09.12.2026 | Game Recap: Elks 53 Stampeders 16

EDMONTON - For the first time in seven years, the Green and Gold are headed to the postseason.

The Edmonton Elks clinched a spot in the 2026 Grey Cup Playoffs on Saturday (Sept. 12) with a 53-16 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the teams’ annual Labour Day Classic rematch at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium.

“It’s super special,” David Beard, the longest tenured member of the EE, said on 880 CHED. “I’m just so proud of this group, so proud of this city, and so proud of the club in general that we’ve been able to rally and find the answers and punch our ticket to the postseason.”

An electric crowd clad in green and gold watched as the Elks defeated their provincial rivals for the second time in six days. Edmonton also topped the Stampeders in the Labour Day Classic, winning by a score of 38-28 at McMahon Stadium on Monday (Sept. 7).

Joseph Robustelli had a pair of touchdowns for the Elks, who also got one TD apiece from Joshua Cephus, Silas Hubert, Zach Mathis, and Cole Snyder. Calgary’s lone touchdown was scored by Erik Brooks.

Veteran Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo was 14-for-21 passing for 232 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. ShunDerrick Powell paced Edmonton with 97 yards rushing, with Cephus was the Elks’ top pass-catcher, making six receptions for 119 yards.

Edmonton dominated the second half, putting up 34 points while holding Calgary to just six over the final 30 minutes. The Elks have now won four straight games, outscoring the opposition 112-22 in the second half during that streak.

“It’s something that we try to pride ourselves on, and credit to the guys that did that, we took over the game.” Elks head coach Mark Kilam said on 880 CHED.

This is the earliest date on the calendar that Edmonton has clinched a postseason berth since the CFL regular season went to 18 games. Edmonton’s last playoff appearance came in 2019, when the EE crossed over into the East Division and defeated the Montreal Alouettes to advance to the division final before being eliminated by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

With the victory, the Elks move to 10-3 and continue to sit atop the CFL West Division standings. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are second at 8-5, after losing to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers earlier Saturday. Calgary, now 5-8, remains last in the division.

First Quarter

Edmonton opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal from Vincent Blanchard, just over eight minutes into the game. Calgary would take the lead before the end of the first quarter, getting a 13-yard passing touchdown from Vernon Adams Jr. to Erik Brooks.

Second Quarter

Blanchard cut Calgary’s lead to 7-6, hitting his second field goal of the game, from 42 yards out, early in the second quarter. The Elks then went ahead on a one-yard QB sneak from Synder, competing a six-play 66-yard drive.

With just over a minute to go before half, Robustelli hauled in a 22-yard pass from Cody Fajardo for a touchdown. Calgary, however, responded with a 38-yard field goal by Rene Paredes on the final play of the second quarter, making the score 19-10 in favour of Edmonton at the break.

Third Quarter

On the opening possession of the second half, Edmonton drove 70 yards in five plays, culminating with a 35-yard toss pass from Fajardo to Cephus for the touchdown. Blanchard knocked home another field goal, from 26 yards, putting the EE in front 29-10.

Paredes connected on a 41-yard field goal to make the score 29-13. Calgary then got the ball back, but was forced into a punting situation from their endzone, where Hubert blocked Mark Vassett’s punt and recovered the ball to score am Edmonton touchdown.

Fourth Quarter

Edmonton continued to pour it on in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, as Robustelli scored his second touchdown of the game, on an 18-yard pass from Fajardo.

Taking over for Fajardo, Taylor Powell came into the game and engineered a 70-yard, 10-play drive that ate up nearly six minutes, capped with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Mathis. Paredes and Blanchard exchanged field goals in the final four minutes of the quarter to close the scoring.

Up Next

The Elks hit the road for a Week 16 match-up with the Toronto Argonauts where they’ll face the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field on Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. MT. Edmonton’s next home game is Sept. 26, against the Tiger-Cats at 5 p.m. MT. Tickets are available now.