All streaks are made to be broken. It is a fact that all streaks come to an end, and we can provide many examples within the CFL that prove our point. More importantly, the Edmonton Elks managed to break one streak on Thursday night; The Elks defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by a score of 24-10, a commanding two-touchdown lead.
How did the Elks manage to pull off the potential TSN Turning Point of their season? We're about to tell you in the latest edition of The Turnover.
GAME DAY VIBES
On yet another Thursday when CFL fans have to work, we did our daily duties and proceeded to cook some eats for the big game. Expectations and hope for a win were very high within the fanbase, given the fact that the Elks looked like a competitive CFL team last week at home against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Edmonton Elks need to show improvement every week, given how bad the team was to start the season. With beverages and food in hand, we posted the EE Roll Call and tuned in for what would be a historic game.
GAME TIME
The Edmonton Elks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats started the game in slow fashion. The two teams went back and forth for a few minutes, the catalyst for a scoring drive being an Elks defensive line sack. Once the Elks regained possession of the ball, quarterback Tre Ford went to work with a beautiful touchdown pass to former Ti-Cat Steven Dunbar Jr. which gave the Elks a 7-0 lead with the Dean Faithfull point after touchdown.
Hamilton would answer back early in the second quarter with a touchdown from running back James Butler, but kicker Marc Liegghio would begin to have troubles in what was probably his worst game as a football player, by missing the PAT. The Elks would return the favour, mostly due to a Taylor Cornelius to defensive lineman AC Leonard trick play that launched the Elks into scoring position. Cornelius would contribute a touchdown with a quarterback sneak at the 1-yard line, utilizing his lanky build and reach. After a great defensive stand, the Elks regained possession and with help from running back Kevin Brown, Ford was able to throw yet another touchdown pass to Dunbar Jr., making the score 21 to 6. At the end of the half, the Tiger-Cats made it within touchdown range with 9 seconds left on the clock, however Head Coach Orlando Steinhauer opted for a field goal, prompting many boos from Tim Horton's Field.
The third quarter started with a weather delay that lasted about an hour. Once the game resumed, there were many questions surrounding the effect of the delay on both teams. The Elks seemed to take their feet off the pedal in the third, with drives that started in bad position and a few missed plays. The defensive side would hold up relatively well and thanks to Liegghio's bad night kicking the ball in a windy environment, the Elks did not allow any points in the third.
The fourth quarter was much of the same, with Liegghio missing a field goal to garner even more boos from the near-empty stadium. The Elks would answer the lackluster third quarter with a field goal to put the Elks up 24-10, which would be the final score at the end of the game. Reciever Emmanuel Arceneaux caught a pass for the 138th consecutive game, notching one of many milestones for the veteran reciever. His steady hands were crucial for the Elks in this game, adding an extra positive to an already great night. Another stat worth noting is the defensive side coming up big with 7 quarterback sacks on Hamilton's Taylor Powell.
3 THOUGHTS ON ELKS VS TIGER-CATS
1. The Edmonton Elks finally played four quarters of football. The third quarter was still sketchy. The Elks lost momentum for a bit in the third quarter but managed to overcome their only negative quarter to secure the win, an achievement Elks fans have been waiting for.
2. Tre Ford is a stud. He managed to prove his point in his second start in-a-row. He threw with accuracy and ran with speed, an improvement over his last game indicating his comfort settling in to his office at starting quarterback.
3. WE WON OUR FIRST GAME ELKS FANS!!!! Some fans called in sick for work, others wore their hats and gear with pride the following day. The 1-9 record still requires much more left to be desired on the season but for Thursday, the Elks were the winners of a football game.
FOR FANS FROM FANS
I think we share the same thoughts as every Edmonton Elks fan that watched the last game; Was it ever beautiful to watch the Elks win. Tre Ford balled out as expected, Geno Lewis put in a solid effort in his return and former Ti-Cat Steven Dunbar Jr. made his old team pay with critical catches that resulted in solid yardage or a touchdown. The defense, while still struggling to stop the run early on, managed to pull together an impressive defensive performance to stop the Ti-Cats from scoring many points. The Green and Gold faithful have been begging for improvement and with the last two games answering the cries, this upcoming third game since the Bye Week of Changes will hold much weight for a team and fanbase that still maintains playoff hopes. With Calgary and Saskatchewan floundering as well, the Elks can still turn their season around by going on a streak and winning both games against Calgary during the Labour Day Classic home-and-home series.
ON TAP: EDMONTON ELKS VS OTTAWA REDBLACKS AUGUST 27TH
The Edmonton Elks welcome the Ottawa REDBLACKS to Commonwealth Stadium on August 27th 2023, and with the expectations and hopes at an all-time high, expect a big crowd to show in hopes of the Elks ending their dreadful home-losing streak. We will see you at the Tailgate Party 2 hours before kickoff! Go Elks!
Join The Elks Call on Wednesday nights at 8:30 PM Mountain for more Edmonton Elks talk!