On a fall night that would normally bring a chilly breeze, The Edmonton Elks welcomed the BC Lions to their Tailgate and Stadium that was packed with warm vibes. College students and hungry fans flocked to Commonwealth to watch the Elks try and maintain their playoff hopes.

GAME DAY VIBES

   When the leaves are falling and that subtle autumn breeze rolls through Edmonton, the citizens in this city crave chili. Luckily for our fellow fans, ourselves and The Turf District Podcast hosted the first annual Edmonton Elks Tailgate Chili Cook-Off in partnership with You Need A BBQ and the Elks themselves. After a long work day, Kathy and I scrambled down to the Tailgate with 0 minutes to spare. Once set up, we ensured everyone was set up and registered to partake in the feeding frenzy. For the next two hours, hundreds of fans came through the Tailgate Party and brought bowls, spoons and empty stomachs to 25 stalls in a quest to find the best chili in Lot A. After a late finish, we packed up our vehicle and proceeded to Gate 2 with hopes and horns in hand, along with dreams of a win on the mind.

GAME TIME

   While the Chili Cook-Off saw The Elks Herd roll into Commonwealth Stadium late in the first quarter, fans of both teams witnessed a fast-paced quarter. The BC Lions capitalized in their first drive with quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. throwing the ball to reciever Justin McInnis for a 7-0 start with the point after touchdown. From there, the Elks would attempt to charge but didn't find much success, punting the ball back to BC. Adams would throw the ball into the hands of Elks DB Kai Gray, making the play a pick-six and a tie at 7-7. Not long after, Adams would answer back with another touchdown play, this time a pass to reciever Jevon Cottoy for the touchdown making the score 14-7. Elks quarterback Tre Ford would try to pull off his classic scramble-style upon every offensive line break down, but BC's defense had the answer to Edmonton's secret weapon, causing another failed drive to regain possession near the end of the quarter. Between Terry Williams and Taquan Mizzell, the Lions would score again making it a 21-7 affair after just 15 minutes.

   The Elks would try to find a spark early in the secind quarter, only to find the BC defensive line causing mayhem for the Elks offensive unit and more specifically, Tre Ford on the scramble. After a punt and a return, Adams went back to work at pivot. On a pass that was targeted for McInnis, Edmonton's Darrius Bratton intercepted the ball on the edge of the field, giving the EE possession at a critical moment. Unfortunately for the Elks, BC's defensive line showed no signs of slowing down, pressuring Ford to fumble with center Mark Korte recovering the ball. Talk about a stressful moment from the stands. On the following drive, BC would fumble the ball as well, this time Elks defensive back Ed Gainey with the recovery. Thousands of eyes followed Ford as he launched the ball to reciever Eugene Lewis for some much-needed passing yards and instant field position. A pass to reciever Dillon Mitchell would signal the answer that every Green and Gold fan was waiting for, the Elks cutting the lead to one score. The touchdown marked the first offensive touchdown for the Elks in 3 games against the Lions. The two teams would swap field goals before heading into halftime, 24-17 the score.  

  The third quarter saw scoring commence with a Rouge, courtesy of Dean Faithfull's first missed field goal in many games. After an Elks defensive stop, he would get a second chance at an attempt with a successful 42-yard field goal. The Lions didn't like the close score, however, and answered back not long after with a second Adams-to-Mizzell connection to make the score 31-21.

Commonwealth Stadium ramped up the noise for the fourth quarter but before the crowd got too noisy, the Lions defensive line once again broke through the Elks offensive line and sacked Ford. After some well-placed passes and strategical play, the Lions would get former EE Sean Whyte, who was playing in his 200th CFL game, well within range to increase the lead further at 34-21. The Elks wouldn't give up though, and with the help of reciever Kyran Moore, Ford found Mitchell once again to inch closer to BC on the scoreboard, 34-28. Edmonton's defense would stand tall and stave off the Lions the best they could, but it was BC's defense that feasted and stopped one last attempted drive, the final score 37-28 including a last-second BC field goal.

FOR FANS FROM FANS

   This night was truly special for so many reasons. On the field, Elks fans wanted to see improvement over the last two games against BC and at long last our prayers were answered. Not only did the Elks score offensively on multiple occasions, but the team actually looked like they could have won. Tre Ford and the entire offensive line recieved a wake-up call early in the form of BC's defensive line, which features former EE Matthieu Betts. While a loss was expected, the team is still improving and now they're losing with lessons to learn from.

Off the field, CFL fans had a blast at the many surrounding events including the Tailgate Chili Cook-Off. We heard so many stories about interactions, laughs and full stomachs, which made our night as the organizers. We are extremely excited to bring this event back next year, so expect a bigger and better event for the 2024 edition!

ON TAP: BYE WEEK

   The Edmonton Elks are on the bye, meaning their playoff hopes are now in the hands of the other teams playing this week. While the CFL world turns, we will all be watching as the Elks require help from many teams in order to make it to November Football. Buckle Up, Edmonton!

Catch The Elks Call live on Wednesdays or Thursdays at 8:30PM Mountain on our YouTube, or on Edmonton Sports Talk, Fridays at 8:00PM.