EDMONTON – It’ll be a new look Elks team lining up against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday night.
All eyes are on Elks quarterback Tre Ford, who makes his first start of the season, but it will be a team effort if Edmonton hopes to pull out their first victory of the season against a resurgent Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“I’m not going to go in and try to be a superhero and change what we’ve been doing,” Ford said. “I’m just going to try to do what I can do, execute at a high level, and get my receivers and running backs the ball. Let them be the heroes and be the superstars.”
The change behind centre will hopefully provide the Elks with a spark similar to one they experienced in the final 10 minutes of the game last week against Hamilton. Ford came out slinging, completing 10 of 15 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns in three drives. It’s be a tough performance to replicate, but in his short CFL career, the 26-year-old has seen his fair share of success against the Riders.
GAME NECESSITIES
- Game Time: 5:00 p.m. MT
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- Game Notes
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Tre Ford eludes a Saskatchewan Roughriders defender during the Elks May 28th preseason game
In a brief preseason stint this May, Ford completed 12 of 14 passes for 121 yards, with two rushes for 20 yards in about a quarter of action. Last season, Ford was just as effective against the prairie rival, albeit against a very different team than the one he will be facing on Saturday. The Elks QB was efficient, completing 13 of 20 passes for 173 yards, while contributing 70 more on the ground in a 36-27 victory at Mosaic Stadium. With the entire Canadian Football League pining over the excitement that the electric QB can provide, it can be tough to drown out the outside noise.
“I don’t feel too much pressure. I always get nervous for the first play, I don’t know why,” Ford said. “It’s just the first play, and then I’m good after that.”
The greatest pressure Ford faces in the pressure he puts on himself. The hunger inside the Elks locker room to get the first win of the season is great.
“I feel a little bit of pressure from our teammates and coaches because I want to go out there and win and prove we can win with them,” he said.
ELKS CHARGE
As for the rest of the Elks offence, the actual structure of the system will largely remain unchanged with the insertion of Ford. Interim Head Coach Jarious Jackson did say he might make some minor changes in order to maximize Ford’s talent.
“Well, a small percentage of it changes,” Jackson said. “You just allow him to be the athlete that he is and let him go and make plays. You may tweak a few things here and there, but the foundation of the system is there.”
With Ford in the lineup, there is a pretty good chance that the Elks rushing yards see a steady increase and not just because the Double E’s QB can move with the best of them. Edmonton currently ranks dead last in the CFL in total rushing yards, rushing attempts, and rushing yards per game – one season removed from having the third-best ground attack in the CFL. The 622 rushing yards Ford recorded certainly helped, but his ability to move outside the pocket also helped open the space in Edmonton’s RPO (run-pass option) game in 2023.
The changes in the Elks run game last season were immediate. Running back Kevin Brown’s production exploded, averaging 110 yards per game on the ground in the six games after Ford become the starter.
The Elks rushing attack will look a bit different on Saturday, however, with Brown declared out due to a shoulder injury. In his stead, it’ll be the thunder and lightning duo of rookie Justin Rankin and speedy Javon Leake who will carry the load.
Leake saw his highest volume of involvement in the Green and Gold’s offence last week against Hamilton, with 88 total yards on 11 touches (three receptions and eight carries). Last seasons’ Most Outstanding Special Teams Player has home run ability that can add another element of explosiveness to the Elks offence alongside the equally as dynamic Tre Ford.
“Just getting him the ball in space is going to be a big thing for us,” Ford said. “That’s what I plan on doing, just getting him the ball and letting him hit those holes and make people tackle him.”
How the running back duo will share the load is yet to be seen. It’s another element to the Elks offence that will hopefully keep a stingy Roughriders defence a little off-balance on Saturday, and allow the Green and Gold to come away with a solid performance on the road.
“I feel like we’re prepared,” Ford said. “We got a pretty good game plan going in, and I’m excited to execute.”