Elks erase 18-point deficit to beat Stampeders 38-28 on Labour Day
Justin Rankin's 50-yard touchdown run with four minutes left broke a tie and lifted Edmonton over Calgary at McMahon Stadium. The win was Edmonton's third straight and kept the Elks atop the CFL's West Division.
Justin Rankin, held to minus-1 yards on his first four carries, broke a 50-yard touchdown run with about four minutes remaining to give Edmonton its first lead of the Labour Day Classic in a 38-28 win over the host Stampeders. The Elks scored 24 points in the final 10 minutes, overturning an 18-point second-half deficit, with Cole Snyder adding a rushing touchdown with 19 seconds left.
Edmonton improved to 9-3 and remains atop the CFL West, ahead of Saskatchewan (8-4), Winnipeg and B.C. (6-6) and Calgary, which fell to 5-7. Calgary led 25-7 early in the second half behind touchdown passes from Vernon Adams Jr. to Jalen Philpot and Clark Barnes and a short touchdown run from Quincy Vaughn, along with two field goals from Rene Paredes.
Edmonton quarterback Cody Fajardo threw two touchdown passes, to Kaion Julien-Grant and Austin Mack, completing 17 of 31 for 181 yards with one interception. ShunDerrick Powell's three-yard touchdown run capped a six-play, 70-yard drive that cut Calgary's lead to four points, and a fumble recovery by Kordell Jackson set up a 52-yard Vincent Blanchard field goal that narrowed the gap further before Rankin's go-ahead score.
The game was played in rain, gusting winds up to 41 km/h and a temperature of 12 Celsius in front of 16,346 fans. Stampeders coach Dave Dickenson said his team made costly mistakes despite the early lead. Adams, returning from a concussion, threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns on 15-of-29 passing.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.