Vincent Blanchard kicked nine field goals, a CFL single-game record, as the Edmonton Elks beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 37-35 in overtime Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium. Edmonton (11-4) leads the West Division going into its bye week.
The teams were tied 29-29 after four quarters, with Blanchard's 27-yard field goal coming with two seconds left in the fourth. Edmonton finished with 452 yards of net offence and settled for field goals in the red zone, a point raised by head coach Mark Kilam, quarterback Cody Fajardo and defensive back Kenny Logan Jr. afterward.
Kilam: 'It Was Like a Playoff-Type Atmosphere'
Head coach Mark Kilam said the game gave his players experience they had not had this season.
"It took a lot of grit, took a lot of guts, up and down, lots of things to improve on, but guys found a way. Vin was tremendous. It was like a playoff-type atmosphere in the game, banking that experience and what that felt like for the players, and then the overtime, first-time experience, I think that's something that we'll carry forward with us for the back end of the season here," Kilam said.
Asked about the two-point convert shootout specifically, Kilam said the format is worth having in the bank now. "You never know when you're gonna get those experiences, and now we've got them. So if we do come across that again, obviously we'll have that banked," he said.
On the red zone, Kilam pushed back on the idea that the problem is nerves. "The 4 games before last week, we were pretty good again down there. It's about execution. We're going to continue to work on it, we'll continue to study it, and we've just got to make sure that we're executing down there," he said.
Fajardo Points to Red Zone Inefficiency
Fajardo went 32-of-47 for 298 yards with one interception and ran for a one-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
"We almost had another 500 yards of offense. That's almost 1,000 yards offense in 2 games. It's just a couple of red zone inefficiencies, kicking field goals, and then the game gets closer than what it should be," Fajardo said.
He credited a more balanced attack. "They do a lot of different things on defense coverage-wise, so it's really hard to get one-dimensional against them. They bring a lot of edge pressure, a lot of pressure in general. So we got our run game going, which helped our pass game. Our play action was really good tonight," Fajardo said.
On Blanchard's nine field goals, Fajardo said the kicker has the locker room's backing. "He's been Mr. Reliable all year for us. Just the right dude in the right locker room. We got all the confidence every time. It doesn't matter how far the field goal is," Fajardo said. "Everybody loves each other in that room. And you see it in games like this when it's close and things aren't going our way. We put our defense in a bad spot. They bail us out. We go down the field, we kick a game-tying field goal."
Fajardo, who threw the winning two-point convert to Joshua Cephus, called it his first experience with the format. "That was the first time I was a part of that, and boy, that's pretty fun. It's pretty electric. I'm just so thankful that these games can't finish in a tie anymore. That's a big change, which I'm really happy about," he said.
On the red zone breakdowns, Fajardo said the film will show a mix of small mistakes. "I know we had a couple busts. We just lined up the wrong or ran the wrong route, or I missed a throw. Just a couple things that we just got to clean up," he said. "A lot of guys banged up, myself included, just kind of getting through this one. We're going to take this week off and then come back ready for that final stretch."
Logan Jr. on Edmonton's Overtime Defence
Edmonton's defence denied Hamilton a touchdown on a first-and-goal on the Tiger-Cats' second overtime possession, and Harrison Frost's two-point attempt failed before Fajardo converted. Logan Jr., asked about a defensive play late in the game, said the defence leans on a rule about resetting after a big play.
"I knew I had to be ready for the moment when it came. I drove on my keys and made a play when I could," Logan Jr. said.
He described the defence's night as part of the position. "Playing defense is punches and counter punches, so we got to be able to respond. I know we're going to get punched, I know it's going to happen some games, but the team and how we execute and how we respond is everything. We got to be resilient, and that's what everybody preaches on this team," Logan Jr. said.
Asked about the shootout format, Logan Jr. said the defence prepares for it. "It's pretty cool though. But as a defense, we live for big moments like that. We practice it every day, 2-minute, 2-point plays. So we just had to be ready for the moment. We depended on our offense. Those guys helped us. And then the guys up front were able to let the DBs go back and do their thing," he said.
Logan Jr. also pointed to the home crowd. "We call it the Concrete Castle of the North. So we gotta keep it that way. The fans help us out as that extra defender when we're out there," he said. "It doesn't matter if we're up by 50 or we're down by 50. I'm gonna try to get the crowd going because that's the extra defender. Just hearing them and seeing them excited is everything that we dreamed of."
Watch the Full Videos
Edmonton Elks: POST GAME | HC Mark Kilam | 09.26.26
Edmonton Elks: POST GAME | DB Kenny Logan Jr. | 09.26.26
Edmonton Elks: POST GAME | QB Cody Fajardo | 09.26.26