EDMONTON – The Edmonton Elks and Saskatchewan Roughriders wrapped up Week 17 of the 2025 season with a thrilling contest on Saturday night at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium.
Edmonton stopped a two-point conversion by the Roughriders on the game’s final play to hold on for a 27-25 win before a large and lively crowd that were treated to a nail-biting finish.
Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 18 of 23 passes for 305 yards to lead Edmonton to a third straight win at home. Running back Justin Rankin had a monster game for the Green and Gold, running for a pair of touchdowns while racking up 82 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Cole Snyder also scored a rushing TD for the Elks, and EE kicker Vincent Blanchard connected on both of his field goal attempts. Kaion Julien-Grant led Edmonton with 89 receiving yards from four catches.
It was a emotional victory for the Green and Gold, as the team paid tribute to Elks owner Larry Thompson, who passed away this week.
“We played with heavy hearts tonight, losing your owner who has poured nothing but his heart and soul into this organization,” Fajardo said in a post-game interview on 880 CHED. “I told the boys after the game, I said, look, I’ve only been here a year, and I felt the love from Larry and Deb, and we wanted to do everything we could to win for him and win for Deb, and I felt him on that last drive. The win picked up a little bit, I think that was Larry giving us a ‘hey, I’m here for you guys’, and it’s an honour to be able to win that game for him and for the Thompson family.”
Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris was 33-of-46 passing for 351 yards, but was picked off two times, once each by Kenneth Logan Jr. and Brock Mogensen. Saskatchewan’s AJ Ouellette rushed for 115 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown.
The teams combined for only 20 points through the first three quarters, before each scored two touchdowns and one field goal in the final 15 minutes.
“I saw a lot of guts, I saw some really good performances, I saw a lot of challenges that we are going to have to continue to overcome, but it was a complete win as far as each phase made plays down the stretch that we had to have, and I’m really happy for the guys in the room but also for the Thompson family,” Elks coach Mark Kilam said.
Jake Julien’s single had Edmonton leading 1-0 after a chaotic first quarter that saw four turnovers, including two on the same play when Logan Jr. intercepted Harris before fumbling the ball back to the Riders.
The throw & the catch 😤#GoElks pic.twitter.com/6WQWxLs78M
— Edmonton Elks (@GoElks) September 28, 2025
Blanchard split the uprights for a 47-yard field goal early in the second quarter to extend his team’s lead to 4-0. Late in the quarter, Fajardo connected with Julien-Grant on a 47-yard pass down to the Riders one-yard line, setting up a QB sneak for the touchdown by Snyder. Saskatchewan finally got on the board on the final play of the half when Bret Lauther kicked a 44-yard field goal, cutting Edmonton’s lead to 11-3 at the break.
In the third quarter Saskatchewan pulled closer after Ouellette ran five yards for a touchdown to cap off an 11-play, 108-yard drive for the Riders. Edmonton stopped Ouellette on the two-point conversion attempt, to remain ahead by a score of 11-9, setting the stage for a wild and dramatic fourth quarter.
The Riders took their first lead, 12-11, when Lauther connected on a field-goal attempt from 30 yards, but Edmonton immediately responded on the ensuing possession with Rankin rushing 37 yards into the endzone to restore his team’s lead, at 17-12.
Rankin found the endzone again on the Elks’ next possession, this time with a five-yard rush for a huge insurance score as Edmonton went in front 24-12 with only 3:36 remaining. But Saskatchewan wasn’t done, answering with a touchdown of its own, as Tommy Nield caught a pass form Harris for a 24-yard touchdown with 2:13 to play.
With just 48 seconds remaining, Blanchard kicked a 30-yard field goal, extending Edmonton’s lead to 27-19. But Saskatchewan drove to the Elks one-yard line, where Tommy Stevens scored as regulation time expired. Trailing 27-25, the Roughriders went for the two-point conversion to the tie the game, but Harris’ pass sailed incomplete, assuring victory for the EE.
After a Week 18 bye, the Green and Gold return to action on Oct. 11 when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at 5 p.m. Tickets are available now.
THEY SAID
Morgensen on the large crowd:
“It was a great atmosphere. There was a lot of people, a lot of Sask. fans, too, but that brings the energy, and it was just a great win in front of our fans at home, so it was awesome.”
Kilam on winning a close game:
“It came right down to it. Credit to Saskatchewan, obviously they have the best record in the league for a reason. It got a little bit tight down there, we’ve got to clean up some of the errors on defence, and we will. But we found a way late and that’s what matters.”