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Author of the article:
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Dan Ralph
Published Sep 13, 2025 • Last updated 8 minutes ago • 3 minute read
elks rankin
Edmonton Elks running back Justin Rankin avoids a tackle by Toronto Argonauts' defensive back Willie Drew (39) during first half CFL football action in Toronto, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Photo by Jon Blacker /The Canadian Press
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TORONTO — Lirim Hajrullahu’s 48-yard field goal on the game’s final play earned the Toronto Argonauts a wild 31-30 win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday afternoon.
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Backup quarterback Jarret Doege engineered the game-winning 40-yard, eight-play drive in place of starter Nick Arbuckle. Doege, a former Elk, marched Toronto to the Edmonton 46-yard line, setting up Hajrullahu’s game-deciding boot.
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Toronto, (5-8) earned a third straight win despite playing catchup throughout most of this contest.
Arbuckle hit Jake Herslow on a 30-yard touchdown strike at 3:17 of the fourth to pull Toronto to within 24-21. But Vincent Blanchard’s 16-yard field goal at 9:18 — set up by Kenneth Logan Jr.’s interception — put Edmonton ahead 27-21.
Defensive lineman Andrew Chatfield Jr. then put Toronto ahead 28-27 with a 10-yard fumble-return TD at 11:35. Derek Parish sacked Edmonton quarterback Cody Fajardo to force the fumble.
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Edmonton (5-8) missed an opportunity to create a three-way tie for third in the West Division, Instead, the Elks stand fifth, two points behind the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-7) and B.C. Lions (6-7).
Edmonton’s defence registered four interceptions in the contest, one more than it had coming in. Arbuckle finished 21-of-31 passing for 261 yards with two TDs and the four picks.
Fajardo completed 25 of 28 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a thrilling end for the BMO Field gathering of 14,742 as Toronto paid tribute to the late John Candy, who in the 1990s co-owned the franchise with Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky. Last week, the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
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Herslow, with two, had Toronto’s other touchdowns while Dave Ungerer III had a two-point convert. Hajrullahu had three field goals and two converts.
Justin Rankin, Kaion Julien-Grant And Cole Snyder had Edmonton’s touchdowns. Blanchard added three converts and three field goals.
Hajrullahu’s 27-yard field goal at 10:43 of the third quarter pulled Toronto to within 21-14. Blanchard’s 30-yard boot to end the quarter made it a 10-point game.
Toronto opened the second half with a four-play, 78-yard march that Arbuckle ended with an 18-yard TD pass to Herslow at 1:57. He found Ungerer for the two-point convert to cut Edmonton’s lead to 14-11.
But on its next possession Edmonton countered with Snyder’s one-yard TD run at 7:54 to go up 21-11.
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Hajrullahu’s 53-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Edmonton’s half-time lead to 14-3. It capped a miserable opening half for Toronto’s offence, which accumulated just 89 net yards, of which 69 came on a 13-play march that ended with Spencer Brown being stopped short on third down at the Elks’ 15-yard line.
Toronto had three first-half turnovers, two coming on short third-down gambles out of shotgun formation. Arbuckle was 11-of-17 passing for 92 yards and an interception while Brown had four carries for minus-2 yards.
Edmonton wasn’t much better offensively, amassing 137 net yards — including just 13 on the ground, which was more than double Toronto’s total (six yards). But Fajardo was a tidy 12-of-14 passing for 146 yards and two TDs while being sacked three times.
Fajardo’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Julien-Grant staked Edmonton to a 14-0 lead at 9:24 of the second.
Rankin opened the scoring with a four-yard TD grab at 11:35. It capped a nine-play, 77-yard march that followed Toronto’s turnover on downs to spoil Janarion Grant’s 55-yard punt return.
UP NEXT
Edmonton: Visits the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-5) on Saturday night.
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