EDMONTON – The Edmonton Elks stayed in contention for a postseason berth with a 25-20 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday.
Edmonton improves to 7-9, while the Bombers drop to 8-8. With two weeks left in the season, the Elks trail Winnipeg by one game for the CFL East Division crossover playoff berth.
“It was a big team win,” Elks coach Mark Kilam said. “Not the prettiest at times, but all three phases finding a way against a good football team and keeping the hope alive.”
Edmonton got rushing touchdowns from Cody Fajardo and Justin Rankin while Kordell Jackson scored on a fumble return. Chris Streveler and Ontaria Wilson each had a major for the visiting Bombers.
Fajardo completed 13 of 24 passes for 124 yards to help Edmonton beat Winnipeg in the regular season for the first time in seven years. Rankin carried the ball a CFL career-high 18 times for 138 rushing yards, while OJ Hiliare led Edmonton with 5 receptions.
The Elks won for a fourth straight game at Commonwealth Stadium, the Green and Gold’s longest home winning streak since the start of the 2019 season.
“I want to shout out the fans that were here, because they were loud when it mattered tonight,” Kilam said. “It wasn’t the best weather out there, it was a little fresh, but that’s fall playoff-style football weather, and they were loud. When we started this thing we wanted to play well at home all year and we’re starting to trend that way.”
The score was tied 3-3 through 15 minutes after the teams traded first quarter field goals. Winnipeg went ahead 10-3 following a two-yard touchdown rush by Streveler early in the second quarter, but the Elks answered with a 14-play, 87-yard drive that culminated in Fajardo rushing four yards for a touchdown, and Edmonton made the score 10-10.
With less than a minute remaining in the half, Edmonton defensive back JJ Ross intercepted Zach Collaros at the the Elks’ 22-yard line and returned the ball deep into Winnipeg territory. That set up a 33-yard field goal attempt for Vincent Blanchard, but the Elks kicker missed, resulting in a rouge to send Edmonton into halftime leading 11-10.
AND HE’S GONEEEEEE!
JUSTIN RANKIN RUNS 64 YARDS TO THE HOUSE!@WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend
📅: Blue Bombers vs. @GoElks LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN
🌎: CFL+#CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/bps0eDbGnI— CFL (@CFL) October 12, 2025
Edmonton extended its lead to 18-10 on the opening possession of the second half, when Rankin broke free on a 3rd-and-two at the Elks 46-yard line and took the ball 64 yard to the house. The Green and Gold then went ahead by a score of 25-10, after a wild play that saw Edmonton’s Javon Leake fumble a punt return, only to have Jackson scoop the ball up and run 47 yards to the endzone. Castillo connected on a 34-yard field goal with 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter to cut into Edmonton’s lead entering the final quarter.
Winnipeg made the score 25-20 thanks to a circus catch by Wilson in the endzone for a 35-yard touchdown pass from Collaros with just over six minutes left to play, but that was as close as Edmonton would let the Bombers get.
“We all want to get to the playoffs, but we’re just following Coach Kilam and just taking it one day at a time, because no day is promised, so we’re just taking every day as its own,” Jackson said.
The Elks now travel to Vancouver to take on the BC Lions on Oct. 17. They return home for their regular season finale at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium on Oct. 24 against the Calgary Stampeders at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available now.
THEY SAID
Jackson on his fumble return touchdown:
“I was just in the right place at the right time, and it just goes back to when you’re younger, always being around the ball. They say the closer you are to the ball, that shows how much you love the team and love the game, so that’s just something I’ve been taught since (I was a) young guy, and the ball was right there, and I just went and picked it up and scored, so it’s a blessing.”
Rankin on the team’s mindset about the playoff race:
“We definitely think about it. You can’t not think about it, but I think our mindset has really stayed the same the whole year. From the beginning of the year, this is a team that’s always fought, no matter whether we’re up, down, we always fought until the clock hits zero, and I don’t think that’s changed. We continue to do the same things, put the same product on the field, sometimes we come out with losses, sometimes we come out with wins, that’s part of the game, that’s part of football, and I’m just happy this team believes in each other as much as they do.”