CFL: Justin Rankin leads Edmonton Elks to win over Stampeders

A career day for Justin Rankin helped the Edmonton Elks win against the Calgary Stampeders in the rematch of the Labour Day Classic.

Rankin ran for 204 yards, surpassing his previous career high of 157, and tallied the highest rushing total of any player in 2025. The Elks running back also scored two touchdowns in his team’s 31-19 victory on Saturday night.

Kaion Julien-Grant scored a touchdown for the Elks in the fourth quarter, seizing the momentum from the Stampeders who had made it a two-point game with a Quincy Vaughn major score. With a late field goal putting them ahead by 12 points, Edmonton split the home-and-home series with the Stampeders.

Despite missing key starters, like defensive linemen Jake Ceresna and Robbie Smith and linebackers Nyles Morgan and Nick Anderson, on their defence, the Elks held Vernon Adams Jr. to a 51.7 completion percentage and no passing touchdowns. The unit also tallied four sacks on the night, with Noah Taylor and Brandon Barlow each getting one, and Jonathan Kongbo notching two on Adams Jr.

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Vernon Adams Jr. moved the chains down the field on the game’s opening drive. Facing second-and-10 on the Edmonton 20, Adams Jr. appeared to have found Jalen Philpot in the end zone for the major score. But after the replay centre reviewed it, it was ruled an incomplete pass. That brought out Rene Paredes to attempt a 27-yard field goal. He was good on the try, giving the Stampeders an early 3-0 lead.

The Elks responded with a field goal of their own, as Vincent Blanchard booted a 45-yard attempt through the uprights. That tied the game 3-3 with just under eight minutes left in first quarter.

On the ensuing Stampeders possession, Eric Brooks’ third catch of the game was a big one, hauling in a 55-yard pass from Adams Jr. moving them into the red zone. Two plays later, Quincy Vaughn came in on short yardage on the Elks’ one-yard line and went around the edge to plunge in for the major score. Paredes missed his convert, hitting the flag on the outside of the upright, and Javon Leake returned it 60 yards out of the end zone. With the missed convert, and no points on the Leake return, the Stampeders took a 9-3 lead with 4:21 on the clock.

A 77-yard punt from Jake Julien after the next Elks drive ended up in the end zone, scoring a rouge for the home team (9-4).

The teams traded two-and-outs as the opening quarter came to an end and the second began.

Stampeders standout defensive lineman Clarence Hicks notched his seventh sack of the season in the second quarter, setting up a second-and-20 for the Elks. After an incompletion to Leake, Edmonton had to punt.

The game’s first touchdown came courtesy of Justin Rankin on the first play of the Elks drive, who broke free for 90 yards to the house and the major score. It was the first touchdown allowed by the Stampeders defence in eight quarters and the longest rush by an Edmonton player since Jim Germany in 1977. With the completed convert, Edmonton took an 11-9 lead with 9:31 left in the half.

Calgary started deep in their own territory on their ensuing possession, looking to respond with points of their own. The Elks defence, who was missing a handful of starters including middle linebacker Nyles Morgan and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna, held strong and forced a fourth-straight two-and-out.

With momentum completely on their side, Fajardo strung together a pair of first downs before handing off to Rankin again. This time the Elks running back made a jump cut behind the line of scrimmage, and then a spin move on a defender to burst into the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown. With the convert, Edmonton took a 18-9 lead with five minutes remaining in the half.

The Stampeders responded with a field goal, capping a nine-play, 54-yard drive. Paredes was good on his 31-yard attempt, cutting Edmonton’s lead to 18-12 with just over a minute left on the clock. That would be the final scoring play of the half as the teams went to their respective locker rooms.

Blanchard booted a 47-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, as the Elks got into field goal range on a drive that featured another big Rankin run (23 yards). That score, the first points of the second half, increased Edmonton’s lead to 21-12.

The defences dug in during the third quarter, keeping the offences off the score sheet for the rest of the frame.

Adams Jr. and the Stampeders were driving down the field and set up shop on the Edmonton 29-yard line as the fourth quarter began. The Stamps’ quarterback found Philpot for what looked like a completion, but he was called for offensive pass interference, moving Calgary back and setting up second-and-22. Dedrick Mills took the screen pass from Adams Jr. out of the backfield, and he ran for 28 yards and a first down. Calgary took another penalty on the drive, this time an objectionable conduct, pushing them back to second-and-12.

Second down was replayed after Edmonton took an offside penalty, moving the Stamps up five yards. Brooks’ six-yard gain wasn’t enough for the fresh set so Vaughn took the field on short yardage on the three. He was only looking for the first down but he kept driving his legs, plunged forward and crossed the goal line for his second touchdown of the game. Paredes was good on his convert, cutting Edmonton’s lead to 21-19.

Edmonton answered with a solid drive of their own, that featured three straight Rankin runs, including a 26 yarder, to shift the energy back to the Elks. They had started on their own 34 and moved all the way down to Calgary’s 18. They capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown strike to Kaion Julien-Grant in the back corner of the end zone. After the convert, Edmonton increased their lead to 28-19 with just over seven minutes left on the clock.

Needing a field goal and a touchdown to take the lead, Calgary moved into field goal range looking to get the three points first. Paredes missed his 49-yard attempt, and Leake took it out of the end zone and returned it 86 yards down to Calgary’s 34-yard line. The Elks scored a field goal, increasing their lead to 31-19 with three and a half minutes left in the game.

P.J. Walker took over for Adams Jr. with under two minutes left in the contest. It was confirmed on the TSN broadcast that there was no injury to Adams Jr. Chelen Garnes picked off Walker in the end zone to seal the deal, giving Elks fans at Commonwealth Stadium a victory.

Next up for the Elks is a meeting in Toronto against the Argonauts while the Stampeders head out on Week 15 bye.