The Ottawa REDBLACKS are in Edmonton tonight for a rematch of the season opener, taking on the 3-1 Elks.
Ottawa dropped a rainy affair on June 6 at TD Place, but RNation will be hoping for a different result in Edmonton tonight.
Running back Justin Rankin proved to be a handful for the REDBLACKS in the first matchup, posting 13 carries for 102 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown. He also added five receptions for 94 yards, including a 63-yard reception. The third-year running back has gotten off to a tremendous start and currently ranks first in the league with 404 rush yards and 7.7 yards per carry.
On the Ottawa side, running back Dan Adeboboye posted 12 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown after he got the start after Greg Bell was a late scratch with a neck injury.
Bell will be back in the lineup for Thursday’s contest and will be looked upon as a key contributor in the Ottawa offence.
Former Elk, Nyles Morgan is making his return to Edmonton and he has gotten off to a fantastic start this season, leading the CFL with 31 tackles and three tackles for loss. Morgan’s current pace of 139.5 tackles looks to threaten the league record of 143, set by hall of famer Solomon Elimimian in 2017.
The REDBLACKS, who are going into their second consecutive game on short rest, will be without a few players who suffered injuries in last week’s meeting with the Riders. Nationals Scott Hutter and Michael Brodrique, alongside Americans Jamie Pettway and Bennett Williams, are all set to miss this contest, while national receiver Keelan White remains out for the second consecutive game.
Former REDBLACK Tyron Vrede, who was just signed by the Elks less than a week ago, draws into the lineup for the home squad.
Scouting the opposition
After starting the season 3-0, the Elks are coming off their first loss of the season, falling 36-24 to the BC Lions in Kelowna. The Lions had success against Edmonton by limiting the running game, holding them to just 24 rushing yards. This will likely be a big focus for Ottawa heading into the game.
With the Elks trailing and trying to get back into the game, both Austin Mack (141) and running back Justin Rankin (100) eclipse the 100-yard mark, while Kaion Julien-Grant scored two touchdowns for the double E.
Veteran quarterback Cody Fajardo leads the Elks again this season and has completed 101 of 149 passes for six touchdowns with four interceptions on the year.
Edmonton has also done a great job of protecting the quarterback, limiting the opposition to just three sacks on the season so far.
The Elks do have a few key injuries for this game, including 2024 Most Outstanding rookie linebacker Nick Anderson and offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey, who the Elks made the highest-paid non-quarterback in the offseason.
In their words
“When the lights are on, we need to find ways to go out there and avoid penalties. We just need to have a little bit of mental focus, we need to be able to go on two and change our cadence on offence. If we’re going on one every time, the defence is going to be able to go out there and pin their ears back.”
Head Coach and General Manager Ryan Dinwiddie on the focus on team discipline leading into this game.
“I think I’m learning more and more about our personnel, what makes certain guys tick, what routes they really like and what their strengths are. We’re starting to find some good chemistry, and I’m starting to feel really good about those guys on the perimeter. They’re making my life easy. We just need to make sure we’re staying in a good rhythm, staying in a flow state, to make sure instead of playing well for 2.5 quarters, we’re playing well for four.
Quarterback Jake Maier on the offensive progress at this point of the season.
“We’re right there, there are a couple of plays we’ve got to be better on. You know, that last third and one we need to pick that one up and give us a new set of downs and give us a chance to win the game.”
Receiver Justin Hardy’s thoughts on the offence through four games.
