Cody Fajardo, the #7 quarterback, inspired the Edmonton Elks to an away win against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium on Thursday night. Before the Week 8 game kicked off, the Roughriders honored the lives of linebacker Jayden Dalke and Bhishma Rajyaguru, who died in a car accident last Saturday.
Edmonton came out on top due to a masterclass performance from Fajardo, who threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns. The game finished with Vincent Blanchard connecting on a 57-yard field goal as the clock wound down to zero. The thrilling win was their sixth overall of the season.
A Strong Start for the Elks
Edmonton and Fajardo started well against the home side. Running back Justin Rankin had three carries for 10 yards, and the star QB Fajardo threw passes for 38 yards to the 16-yard line. Fajardo followed up with a throw to Brendan O’Leary-Orange, who sprinted to the end zone for the touchdown. The Elks took a 7-0 lead with 10 and a half minutes left in the first quarter. The seven-play drive went for 71 yards.
Saskatchewan made a comeback when they had the ball on the two-yard line after a holding penalty during a punt return. Quarterback Trevor Harris threw two passes for 46 yards and running back A.J. Ouellette rushed for six yards to the 54-yard line.
Harris followed up with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Kian Scaffer-Baker, two plays later, to make it 7-7 and tie the game as they went into the second quarter on a five-play drive for 108 yards.
Roughriders Surge to a Halfway Lead
In the second quarter, Saskatchewan had the ball on the 54-yard line. Harris continued with a 19-yard pass to Samuel Emilus and then a quick slant pass to Emilus again for a touchdown. The Roughriders took a 14-17 lead with ample time on the clock.
Edmonton started on the 31-yard line after Javon Leake returned the kickoff for 23 yards. Fajardo wasn’t done yet as he produced a 68-yard pass to Kaion Julien-Grant to the 11-yard line. Just two plays later, he threw a short pass to Leake, who evaded a couple of tackles for a 12-yard touchdown. This brought the score level at 14-14.
With just over 2 minutes left on the clock, Edmonton kicker and eventual game-winner Vincent Blanchard made a 38-yard field goal to power the Elks to a 17-14 lead. They didn’t see the ball for the rest of the half as Harris threw two passes for 30 yards to the 40-yard line.
Harris took the game to the visiting team as he threw a 24-yard pass to Kian Schaffer-Baker to the 12-yard line. A.J Ouellette rushed nine yards, and Tommy Stevens a yard to the two-yard line. Trevor Harris sealed the halftime lead with a touchdown pass to KeeSean Johnson for a 21-17 lead.
Saskatchewan Falters and Fajardo Rises
Fajardo threw three passes for 50 yards to the 19-yard line. Saskatchewan linebacker Antoine Brooks Jr. sacked him for a seven-yard loss, after which Blanchard again made a 33-yard field goal to make it 21-20 with a little more than 9 minutes left in the third.
Fajardo first threw a 21-yard pass to T.J. Luther at the 53-yard line, then a 57-yard touchdown pass to Austin Mack for a 27-21 lead with 3:23 left. Saskatchewan moved the ball to the seven-yard line heading into the fourth quarter. Before the quarter ended, the Roughriders lost A.J. Ouellette, who was holding his right knee after a four-yard run.
Harris threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Dhel Duncan-Busby for a 28-27 lead with 14:31 left to begin the fourth quarter. Edmonton got the ball on the 29-yard line, and Fajardo faked a handoff and threw to Austin Mack for an 81-yard touchdown.
The Elks led 33-28 at this point. Midway through the fourth quarter, Saskatchewan kicker Alex Hale made a 48-yard field goal to make it 33-31. After a run of play, the Roughriders made it 34-33 with 1:46 on the clock, with Alex Hale making a 11-yard field goal.
Edmonton held on to the ball for the rest of the game. Fajardo threw four passes for 56 yards and then got sacked by Mike Rose for a four-yard loss. The ball sat on the 50-yard line, and kicker Vincent Blanchard kicked the game-winning 578-yard field goal to win it 36-34 for the Elks. Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 25 of 32 passes (78.1%) for 510 yards, four touchdowns, and two carries for five yards.
The teams meet again in a rematch next Saturday, 1st August at the Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton.
