Edmonton Elks surrender late 15-point lead in Labour Day Basic loss

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CALGARY — One Alberta group’s playoff hopes could also be going up in smoke on this sequence.

It might even have been the identical smog that hung thick and heavy over McMahon Stadium on Monday, when the Edmonton Elks surrendered a 15-point fourth-quarter result in the Calgary Stampeders on the best way to a 35-31 loss within the Labour Day Basic.

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With each groups heading into the annual back-to-back rivalry with a mixed 5 wins on the season, the Elks had an opportunity to achieve some firm in final place. However as a substitute of drawing right into a three-way tie at 3-9 with Calgary and Ottawa, the Elks dropped to 2-10, whereas Calgary improved to 4-8.

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“It’s as powerful a loss as I’ve ever been concerned in,” mentioned Elks head coach and basic supervisor Chris Jones, who has seen his fair proportion of video games get clawed from the jaws of victory. “It’s type of paying homage to each Sask. video games, the Winnipeg sport. We’ve had a variety of fourth-quarter alternatives to complete video games and we’ve but to determine how to do this.

“However you’ve received to provide all of the credit score on the planet to Calgary, they did what they needed to do. They have been down two touchdowns and ended up coming again and profitable the sport.”

Edmonton ran roughshod over their rivals, chasing down 250 yard on the bottom. However Calgary got here out forward in web offence, 401-389.

It was the tenth time within the final 11 Labour Day Classics that went Calgary’s means.

However this one took some doing, and a fourth-quarter comeback.

Jake Maier accomplished 27 of 34 passes for 315 yards and an interception within the win, whereas his counterpart, Tre Ford, raced up a career-high 168 yards on 11 carries and handed 14 of 23 for 137 yards and a landing to take a seat 2-2 this season because the Elks starter.

“I assumed Calgary did job defensively, I assumed they introduced a variety of strain,” mentioned Ford. “Early on within the sport, I missed a pair throws. Just a little bit inaccurate and it might need price the group the sport.”

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Marken Michel had a 52-yard seize up the center on Calgary’s opening drive to arrange a 15-yard subject aim by Rene Paredes and go forward 3-0 4 minutes in. The Stampeders settled for the red-zone chip shot after one end-zone move to Reggie Begelton was knocked down by Darrius Bratton, and one other to Marceith Ambles was knocked down by Kai Grey.

Calgary then went forward 4-0 on a 65-yard punt single by Cody Grace.

After the Stampeders punted out of their very own finish zone, Ford scampered for a 40-yard achieve right down to the Calgary two yard-line to arrange a one-yard plunge by short-yardage quarterback Taylor Cornelius to take a 7-4 lead into the second quarter.

The three-play, 42-yard scoring drive took 1:34.

Tommylee Lewis returned a 47-yard punt 54 yards the opposite method to arrange the Stampeders in Edmonton territory, resulting in a 24-yard subject aim to tie the rating, 7-7, with 9:17 to play within the half.

Jake Julien’s subsequent punt, a 76-yarder, counted as a single to provide Edmonton the lead again, 8-7.

Elks cornerback Marcus Lewis then put the ball proper again within the fingers of Ford with an interception on a move meant for Stampeders working again Dedrick Mills, organising a 24-yard subject aim by Dean Faithfull to take an 11-7 lead with 3:19 left within the half.

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With 30 seconds left on the clock, Ford pitched out to Kyran Moore, who tossed up the ball to fellow receiver Steven Dunbar Jr. for a 19-yard landing to steer 18-7.

The eight-play drive coated 72 yards and took 1:50.

However Paredes hit from 48 yards out to push Calgary to double digits and path 18-10 after half-hour.

Edmonton answered again with a 39-yard subject aim to open second-half scoring with a 21-10 lead.

Calgary marched down subject solely to run into penalty issues. The primary, when Mills was charged with pointless roughness to maneuver the ball from Edmonton’s six yard-line to the 21. The second, when a holding name in opposition to Brandon Weldon negated a landing, forcing the Stampeders to accept a 32-yard subject aim to path 21-13.

Ford then took issues into his personal fingers, make that ft, zigzagging all around the subject for a 33-yard achieve into Calgary territory. The eight-play, 70-yard drive ended with a five-yard landing reception by Dunbar to shut out the third quarter with a 28-13 lead.

Calgary then transformed on third-and-four from the Edmonton 14 yard-line with a five-yard catch by Markeith Ambles to increase an eight-play, 63-yard drive that ended with Maier speeding for a five-yard landing to path 28-20 with 10 minutes remaining.

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However Faithfull made it a two-score sport as soon as once more with a 46-yard subject aim to take a 31-20 lead with 5:25 left to go.

Cross interference in opposition to Bratton put Calgary on the Edmonton 35 yard-line, earlier than move interference in opposition to security Mark McLaurin arrange the Stampeders on the one yard-line for a QB keeper by Tommy Stevens to cap a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive that took 2:31.

A reception by Luther Hakunananhu for the two-point conversion had Calgary traliing 28-31 within three minutes.

A two-and-out by Edmonton later, Begelton got here up with a 25-yard reception into Edmonton territory, earlier than Ambles adopted up with a 19-yard seize to arrange a four-yard landing run by Mills to provide Calgary the go-ahead by 4 with simply 20 seconds left on the clock.

The Labour Day Rematch goes Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, 630 CHED).

E-mail: [email protected]

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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