completed 26 of 36 pass attempts in his return from missing eight games with a hamstring injury.

Montreal has gone 3-7 without him this season, a record that looked far worse before back-to-back wins against Saskatchewan and Toronto with backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

Short-yardage QB Shea Patterson ran for three touchdowns while Charleston Rambo hauled down a TD catch for Montreal (8-7), which increased its winning streak to three in front of an announced 22,070 at Molson Stadium.

The 26-year-old Alexander matched Danny McManus’s 8-0 mark against Toronto on July 17, when he re-aggravated his hamstring on a game-winning TD run.

McManus accomplished the feat from 1991 to 1993, winning his first six starts with Winnipeg and his next two for B.C.

Alexander’s run began last year, when he won four starts while replacing Cody Fajardo after beginning the season as a third-string QB.

The Alouettes then handed Alexander the keys to the offence over the off-season, signing him to an extension and trading ‘23 Grey Cup MVP Fajardo to Edmonton.

And Alexander kept winning — when healthy.

“It’s pretty cool, pretty awesome,” Alexander said of the record. “I’m proud of myself, but I’m proud of my team. I am nothing without them.

“Proud of everything we’ve gone through, it’s been a tough year for a lot of us mentally and physically, but we’re battling through and we’re hot right now.”

His return comes at a great time for the Alouettes, who hope to finish strong in a roller-coaster season that has featured four different starting QBs.

Stampeders receiver Jalen Philpot — facing off against twin brother Tyson Philpot of the Alouettes — caught one TD and quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. rushed for another as Calgary (8-6) lost its third straight.

Adams went 19 of 29 passing for 238 yards — exceeding 3,000 in a season for the third time — with one touchdown throw and one interception. He also rushed for 37 yards on three carries after starting despite the back injury suffered in last week’s loss to B.C.

“They played hard and the effort was good and there were a lot of things to build on, but you still got beat by 18,” Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson said. “That’s a tough one. You got to understand we got to get better.

“But I do think our team will continue to fight, I knew they would, just wasn’t the result we were looking for.”

UP NEXT

Alouettes: Host the Ottawa Redblacks on Oct. 13 after a bye week.

Stampeders: Visit the B.C. Lions on Oct. 4.

(Canadian Press)