The Edmonton Elks closed out their 2023 regular schedule with a 45-25 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at IG Field on Saturday night.
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Taylor Cornelius scored a pair of first half rushing touchdowns for the Elks and Deontez Alexander had Edmonton’s first kick return for a TD since 2014 on a 98-yard return in the third quarter.
DEONTEZ ALEXANDER CRIBBED IT 🏠😮💨#CFLGameday on TSN
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/M8W6SP9mpq— CFL (@CFL) October 22, 2023
Winnipeg jumped ahead 14-0 before the game was barely five minutes old and never trailed. Edmonton cut the lead to 24-17 on a Cornelius TD with just seconds remaining in the second quarter, but couldn’t get closer in the second half against the Bombers, who have clinched first place in the CFL West Division and are seeking a fourth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup.
“Hats off to them, they’re a phenomenal football team, and we aspire to get to where they want to be,” Elks coach and general manager Chris Jones said during a post-game interview on CISN 103.9
Edmonton quarterback Tre Ford completed 12 passes for 288 yards, including seven to Eugene Lewis, who set a new career high with 158 receiving yards.
“He’s a phenomenal receiver, so I just got to give him the chance to go make plays and I thought we did that tonight pretty well, and I just want to continue to do that,” Ford said during a post-game interview on CISN 103.9. The second-year pivot also rushed for 14 yards, finishing the season with 622 yards on the ground, most by a Canadian quarterback in CFL history.
Several other Elks achieved personal milestones in the game; Nyles Morgan led the Elks with 10 defensive tackles, becoming the fourth player in club history to surpass 100 defensive tackles in a season; Manny Arceneaux had a spectacular 77-yard gain on the 645th catch of his career as he tied Travis Moore for the 19th most receptions in CFL history; Kevin Brown gained 41 rushing yards to tie Hall of Famer Mike Pringle for the 16th most rushing yards in a season in club history with 1,141; Alexander’s 198 kick return yards are the sixth most in a game by a Green and Gold player.
Brady Oliveira scored two rushing touchdowns and Rasheed Bailey caught a pair of touchdown passes to lead the way for the Bombers, who improve to 13-4 with one game remaining on their regular season schedule.
The Elks finish 2023 with a 4-14 record. Edmonton will return to the field in 2024 for the club’s 75th CFL season.
The Edmonton Elks are proud members of the Canadian Football League, playing their home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta.
The club, officially renamed the Elks in June of 2021, has a tradition of excellence having won 14 Grey Cup championships (1954-56, 1975, 1978-82, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2015). Since its founding, the club has been community-owned and remains focused on providing outstanding football memories for Edmonton and all of Northern Alberta.
Elks Football…Our Team. Our City.