EDMONTON — Tommy Stevens found the end zone three times as the Saskatchewan Roughriders held off the Edmonton Elks in a 28-26 victory on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.
The Roughriders’ short-yardage specialist accounted for all of Saskatchewan’s points before the final frame, powering the offence with a trio of rushing touchdowns as the Green and White improved to 5-2. Trevor Harris was steady in the rainy conditions, completing 19 of 24 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown, while Quali Conley added a career-high 61 rushing yards on 14 attempts in the victory.
Edmonton wasted little time striking first. Javon Leake‘s strong return and a roughing-the-passer penalty helped set the Elks up in Saskatchewan territory before Justin Rankin weaved through traffic for his seventh rushing touchdown of the season.
Both defences settled in as the wind at Commonwealth Stadium picked up in the second quarter. Edmonton and Saskatchewan combined for seven two-and-outs in the first half, a stark contrast from Week 8’s high-flying affair that saw the teams combine for 70 points. Blanchard cut the deficit with a long field goal and the Elks entered the break trailing 14-13.
Lightning in the area delayed the start of the second half by more than an hour, keeping both teams in the locker rooms. When play resumed, the defences picked up where they left off, with Tyrell Ford intercepting Harris and Saskatchewan forcing another punt before the Riders moved into scoring range on a highlight-reel reverse hurdle from Conley.
After that drive stalled, Alex Hale missed wide left, and the Elks took advantage of the field position when Blanchard connected to reclaim the lead. Saskatchewan followed with a nine-play drive, where Stevens completed his hat trick after his goal-line fumble was wiped away by an Edmonton too-many-men penalty. Corey Mace elected to go for two, but Conley was stopped short.
Blanchard pulled the Elks within one, but Harris took control on Saskatchewan’s next possession. The veteran pivot connected on passes of 21, 27 and 15 yards, capping the drive with a touchdown strike to KeeSean Johnson. Harris then went back to Johnson for two, extending the Riders’ lead to 28-19 past the midway point of the fourth.
The Elks refused to go away. Rankin provided a spark on the ensuing drive with a 51-yard catch-and-run, and two plays later, Cody Fajardo found T.J. Luther in the back of the end zone. Edmonton had one final opportunity after the three-minute warning, but a holding penalty and a timely stop from the Riders’ pass rush forced a punt, allowing Saskatchewan to run out the clock.
Fajardo posted an efficient 286 yards on 22/28 passing as the Elks dropped their second game of the season to fall to 6-2.
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SCORING PLAYS
- Justin Rankin three-yard touchdown run (11:17, Q1) | EDM 7 SSK 0
- Tommy Stevens one-yard touchdown run (9:10, Q1) | SSK 7 EDM 7
- Vincent Blanchard 24-yard field goal (14:47, Q2) | EDM 10 SSK 7
- Tommy Stevens one-yard touchdown run (10:06, Q2) | SSK 14 EDM 10
- Vincent Blanchard 44-yard field goal (2:26, Q2) | SSK 14 EDM 13
- Vincent Blanchard 26-yard field goal (4:40, Q3) | EDM 16 SSK 14
- Tommy Stevens one-yard touchdown run (0:00, Q3) | SSK 20 EDM 16
- Vincent Blanchard 22-yard field goal (10:20, Q4) | SSK 20 EDM 19
- Trevor Harris four-yard touchdown pass to KeeSean Johnson (6:40, Q4) | SSK 28 EDM 19
- Cody Fajardo four-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Luther (4:36, Q4) | SSK 28 EDM 26
NEXT UP
The Saskatchewan Roughriders return home in Week 10 to host the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Friday, August 7. Saskatchewan earned a 27-22 victory when the teams met in Week 5, and the Riders have not lost to Ottawa at home since 2018.
The Edmonton Elks head to Montreal in Week 10 for a showdown between the division leaders on Saturday, August 8. Edmonton handed the Alouettes their lone loss of the season with a 32-29 overtime victory in Week 3 and will have a chance to sweep the season series for the first time since 2018.
