Elks end long losing streak with 42-31 win over Roughriders – Edmonton

It was déjà vu all over again for the Edmonton Elks on Saturday.

The last time the Elks played the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina, they won 36-27 on September 15, 2023. In that game, Tre Ford played quarterback, accounting for a team-high 265 rushing yards, while running back Kevin Brown had 175 yards on 19 carries.

Saturday in Regina, again with Ford at the helm, the Elks cruised to a 42-31 victory with 276 rushing yards and running back Jovan Leake totaling 169 yards on 12 carries.

The win was the first of the 2024 season for the Elks, who are in last place in the West Division with a 1-7 record. The victory snapped a combined 11-game losing streak dating back to last season’s victory in the Saskatchewan capital.

It was the 2023 win that gave Ford, who started his first game this season in place of McLeod Bethel-Thompson, confidence the Elks could beat the Riders.

“If you look back to last year when I came in, we were able to pick up our rushing game quite a bit, right? I’m not saying we were rushing as much because I was in the game,” Ford said.

“It was obviously the O-line making the blocks, Javon Leake making the reads, making people miss and getting into open space. I think we had that confidence looking back at last year, it was just a feeling that (running the ball) was going to be our strong suit, and we were able to execute.”

Leake signed with the Elks during the offseason after two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts as a return specialist. After catching just 15 carries in 25 games with the Argos, Leake hoped to get a shot at running back with the Elks.

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Interim head coach Jarious Jackson recently decided to move Leake into the starting role, and the move paid off. After scoring on a four-yard run in the second quarter, Leake exploded for touchdown runs of 51 and 61 yards in the fourth quarter to give the Elks control of the game.

The two long runs looked similar, but Leake said it wasn’t the same play.

“It was the same type of scheme, but it’s two different plays. You just have to be patient, wait for that hole, wait for the O-line to clear it and then you have to hit it,” Leake said.

Leake’s attempt was no surprise to Jackson.

“I’m not surprised at all. That’s why we weren’t afraid to start him. I just told him to be smart and let me know if he was tired and we’d take him out. I told him we needed him to carry the lion’s share of the load when it came to running the ball,” Jackson said.

Jackson is completing his third week as interim head coach of the Elks after replacing Chris Jones on July 15. He has seen improvement in his team and is confident Saturday’s win will help the Elks move forward.

“We’re finally off the sidewalk, right? We’re finally off the blocks. We just have to build on this, we have to try to start piling on from here.

“We’re two games behind the next guys in the West, so we just have to keep fighting and see where it takes us. There’s still a whole season to go, 10 games left in the season, so we’re just going to keep our heads down and keep playing.”

The Riders, who share first place in the West Division with the BC Lions with a 5-3 record, entered the game with the best rushing defense in the CFL, allowing just 48 rushing yards per game. The 276 rushing yards the Elks mustered on Saturday will boost that number heading into next week’s action.

For Riders defensive back Rolan Milligan, who made his fifth interception of the season in the third quarter, there was disappointment with the way Saskatchewan’s defence played.

“We didn’t do what we were supposed to do, like get in our holes in the run game. We just didn’t execute. We didn’t really have a complicated game plan, we just had to execute,” Milligan said.

Ford completed 18 of 22 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Tevin Jones, a former Rider, had three catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including a 98-yard major in the first quarter.

Shea Patterson completed 22 of 38 passes for 306 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Ajou Ajou and Mitchell Picton had touchdown receptions for the Riders.

Frankie Hickson, making his second start at running back in place of the injured AJ Ouellette, had 89 yards on 12 carries.

Saskatchewan’s Mario Alford started the game with a bang, taking the opening kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. After dropping the kick, Alford picked up the ball, cut through some traffic near the hash marks and cut to the sideline where he went untouched into the end zone.

NEXT ONE

Elks: Hosts the BC Lions (5-3) on Sunday, August 11.

Roughriders: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks (5-2) on Thursday.

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