Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting ... and Winning.

In what most CFL fans would call an upset victory, the Edmonton Elks found a way to win in convincing fashion, against their elite rivals in the Calgary Stampeders at that. In front of 28,365 fans the Elks found the win they've been looking for all season long; a season-turning victory that just could help them achieve their playoff dreams.

TAILGATE REPORT

Pregame snaps were taken at 10AM Mountain in Edmonton, Alberta, with our signature Herdy's Sliders requiring some attention before Edmonton's premiere party, The Edmonton Elks Tailgate. With charcoal blazing and a competition blend for the smoke, we prepared (and later served) over 60 portions of Herdy's Smokehouse Sliders, feeding the masses for what was next to come. CFL Fans flocked by the hundreds to socialize down at Lot B early, signaling the beginning of a busy day at Commonwealth Stadium. It's safe to say the Tailgate Party took another win on the day based on the amount of posts and people surrounding the spectacle.

GAME RECAP

THE FAN SIDE

It's hard to hate on anything that happened on Saturday, except for the early Stampeders lead. The Elks offense, however, had something to say about that.

RB Justin Rankin undoubtedly led the offense with 204 yards on 16 carries, 2 touchdowns proving to be game changers. QB Cody Fajardo found critical moments as well, providing 163 passing yards with 16 completions on 21 attempts, a touchdown pass to WR Kaion Julien-Grant in the 4th being his lone major. While KJG had himself a day with 48 yards on 5 receptions, rookie OJ Hillaire topped the chart with 51 yards on 4 receptions, 1 missed catch on the night.

The defense stood taller than we've seen all season long. With DL Johnathon Kongbo provided 2 sacks, along with DL Noah Taylor and DL Brandon Barlow providing 2 more, the defensive team played hard and did their part to prevent the Stampeders from scoring. LB Joel Dublanko was seen all over the field, accruing 6 defensive tackles, 1 special teams tackle and 1 tackle for a loss. DB Kordell Jackson also provided some assurance with 5 defensive tackles on the night, the Elks shutting down the Stampeders in the 4th Quarter with some great defensive plays.

On Special Teams, it would appear that K Vincent Blanchard and P Jake Julien are finding some much-needed chemistry. Julien managed to average 55.1 yards on 7 punts, his longest being a 77-yard boot. Blanchard was a perfect 3/3 on field goal attempts, his longest being a 47-yard score. Considering the Javon Leake return as well, Special Teams played their role well in Saturday Night's win.

This contest was easily the best Edmonton Elks game of the season, on the field and off. When you have almost 28,000 fans show up to your game, achieving the win is critical to retain fans and the Elks did exactly that. Even if it is the annual Labour Day Rematch, a loss in Saturday's game could have spelt disaster for an organization working hard to restore their fanbase and prominence in the City of Edmonton.

Even though the 1st quarter started rocky with some worry that Calgary may indeed take the win, the team, specifically Justin Rankin and Cody Fajardo, came back from that quarter of adversity to take the lead for the other 3. The fans might have been tame to start the game, but after Rankin's 90-yard rushing touchdown the building understood the assignment and they delivered the most noise that Commonwealth has heard since The Weeknd was in town. Heck, even Stamps fans were enjoying the atmosphere. While last year's edition featured a bigger crowd, the noise this past Saturday was arguably louder, the fans doing their part to ensure a win at home. The Elks seemed to thrive on all 3 sides of the football from the 2nd Quarter on, giving everyone in attendance a reason to be happy. Overall, it was a memorable day that gave those that witnessed, whether it be on TV or in-stadium, memories to last a life time.

NEXT UP: EDMONTON ELKS @ TORONTO ARGONAUTS SEPTEMBER 13TH 2025

The Edmonton Elks will head to Toronto to face the Toronto Argonauts, another team hoping to turn around their season as time runs out on the season. Expect two desperate teams coming out of the gate, BMO Field offering a hostile environment as they celebrate John Candy Night with a T-Shirt giveaway sure to bring some extra fans. With the Elks taking the first of the two-game series, the Argonauts will want this win bad and it's up to the Elks to prevent that result.

Buckle Up Elks Fans!