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Edmonton Elks\u2019 Joshua Cephus (18) celebrates a reception with teammate Kaion Julien-Grant (11) during first half CFL action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Hamilton on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Nick Iwanyshyn<\/p>\nCody Fajardo and the Edmonton Elks are bringing playoff football back to Commonwealth Stadium.<\/p>\n
Fajardo, Zach Mathis and ShunDerrick Powell scored fourth-quarter touchdowns to power Edmonton past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27-12 on Friday night. That clinched the Elks (12-4) a CFL home playoff game, which will be their first since 2015.<\/p>\n
Edmonton defeated the Calgary Stampeders 45-31 in the \u201915 West Division final, then beat Ottawa in the Grey Cup. The Elks were last in the playoffs in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an end goal that\u2019s bigger than just hosting a playoff game,\u201d Fajardo said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to find a way like we did tonight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a good Hamilton team, their record doesn\u2019t show how good they are. We had an uphill battle offensively but we made the plays when we had to and our defence did a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edmonton remains first in the West ahead of the B.C. Lions (10-6), who defeated the Ottawa Redblacks (0-16) 41-20 on Friday night. Edmonton can clinch first place by winning one of its final two games versus Winnipeg (next Friday) and Saskatchewan (Oct. 24), respectively.<\/p>\n
Mathis, a second-year receiver, delivered the game\u2019s biggest play, scoring on a 48-yard interception return at 10:43. He picked off punter Nik Constantinou\u2019s pass to Tyler Ternowski.<\/p>\n
Isaiah Wooden pulled Hamilton to within 21-12 with an 87-yard kickoff return TD at 11:22. However, Harrison Frost\u2019s pass to Kiondre Smith for the two-point convert was incomplete, an interesting decision given a one-point convert would\u2019ve made it a one-score game.<\/p>\n
Powell completed the scoring with a five-yard TD run at 14:36. It came after Hamilton turned the ball over on downs at its 26-yard line.<\/p>\n
Marc Liegghio\u2019s 37-yard field goal at 6:56 pulled Hamilton to within 14-6. It followed Fajardo\u2019s one-yard TD run at 4:47.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve been part of two plays that have been so high and then so low in all my years playing football,\u201d Fajardo said of the pick-six and kickoff return TD. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to clean some things up at the end of the game to really put the game away.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople can poke holes in it all they want and figure out, \u2018They didn\u2019t play this, that and the other.\u2019 But we\u2019re winning games and we\u2019re 12-4. We\u2019re a damn good football team and we know when things get close, we can win football games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fajardo said there are definite benefits to Edmonton winning its final two regular-season games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason why is I don\u2019t think we\u2019re playing our best football,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re winning games but I told the guys going into this week it\u2019s not about the team with the best record at the end of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about the team playing the best football and so we have two games to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edmonton earned a second straight win over Hamilton after a 37-35 double overtime home decision Sept. 26. Vincent Blanchard kicked a CFL-record nine field goals.<\/p>\n
That loss eliminated Hamilton (5-12) from playoff contention.<\/p>\n
Edmonton last swept a two-game series with Hamilton in 2017. And the Elks did so emphatically, outscoring the Ticats 20-9 in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s kind of been a calling card of our football team this year,\u201d said sophomore head coach Mark Kilam. \u201cWe\u2019ve been finding ways to make plays late in the game and that\u2019s something we take pride in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edmonton\u2019s stellar \u201926 campaign comes after it finished last in the West Division last season with a 7-11 record.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s reflective of the hard work of a lot of people in that organization, not just the football team,\u201d Kilam said. \u201cWe have our sights set higher.\u201d<\/p>\n
The contest was hardly an offensive masterpiece as the two teams combined for 18 punts (10 by Edmonton). Fajardo finished 16-of-25 passing for 229 yards, while Frost was 21-of-36 for 221 yards.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like we got whipped in the first half,\u201d said Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich. \u201cWe struggled to establish the run game, I didn\u2019t think we gave the quarterback a lot of time to throw.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously we made some adjustments at halftime \u2026 but that\u2019s a good team and we didn\u2019t play very well offensively or on special teams.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blanchard had two field goals, a single and two converts.<\/p>\n
Edmonton Elks\u2019 Joshua Cephus (18) celebrates a reception with teammate Kaion Julien-Grant (11) during first half CFL action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Hamilton on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Nick Iwanyshyn<\/p>\n
Lieggho kicked two field goals.<\/p>\n
Liegghio\u2019s 18-yard field goal at 11:58 cut Edmonton\u2019s lead to 7-3. It capped a 13-play, 94-yard march after Hamilton had accumulated 49 net offensive yards to that point.<\/p>\n
Blanchard\u2019s single to end the second quarter gave Edmonton a 7-0 halftime lead. Defensive lineman Mario Kendricks Jr. got a hand on Blanchard\u2019s 47-yard field goal try and Isaiah Wooden Sr. couldn\u2019t return the ball out of the end zone.<\/p>\n
Brad Hladik\u2019s recovery of Wooden\u2019s fumble on a punt return gave Edmonton possession at Hamilton\u2019s 48-yard line.<\/p>\n
Blanchard\u2019s 26-yard boot at 12:43 earned Edmonton a 6-0 advantage. It followed Malik Carney\u2019s sack \u2014 his third of the first half \u2014 of Frost at the Ticats\u2019 46-yard line on a third-and-five gamble.<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s 13-yard boot at 13:38 of the first opened the scoring.<\/p>\n
At halftime, Hamilton added running back Troy Davis to its Wall of Honour. Davis spent five seasons with the Ticats (2001-2005) and is their all-time leader in carries (1,053), yards (5,296), and 100-yard games (18).<\/p>\n
In 2004, Davis set franchise records for carries (324) and yards (1,628) while scoring 10 touchdowns.<\/p>\n
UP NEXT<\/p>\n
Elks: Host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday, Oct. 16.<\/p>\n
Tiger-Cats: Have a bye week, host the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday, Oct. 24.<\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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