The Edmonton Elks (4-1) took on the Ottawa Redblacks (0-5) in their second meeting of the season on Thursday night at Commonwealth Stadium to kick off Week 6 of the CFL season. In their first meeting in Week 1, the Elks won a close game 29-21. In this game, while the game was close for three quarters, Edmonton’s fourth-quarter dominance made this a blowout.
Edmonton got the ball to start the first quarter on the 40-yard line. Quarterback Cody Fajardo began the game by throwing a nine-yard pass to Skyler Griffith to the 49-yard line. Two plays later, he threw a 12-yard pass to T.J. Luther to the 48-yard line. Running back Justin Rankin had two carries for 21 yards to the 25-yard line. The Elks moved the ball to the 19-yard line.
On the next play, Justin Rankin bounced off of the tacklers before running to his left side to score a 19-yard touchdown to give the Elks a 7-0 lead with 10:09 left to conclude an eight-play drive for 65 yards. Edmonton’s offense had 84 yards in the first quarter, while the Redblacks struggled to move the football with 18 yards on offense. The Elks led 7-0 to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Edmonton had the ball on the 39-yard line. Cody Fajardo threw a nine-yard pass to T.J. Luther and rushed for three yards to the 27-yard line. After Javon Leake rushed for four yards, Ottawa defensive lineman Adian John sacked Fajardo for a six-yard loss. Kicker Vincent Blanchard made a 36-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 7:55 left.
Ottawa went two-and-out on their next possession. They caught a break after Edmonton was penalized for roughing the kicker, giving them a first down at the 55-yard line. Edmonton would be penalized three more times, allowing Ottawa to move the ball to the one-yard line. Quarterback Bryson Barnes scored the touchdown. The Redblacks trailed the Elks 10-7 with 3:48 left to conclude a nine-play drive for 70 yards.
With under two minutes left, Edmonton brought pressure to Jake Maier, forcing an underthrow that led Tyrell Ford to make the interception. The Elks moved the ball to the eight-yard line, including a 90-yard pass to Brendan O’Leary-Orange in which Ottawa had three missed tackles. Vincent Blanchard made a 15-yard field goal for a 13-7 lead with 35 seconds left. After Ottawa went two-and-out, Edmonton quickly moved the ball to the 43-yard line, where Vincent Blanchard made a 50-yard field goal for a 16-7 lead at halftime.
Edmonton’s offense had 224 yards. Cody Fajardo went 9 of 14 for 162 yards, and four carries for 16 yards. Running back Justin Rankin had nine carries for 53 yards, and one rushing touchdown. Ottawa’s offense had 120 yards. Jake Maier went 12 of 19 for 117 yards and one interception. Wide receiver Justin Hardy made four catches for 58 yards, while Ayden Eberhardt made five catches for 48 yards.
Ottawa got the ball to start the third quarter on the 31-yard line. They moved the ball to the 39-yard line before Maier’s pass intended for Justin Hardy was intercepted by Kordell Jackson at the 21-yard line. Edmonton moved the ball to the 37-yard line. They went for it on third down, but Cole Snyder came up short, turning the ball over to Ottawa.
Late in the third quarter, Ottawa had the ball on the 46-yard line. Jake Maier threw two passes to Ayden Eberhardt for 22 yards, and rushed for three yards to the 21-yard line. On the next play, Maier quickly threw the ball to Eberhardt for a 21-yard touchdown. The Redblacks trailed the Elks 16-14 heading into the fourth quarter. The drive took four plays for 46 yards.
In the fourth quarter, Edmonton pulled away. They moved the ball to the four-yard line before Cody Fajardo threw a quick slant pass to Kaion Julien-Grant for the touchdown. It was now 23-14 with 11:50 left to conclude an eight-play drive for 80 yards.
Ottawa had the ball on the 32-yard line. Jake Maier threw four passes for 69 yards to the 20-yard line. Kicker Brett Lauther made a 27-yard field goal. The Redblacks trailed the Elks 23-17 with 9:09 left. Edmonton running back Justin Rankin rushed for 10 yards to the 50-yard line. Edmonton moved the ball to the 33-yard line, where Cody Fajardo threw a short pass to Justin Rankin for a 33-yard touchdown. It was now 30-17 with 6:08 left to conclude a five-play drive for 70 yards. Ottawa moved the ball to the 46-yard line. On third down, Jake Maier’s pass intended for Ayden Eberhardt was intercepted by Chelen Garnes for an 11-yard return to the 54-yard line.
Justin Rankin rushed for two yards before Cody Fajardo threw a 21-yard pass to Austin Mack to the 31-yard line. On the next play, Justin Rankin avoided a couple of tackles, moving from right to left to score a 31-yard touchdown. It was now 37-17 with 2:52 left to conclude a three-play drive for 54 yards.
Edmonton’s defense quickly got the ball back when they brought pressure, forcing Maier to throw the ball intended for Justin Hardy only for it to be intercepted by Kordell Jackson at the 31-yard line. It was Jackson’s second interception of the night.
On the second play, Javon Leake scored a 67-yard touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty. Edmonton moved the ball to the four-yard line, where kicker Vincent Blanchard made an 11-yard field goal. The Elks led the Redblacks 40-17 with 58 seconds left. Ottawa had McLeod Bethel-Thompson finish the game. He threw three passes for 30 yards as time ran out. The Elks steamrolled the Redblacks 40-17. The Elks scored 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Edmonton’s offense had 537 yards (340 passing yards, 215 rushing yards, 18 yards lost), 25 first downs, 2 for 4 in the redzone, and the team was penalized eight times for 92 yards. Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 19 of 24 passes (79.1%) for 340 yards, two touchdowns, and six carries for 20 yards. Running back Justin Rankin had 14 carries for 107 yards, two rushing touchdowns, three catches for 43 yards, and one touchdown.
Wide receiver Austin Mack made six catches for 94 yards, while T.J. Luther made four catches for 67 yards, and Kaion Julien-Grant made three catches for 24 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 38 tackles, one tackle for loss, two sacks, and four interceptions.
Ottawa’s offense had 337 yards (323 passing yards, 25 rushing yards, 11 yards lost), 22 first downs, 1 for 1 in the redzone, and the team was penalized seven times for 85 yards. Quarterback Jake Maier completed 26 of 39 passes (66%) for 293 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions, and one carry for three yards. Running back Greg Bell had seven carries for 19 yards.
Wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt made 11 catches for 155 yards and one touchdown, while Justin Hardy made 10 catches for 114 yards. The defense made 53 tackles, two tackles for loss, and three sacks.
Next Thursday, the Edmonton Elks host the B.C. Lions at 9 pm on TSN and CFL+, while the Ottawa Redblacks host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday at 7 pm on TSN, CFL+, and CBS Sports Network.
