EDMONTON – Cody Fajardo confirmed his former apprentice that he can nonetheless get the job completed.
Justin Rankin ran in a pair of touchdowns and quarterback Fajardo carried within the winner himself because the Edmonton Elks stopped previously-unbeatable quarterback Davis Alexander, holding on to win their residence opener 32-29 in time beyond regulation over the Montreal Alouettes on a wet Saturday.
Alexander served as Fajardo’s backup on Montreal’s one hundred and tenth Gray Cup-winning staff in 2023.
“It was fairly spectacular the way in which that we gutted it out. We’re a gritty staff, we’re going to seek out methods to win right here,” Fajardo stated. “We already knew we had been soccer staff, I believe what this does is it places the remainder of the league on discover that this isn’t the identical Edmonton Elks staff from a few years in the past. The usual has modified right here.”
The Elks are 2-0 to begin the CFL common season for the primary time since 2019.
“It was staff win. It took all three phases, everyone in that locker room. Guys needed to dig deep,” stated Elks head coach Mark Kilam. “We caught collectively and located methods to make performs late within the recreation.”
The Alouettes dropped to 2-1 with Alexander struggling the primary loss as a starter in a regular-season recreation in his profession, lacking out on an opportunity to tie the CFL document for many consecutive begins with a victory at 14, a mark held by Bo Levi Mitchell, who completed the feat in 2016.
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“It was an incredible soccer recreation,” Alexander stated. “The document is what the document is. I used to be type of drained about listening to about it since we did lose that Gray Cup recreation. I’m not glad to have misplaced, however I’m glad to get that document speak out of the way in which. Let’s simply go play 15 extra.”
Montreal began the scoring 6 1/2 minutes into the opening quarter with a 50-yard subject aim by José Maltos Díaz.
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The Alouettes added to their lead with 5 minutes left within the second quarter as Travis Theis scampered in from 5 yards out for the landing.
After Nate Beauchemin picked off Fajardo, Montreal marched downfield to chip in a 38-yard Maltos Díaz subject aim with two minutes left.
Edmonton lastly obtained on the board with 29 seconds remaining within the second as Fajardo discovered Austin Mack with a nine-yard TD cross to make it 13-7 on the half.
The Elks surged into the lead three minutes into the third as Rankin discovered a seam and blazed 36 yards for the speeding main.
Rankin got here up big once more with 6:40 to play within the third as he overcame a stumble and obtained an incredible block from Fajardo earlier than blazing 47 yards into the tip zone. The convert was missed.
Edmonton began the fourth quarter with a 36-yard subject aim from Vincent Blanchard.
The Alouettes quickly responded with a 37-yard Maltos Díaz subject aim.
Montreal fumbled away a punt at their very own 11-yard-line with 6:22 to play, recovered by Elk Kordell Jackson, resulting in a 13-yard subject aim by Blanchard.
Alexander fought again and unleashed a 34-yard bomb into the tip zone to Tyler Snead with three minutes remaining within the contest to chop Edmonton’s result in three.
Montreal then despatched the sport to time beyond regulation as Maltos Díaz nailed a 31-yard subject aim with time expiring to tie the sport 26-26.
The Alouettes began the additional session with a 33-yard subject aim by Maltos Díaz.
After getting fortunate when Rankin fumbled and it was decided that the Elks obtained final contact earlier than the ball went out of bounds, Fajardo ran it in himself from six yards out to offer the Elks the dramatic victory.
“It was an incredible struggle, during into time beyond regulation, up till the final play,” stated Montreal head coach Jason Maas. “That ball on the sidelines, if it will get tapped out our approach, we win the ball recreation proper there. Sadly, it didn’t, they usually made yet one more play and sealed the victory.
“I’m very pleased with our guys for combating. We had been down 10 factors within the fourth quarter, having the ability to crawl again and put it into time beyond regulation, clearly I’m very pleased with that.”
UP NEXT
Alouettes: Host the Ottawa Redblacks (0-2) on Sunday, June 28.
Elks: Go to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-1) on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 20, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press