Elks' Rankin sees fewer carries as Edmonton hosts Toronto Saturday
Edmonton running back Justin Rankin has topped 100 rushing yards in four of five games this season when given 10 or more carries, but his workload has since dropped sharply.
Justin Rankin ran for over 100 yards in four of the Edmonton Elks' first five games, including a 107-yard, two-touchdown performance on 14 carries in a July 9 win over Ottawa. Since then, he has reached double-digit carries only once, rushing for 39 yards on 12 attempts in a July 23 win at Saskatchewan. In four other recent games he has been held to seven or eight carries, most recently seven for 62 yards in last week's 48-30 loss to Montreal.
Despite the reduced workload, Rankin has 651 rushing yards on 101 carries for a 6.4-yard average with seven touchdowns this season, plus 37 catches for 418 yards and a receiving touchdown. Over Edmonton's last three games, receiver Austin Mack has averaged 5.7 catches and 120 yards per game, while the Elks have allowed 36.7 points per game in that span.
Edmonton (6-3) hosts the Toronto Argonauts (4-4) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday. Toronto has won the last four meetings between the teams, though Edmonton is 3-1 at home this season. The Argonauts are coming off a 33-30 win over Calgary in their home opener at BMO Field, with quarterback Chad Kelly throwing for 349 yards and a touchdown despite four interceptions. Edmonton defensive back Tyrell Ford is tied for the CFL lead with five interceptions, all recorded over the Elks' last five games.
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