09.07.2026 | Game Recap: Elks 38 Stampeders 28

The Edmonton Elks stormed back from an 18-point deficit to defeat the host Calgary Stampeders by a score of 38-28 in the annual Labour Day Classic at McMahon Stadium on Monday (Sept. 7).

Authoring one of the most memorable comebacks in club history, the Green and Gold outscored Calgary 31-3 over the final 19 minutes and ended the game scoring 24 unanswered points.

Edmonton’s Cody Fajardo completed 17 of 31 passes for 181 yards, and threw a touchdown each to Kaion Julien-Grant and Austin Mack. The veteran Elks quarterback was also his team’s top rusher, with 7 carries for 76 yards.

In his CFL debut, Elks running back ShunDerrick Powell rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown, while averaging 14.3 yards on six punt returns. The Green and Gold also got rushing touchdowns from Justin Rankin and Cole Snyder in the fourth quarter.

“We are a true three-phase football team, and we knew as we put the ball in Cody Fajardo’s hands with our offence, that we would be successful,” Edmonton linebacker Nick Anderson said during a post-game interview on 880 CHED, radio home of the Elks. Anderson recorded 12 defensive tackles on Monday, double the amount of any other player in the game.

Clark Barnes, Jalen Philpot and Quincy Vaughn each had a touchdown for the home team. Calgary had led 18-7 at halftime, scoring 14 of its first half points off turnovers.

This was the second consecutive game with a double-digit comeback for the Green and Gold, who rallied from a 16-0 deficit to defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers by a score of 22-19 at home in Week 12. Edmonton is now an incredible 7-1 this season in games decided in the final three minutes.

“We’re a fourth-quarter team,” Elks head coach Mark Kilam said on 880 CHED. “We just really regrouped at half. We just were out of sync in the first half, but credit to this team for sticking together, we came out, three-phase win. It always feels good to beat the red team.”

With the victory, Edmonton improves to 9-3, maintaining sole possession of first place in the CFL West Division. Calgary drops to 5-7 and remains last in the West standings.

The first quarter ended with Calgary ahead 4-0, thanks to a 36-yard-field goal from Rene Parades and a rouge off the foot of Mark Vassett.

Calgary extended its lead to 11-0 in the second quarter, following a 39-yard touchdown toss from Vernon Adams Jr. to Jalen Philpot. The Stampeders needed just three plays to reach the endzone after recovering a fumble by Cody Fajardo to take possession at their 45-yard line.

Edmonton answered on the ensuing possession, as Fajardo marched his offence on an 82-yard, 11 play-drive over a span of nearly 5 minutes, culminating with a six-yard touchdown pass to Julien-Grant.

The Stampeders took an 11-point lead into the locker room, after Quincy Vaughn plunged into the endzone just five seconds before half. Calgary again capitalized on a turnover for the score, driving 32 yards over seven plays following an interception by Anthony Johnson in Elks territory.

The opening possession of the second half saw Calgary scored a touchdown on a 41-yard pass from Adams Jr. to Clark Barnes, as the Stampeders went ahead 25-7.

Fajardo engineered another lengthy drive, going 90 yards in 11 plays in almost six minutes, capped off with a seven-yard touchdown toss to Mack, as Edmonton cut the Stampeders’ lead to 25-14 through three quarters.

Parades split the uprights for a 42-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but Edmonton kept its momentum going. Powell ran three yards to the endzone, pulling the Elks within one score. Edmonton’s defence then recovered a fumble in Calgary territory, leading to a 52-yard goal from Elks kicker Vincent Blanchard.

Trailing 28-24, Edmonton got the ball back. On the first play of the possession, Rankin took the rock 50 yards to the house, giving the Elks their first lead, with just over four minutes remaining.

Calgary’s hopes of a comeback ended when Adams Jr. threw an incomplete pass to Philpot on third-and-19 from the Stampeders three-yard line with 62 seconds left. Edmonton took possession and Snyder punched the ball in from the one-yard line to put the game away.

The Elks and Stampeders will meet in the Labour Day rematch at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 12). Tickets are available now.