Another big night, another big loss for the Edmonton Football Club.

On a hot summer night in front of 27,933 CFL fans, the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosted the Edmonton Elks in what would be a sack-filled event for the home team, much to the dismay of the Green and Gold faithful.

GAME TIME

This game started out with the most Canadian start CFL fans could ask for; Both teams were tied 1-1 early in the first quarter. Not for long though, as the Elks would manage a field goal after a big catch from QB Cody Fajardo to WR Zach Mathis, however Mathis would exit the game after an apparent back injury. This drive was also the beginning of Edmonton's offensive line struggles, as a field goal ensued due to an offensive stall.

Riders QB Trevor Harris ramped up in the second quarter, finding WR Samuel Emilus for a big play to get the Riders within field goal position. A couple plays later, and the Elks defensive line found themselves shutting down the Riders at the one yard line. Fajardo would find WR Steven Dunbar Jr. on the ensuing drive to get the ball back near midfield, but the offensive line crumbled and the drive stalled before any momentum could be obtained. The Riders played complimentary football with a Samuel Emilus touchdown reception to post an 11-4 score at the end of the half.

Third quarter woes returned for the Elks as they allowed sack after sack on Cody Fajardo, struggling to find any momentum in a quarter where games can be lost and won. Penalties were also aplenty in this game, extending Saskatchewan's drives and stunting their own drives throughout the night. Saskatchewan posted 10 more points in this quarter between a Harris to KeeSean Johnson connection and then a Brett Lauther field goal to end the quarter.

The fourth quarter opened up with a drive that saw Elks WR Kaion Julien-Grant drop a pass from Fajardo, but then a completed catch on a redemption pass that resulted in an Elks touchdown, a veteran move from the journeyman QB. After some back and forth, Fajardo would eventually find Dunbar Jr. to get the score within a field goal. Too little too late however, as the Elks failed to get within field goal range as time expired. This was a 21-18 loss that looked much better on paper than on TV, yet another frustrating loss to bring the Elks to 1-5 on the season.

WELCOME TO SACKSATCHEWAN?

The Edmonton Elks offensive line's deficiencies were the most glaring issue in Friday night's affair. The right side of the line was consistently beat throughout the entire game, making Fajardo's job that much harder. Despite the 8 sacks allowed, Fajardo made 26 completions on 33 attempts for 346 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 4 rushes for 20 yards, numbers that are great considering the circumstances. Dunbar Jr. caught 5 passes on 6 targets for 82 yards and 1 touchdown, and Julien-Grant caught 2 passes on 3 attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown. 9 different recievers caught passes from Fajardo throughout the night, showing that the Elks are indeed spreading the ball around.

IN THEIR DEFENSE...

LB Nyles Morgan stepped it up against Saskatchewan, delivering 7 defensive tackles on the night. DB Kenneth Logan Jr. racked up 6 defensive tackles and 2 special teams tackles, and LB Joel Dublanko drew in early to deliver 4 defensive tackles of his own. DL Jared Brinkman delivered 4 tackles and Edmonton's only sack of the game in the 4th Quarter, although one could argue that it was a "mercy sack" as Trevor Harris was running time off the clock at that point in the game.

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL?

The boots were big once again this week, with Punter Cody Grace averaging 52.4 yards over 10 punts on the night with a special teams tackle to boot, pun intended. Kicker Vincent Blanchard was perfect on his lone field goal and 2 PAT's, along with 3 kickoffs averaging 70.3 yards per kick, his longest being a 78 yard kick. Special Teams did struggle to contain Saskatchewan's returns at times, penalties negating some scary big plays.

PENALTY PROBLEMS

We've seen this team struggle with penalties in the past, but Friday's game displayed one of the most undisciplined performances we've seen over the last few years. The Elks committed 11 penalties to surrender 133 yards, a gross stat that helped Saskatchewan win this game. Combined with the 8 sacks on Fajardo for 64 yards, and we are now looking at 197 yards that were lost on the Elks, almost 200 yards that could have helped the Elks win this game. For contrast, the Riders only committed 6 penalties for 53 yards, far more acceptable and manageable for a football team trying to win a game. While penalties are never truly welcome by any team or fanbase, fans do have to accept that penalties are a part of the game and mitigating the amount of penalties taken is the mission for the coaching staff. Unfortunately, this Elks team looked undisciplined throughout the course of the game.

THE FAN SIDE

To say EE fans are disappointed is an understatement; Elks fans want wins, and they want them now. This game was a tough watch, plain and simple. Between bad penalties, sack after sack and the lack of sustained drives, it's hard to find positives in this loss. The defense stood tall throughout the game but worth noting is the lack of interceptions and sacks. Holding Saskatchewan to 21 points sure does seem like a feat, but without a properly functioning offense this team could not overcome the opposition's score. Credit to Fajardo for standing behind a broken offensive line for most of the night, as his performance proved that the Elks are justified in signing him as QB2 in the offseason. In Head Coach Mark Kilam's press conference following the game, he indicated that Fajardo will be the starter moving forward, and based on his latest stat line it's hard to deny Cody another chance to secure a win.

UP NEXT: HAMILTON TIGER-CATS @ EDMONTON ELKS AUGUST 2ND 2025

The Edmonton Elks will be hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats next Saturday in what will be a very important 1PM matinee game for the home team. The Elks have posted their only win this season at Commonwealth Stadium, and with more questions than answers once again the Elks will be riding with Fajardo as QB1 in a matchup that features Hamilton QB Bo Levi Mitchell at pivot and WR Kenny Lawler looking to put on an exciting performance against his former team. Expect fireworks from both teams as the Elks return home, hungry to notch another win in an attempt to save the season. The early morning Elks Tailgate Party starts at 10AM, so you can expect a fair share of pancakes being served at Stall #182 and elsewhere!

Buckle Up Elks Fans!