EDMONTON – The Edmonton Elks are off to a 2-0 start this season, after winning their home-opener in overtime, 32-29, over the Montreal Alouettes Saturday (June 20) at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium.
Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo scored the winning touchdown with a six-yard rush, after Edmonton had held Montreal to a field goal on the opening possession of OT.
On a rainy afternoon that made for great difficulty hanging on to the pigskin, Edmonton’s Justin Rankin carried the ball 18 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns. The star running back was also his team’s leading receiver, making five catches totalling 51 yards.
Receiver Austin Mack also found the end zone for the Elks, hauling in a pass to score a touchdown against his former team.
Fajardo finished the game 19-of-29 for 231 yards. Montreal quarterback Davis Alexander was 29 of 44 for 356 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyler Snead and no interceptions, but suffered his first CFL career regular season loss as a starter.
After falling behind 13-0 in the second quarter, Edmonton scored 23 unanswered points to lead by 10 in the second half. But Montreal rallied with a touchdown and field goal in the final three minutes to force overtime. This was Edmonton’s first time playing in OT since the last game of the 2024 season, a home victory over the Toronto Argonauts.
“We stepped up a lot,” Rankin said on 880 CHED, radio home of the Green and Gold. “It’s pretty hard to start that slow the way that we did, and rally, believing in each other, and come out with a W, and not just come out with a W, but come out playing some damn good football.
“It took a lot of guys rallying on the sidelines, letting one another know, ‘we believe in y’all, we believe in each other, we believe in what we’ve got going, let’s just go out and play football like we know how to play football.'”
Montreal opened the scoring in the first quarter, with Jose Maltos Diaz connecting on a 50-yard field goal. The second quarter saw Montreal built its lead to 13-0, after Travis Theis ran for a touchdown and Maltos Diaz kicked his second field-goal of the game. But the Elks answered just before halftime, with Fajardo connecting with Mack for a touchdown, cutting Montreal’s lead to 13-7 at the break.
LET ‘EM KNOW MACK 🙌#GoElks pic.twitter.com/u36Xk0K77r
— Edmonton Elks (@GoElks) June 20, 2026
Edmonton went in front 14-13 after Rankin cut through the Montreal defence on a 36-yard dash to the end zone on the opening possession of the second half.
Rankin scored his second major of the third quarter, breaking loose for a 47-yard touchdown run on a third-and-two gamble by the Elks. Edmonton kicker Vincent Blanchard missed the ensuing extra point, leaving the Green and Gold with a 20-13 lead.
Blanchard opened the fourth quarter with a successful 36-yard field goal attempt, putting his team ahead by a score of 23-13. Montreal replied on the following possession with a 37-yard field goal from Maltos Diaz, pulling back within seven points.
After Montreal’s Mario Alford fumbled a punt at his 11 yard line, the Elks recovered, setting up a field-goal by Blanchard to push the home team’s advantage to 26-16.
With less than three minutes remaining, Alexander aired it out to Snead, who snagged the ball in the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown as Edmonton’s lead was cut to three.
Montreal then forced a two-and-out, giving the Alouettes the ball back with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. The visitors drove into Elks territory, setting up a game-tying 31-yard field goal by Maltos Diaz as time expired.
WALK IT OFF CODY 🤩#GoElks pic.twitter.com/x8FwNTmQ3K
— Edmonton Elks (@GoElks) June 20, 2026
On the opening possession of overtime, Edmonton’s defence held Montreal to a 33-yard field goal by Maltos Diaz, setting the stage for Fajardo’s heroics with the winning touchdown.
“I think it just comes down to believing in the guys around you, trusting in our game plan and just playing for each other,” Elks defensive back Tyrell Ford said on 880 CHED. “When you look over, guys are banged up, a lot of DBs were playing special teams, and people were cramping, but we found a way to push through and got the job done.”
The Elks will be back in action on Thursday (June 25), when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at 6:30 pm MT.
Edmonton’s next home game at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium is July 9 against the Ottawa RedBlacks at 7 p.m. Tickets are available now.