Elks Claim First CFL Win with 39-33 Victory Over Redblacks
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By Admin (Multisite)
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Summary:
- The Edmonton Elks grabbed their first win of the CFL season on Sunday after beating the Ottawa Redblacks 39-33.
- Coach Kilam’s side finally ended a three-game losing streak.
- Justin Rankin contributed a pair of touchdowns while Tre Ford threw for 212 yards and also had two TDs.
After a rough start to the 2025 CFL season marked by three consecutive losses, the Edmonton Elks finally scored a thrilling 39-33 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday.
Justin Rankin powered the offense for the Elks, finding the end zone twice.
Head coach Mark Kilam described his side’s performance as tough and gutsy while fully crediting his players for their hard efforts.
It was a complete 60-minute effort. It was gritty. Some guys went down, we had some moving parts. Guys were throwing up at halftime. It took a lot, it took everyone in the room, and I’m proud of them.
Tre Ford‘s early skill demonstration helped set the tone of the game. The 27-year-old quarterback from Niagara Falls managed to throw for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
Reflecting on the game, Ford named their early momentum as key:
We had a good start, we went out and scored on our first two drives, which was really good. We sputtered a bit in the second quarter and a little bit into the third, but we were able to put some drives together and score some more points. I think our team just came together.
Head Coach Dyce: “I Don’t Think We Started Well”
Things didn’t get any easier for Ottawa. The team lost their second game in a row and fell to 1-4 on the season, making head coach Bob Dyce to express frustration and point to sloppy execution and a lack of discipline as the main culprits.
We gave up explosives, both on special teams and defence, and didn’t really create that many offensively. We were undisciplined at times and didn’t execute the way we need to execute.
Ottawa was flagged nine times for 118 yards.
Redblacks quarterback Dru Brown, returning from injury, finished with 316 yards passing, falling short of a historic fourth straight 400-yard game.
Personally, I didn’t feel like I played very well early. I thought they had a good plan. They were pushing and testing our patience and there were times where I wasn’t patient. It’s a good learning experience, but a lot of things to improve on, for sure.
The game featured fireworks on special teams, with both teams returning punts for touchdowns.
Edmonton’s Javon Leake electrified the crowd with a 94-yard return in the second quarter, the Elks’ first punt return TD in nearly a decade, while Ottawa’s Kalil Pimpleton answered with a 97-yard return just before halftime.
The Elks will try to build on this momentum when they host the B.C. Lions next Sunday. Ottawa travels to Hamilton next Saturday looking to bounce back with all odds available on our selected Football sites
