REGINA – A career night from quarterback Cody Fajardo and a clutch field goal from Vincent Blanchard has put the Edmonton Elks in the driver’s seat of the CFL West Division.
Fajardo had his best game as a pro Thursday, throwing for 510 yards and four touchdowns, while Blanchard nailed a 57-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give the Elks a 36-34 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a rollercoaster contest in front of 28,513 fans at Mosaaicdium.
The West Division-leading Elks improved to 6-1 and are off to their best start since 2017, when they were 7-0. The Riders, second in the West, fell to 4-2 on an exciting night for the hosts.
In a game that featured seven lead changes, the Elks used two explosive plays by Fajardo and receiver Austin Mack to put the Elks in position to win. The pair connected on a 57-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to give the Elks a 27-21 lead, but when the Riders scored on their next possession to regain the lead, Fajardo and Mack answered right back with an 81-yard touchdown to put the Elks back on top 33-28.
The pair were teammates for two seasons in Montreal (2023 and 2024) and when Mack became a free agent after the 2025 season, Fajardo made a hard sell to convince him to go to Edmonton.
“He’s the guy. He’s the reason I called him every day in the offseason to bring him here, because that’s what I knew he could do from what he did in 2023 with me in Montreal and in 2024,” Fajardo said.
“I just know what he can do and what he brings to the front room. The guy just finds ways to score goals and make big plays.
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Saskatchewan kicker Alex Hale later closed the gap to 33-31 with a 48-yard field goal and had a chance to give the Riders the lead with three minutes remaining, but his 46-yard attempt was wide left and returned to the Edmonton 20-yard line by Javon Leake.
Hale redeemed himself with an 11-yard field goal with 1:46 left, but that left enough time for Fajardo to move the Elks from their own eight-yard line to the Saskatchewan 50-yard line and give Blanchard a punt. He made no mistake, hammering the ball across the posts as the clock expired.
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Elks coach Mark Kilam couldn’t say enough about Fajardo’s effort.
“Cody’s a fighter. I thought the key move was in the third quarter when we got backed up. He scrambled a little bit. We hit somebody for a pass. He broke out on a play, got up, got back in the huddle and I think it was awesome. That’s Cody Fajardo,” Kilam said.
“That guy just puts it out there, he leaves his heart on the field every time he plays. That’s why I’ll go with that guy forever.”
Kilam was thrilled with how his team battled through adversity to win the game.
“We found a way. We found a way to win. There’s no giving up on this football team. They play with heart. They play for each other. They play tough. Some bad (things) happened there at the end of the game, and we found a way to overcome it.
“And full credit to Saskatchewan. That’s a good football team. Those were the two heavyweights, and you know we were lucky to play.”
While the Elks were thrilled with the result, the Riders felt they let a win slip through their fingers.
“I thought it was a pretty good CFL football game. I felt like we were going to win it all the way down. You know, a play here, a play there, a call here, a call there. I’ll probably be up, you know, all night thinking about the last play, but yeah, it’s bad, but yeah, it’s two good football teams, it’s two good football teams for sure,” said Harris who have probably finished 2 quarters, 3 quarters, riders, which ended with 6 quarters. 386 yards and four touchdowns.
The teams took the field just five days after a two-vehicle crash claimed the lives of Riders linebacker Jayden Dalke and Bhishma Rajyaguru, a 22-year-old from Regina, on Saturday night just outside Lumsden, about 30 kilometers north of Regina.
RCMP said 30-year-old Dalke was driving northbound in the southbound lane of the divided highway when his vehicle collided with Rajyaguru’s SUV.
Both victims were honored with tributes and a minute’s silence before kick-off at Mosaic Stadium.
Harris admitted the past week was tough, but he hoped the pregame tributes expressed the emotions of a team and a franchise.
“I felt it was well done by the organization, honoring both men, and it was definitely a tumultuous, weird week to navigate as a team. But just proud of our team as far as going to war,” Harris said.
“The effort will continue to be there. This is a Corey Mace-led football team, and you’re going to take everything we’ve got every week, no matter the circumstances. I was proud of the guys for that, and I hope the two families we honored are proud and can take some comfort in their tribute before the game.”
In addition to Mack’s two touchdowns, Brendan O’Leary-Orange, on a 16-yard reception, and Leake, on a 12-yard punt, scored for the Elks in the first half. Mack had 173 receiving yards on four catches while TJ Luther had 10 receptions for 157 yards.
Kian Schaffer-Baker, Samuel Emilus, KeeSean Johnson and Dhel Duncan-Busby had hits for the Riders. Schaffer-Baker had eight catches for 185 yards.
UP NEXT
Elks: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, August 1.
Roughriders: Visit the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, August 1.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 23, 2026.
&copies 2026 The Canadian Press
