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EDMONTON – An 85-yard interception return for a touchdown by J.J. Ross helped the Edmonton Elks halt a two-game losing skid with a 42-12 victory over the visiting Toronto Argonauts on Saturday
The Elks (7-3) haven’t made the CFL playoffs since 2019, but Edmonton kept the heat on the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-2) in the race for first place in the West Division. The ‘Riders were set to visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday night.
The Argonauts (4-5) lost after winning two straight.
Cole Snyder, Justin Rankin and Joshua Cephus scored touchdowns and kicker Vincent Blanchard was successful on four field-goal attempts for Edmonton.
Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 25 of 31 pass attempts for 301 yards, one touchdown throw and no interceptions.
His Argonauts counterpart Chad Kelly was 21-for-31 in passing for 265 yards and one interception.
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Backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle scored Toronto’s lone touchdown, while kicker Brad Lister was 2-for-4 in field-goal tries.
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Edmonton’s opening drive was interrupted when receiver Austin Mack was stripped of the ball and recovered by Adarius Pickett. Toronto converted the turnover into Lister’s 36-yard field goal.
The Elks responded with Blanchard’s 52-yard field goal and his punt single.
Edmonton scored the game’s first touchdown five minutes into the second quarter when Fajardo’s 44-yard scramble set up a one-yard plunge for his backup Snyder.
Lister missed field goals from 35 and 53 yards in the first half, but the Argonauts trailed 11-9 with just under a minute to play.
A 51-yard pass from Chad Kelly to Kevin Mital led to a one-yard touchdown plunge for Arbuckle. Toronto’s two-point convert attempt failed.
The Argos managed just four rushing yards in the first half, while Rankin had just one yard on six carries through the same span.
Edmonton’s Brock Mogensen recovered Toronto’s fumble on the second half’s opening kickoff, and Blanchard kicked a 41-yard field goal.
Lister booted a 31-yarder in response, before Blanchard hit from 46 yards out to make it 17-12 for Edmonton.
The Elks began to pull away with four minutes left in the third. Rankin reeled in a 37-yard pass and followed up by running the ball into the end zone from eight yards.
Edmonton’s defence delivered in the fourth quarter by stopping Toronto on a third-and-inches gamble on their own 26. Fajardo capitalized with a 10-yard TD pass to Cephus.
The Elks’ defence struck again in the fourth when a Kelly pass bounced out of the hand of the intended receiver into the mitts of Ross, who ran the ball back 85 yards for a touchdown.
Edmonton forced another turnover on downs in the quarter, and turned it into a Blanchard field goal. Ross intercepted Arbuckle with just over a minute to play.
UP NEXT
Elks: Host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday.
Argonauts: Host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
