EDMONTON — Turnovers turned things around for the Edmonton Elks on Saturday. An 85-yard interception return for a touchdown by J.J. Ross helped the Elks halt a two-game losing skid with a 42-12 victory over the visiting Toronto Argonauts. Edmonton scored 27 points off of six Toronto turnovers. “I’m really proud of the group,” said Elks head coach Mark Kilamn. “It was a two-point game at the half, and we came out with something to prove. We got the forced fumble right away and didn’t look back. “It’s just the leadership in the room. They had a single mindset to get it done and that’s what they did.” The Elks, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2019, improved to 7-3 and moved at least temporarily ahead of Saskatchewan into first place in the CFL’s West Division. The Roughriders played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday night. “It was just an outstanding performance from all three phases after we just got our butts kicked in Montreal in all three phases,” said Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo. “That response right there says that we’re not a good team, we’re a great team.” The Argos (4-5) had their two-game win streak halted. “It was disappointing,” said Argos head coach Mike Miller. “We had a couple of possessions there in the third quarter where we had a chance to possibly take the lead, but it didn’t go our way. The turnovers were a problem. We’ve got to work to get those corrected.” Edmonton’s opening drive was interrupted when receiver Austin Mack was stripped of the ball and the fumble was recovered by Adarius Pickett, eventually leading to a 36-yard Toronto field goal by Brady Lidster. The Elks responded with a 52-yard field goal from Vincent Blanchard and then a punt single. Edmonton got the game’s first major strike five minutes into the second quarter as a career-best 44-yard scramble by Fajardo ended in setting up a one-yard plunge by his backup, Cole Snyder. Toronto was unable to respond once again as Lidster missed his second three-pointer of the contest. The Argos got to within two points with just under a minute to play in the first half as a 51-yard pass from Chad Kelly to Kevin Mital led to a one-yard plunge into the end zone by backup QB Nick Arbuckle. The two-point convert attempt failed. The Elks’ Brock Mogensen recovered a Toronto fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, leading to a 41-yard field goal by Blanchard. Lidster booted a 31-yarder in response, before Blanchard hit from 46 yards out to make it 17-12 for Edmonton. Edmonton moved further ahead with four minutes left in the third as Justin Rankin reeled in a 37-yard pass and followed it up by running it into the end zone from eight yards. The Elks’ defence continued to deliver, starting the fourth quarter by stopping the Argos on a third and inches gamble on their own 26. Fajardo capitalized with a 10-yard TD pass to Joshua Cephus. The Elks’ defence did it again with 9:12 left in the fourth as a Kelly pass bounced out of the hands of the intended receiver and into the mitts of defender Ross, who took it all the way back 85 yards for the pick-six. After forcing a turnover on downs for the second time in the game for their league-leading 31st turnover of the season, leading to a 24-yarder by Blanchard, followed by a single on the ensuing kickoff. The Elks added another interception by Ross in the final minute. “We’ve just all got to be better, from top to bottom,” Argos QB Kelly said. “It’s cliché to say it’s one play at a time, but you just never know when that one play can change the momentum of a whole game.” Up next Argonauts: Host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, Aug. 22. Elks: Host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2026. Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
