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CTV News
11 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Elks face strong Alouettes squad in season home-opener
Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford throws the ball against the B.C. Lions during the first half of a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. It's early in the Canadian Football League season, and the Edmonton Elks have played just one game and already taken a bye week, but another sizable challenge awaits the new-look Commonwealth Stadium inhabitants. The Montreal Alouettes look primed for domination from their perch atop the East Division – again, it's early – given their sterling team statistics through two weeks of the 2025 CFL campaign. They come calling on the Elks Thursday night (7 p.m.) at Commonwealth Stadium, almost two weeks after Edmonton lost their season-opening game to the B.C. Lions. With the pigskin, the 2-0 Als rank: 2nd in average yards rushing (131) behind Winnipeg (201); Tied for 2nd in first downs (44); 3rd in average yards per play (7.27); and 4th in net offence (average 396 yards) behind Winnipeg (438), B.C. (428) and Calgary (400). The Als are seventh in average passing yards (274.5), but the Elks are last in that category (178 yards). Through two games, starting Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander has thrown for 549 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and completing 42 of 58 of his passes (72%) for a 99.0 passer rating. Alouettes vs. Argonauts Montreal Alouettes defensive back Tiawan Mullen (32) tackles Toronto Argonauts wide receiver DaVaris Daniels (80) during first half CFL action in Montreal on Friday, June 6, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) But it's on defence where the Als are dominant through two weeks of the schedule. Without the football, they rank: 1st in offensive points allowed per game (13.5); 1st in net offence against (255.5 yards); 1st in yards per play (5.21); 1st in rushing yards against (37); and 2nd to the Lions is passing yards allowed per game (241.5). The Elks, meanwhile, have just one week of statistics to show for the season so far thanks to its bye last week. And in their lone game so far – a 31-14 Lions' win over them in Week 1 on June 7 – the Elks struggled to find their footing on both sides of the ball, especially as the game went on. Lions vs. Elks Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford (2) is stopped by B.C. Lions' Mathieu Betts (90) and Kemoko Turay (58) during the second half of a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (ETHAN CAIRNS/THE CANADIAN PRESS) B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns in the West Division showdown at Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium, while the Lions' offence feasted on the Elks' defence, collecting 446 yards in net offence – a stat that puts Edmonton last in the nine-team circuit in that category – on 324 yards passing and 124 yards rushing. Offensively, Elks quarterback Tre Ford threw for 178 yards and an interception, and added 54 yards rushing of his team's 87. Both Elks touchdowns came from short-yardage plunges by backup QB Cody Fajardo. By game's end, the Elks put up 248 yards in net offence. One of Elks head coach Mark Killam's primary concerns lies on the defensive side, telling media on Wednesday 'finishing has got to be front and centre' for the unit against the Alouettes given its time spent on the field vs. the Lions two weeks ago. 'We played a good first half, but we were on the field for a long time, some long drives – seven-, eight-, 10-play drives in the second half,' Killam, who's in his first year guiding the Elks, said after the pre-game walk-through at Commonwealth Stadium. 'We've got to get off the field.' Lions vs. Elks Edmonton Elks' Leonard Johnson (32) stops B.C. Lions' Jermaine Jackson (13) during the second half of a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (ETHAN CAIRNS/THE CANADIAN PRESS) With the ball, Elks offensive lineman Mark Korte said establishing the rush early is something players are focused on to try to establish a rhythm. He said the run game wasn't 'staying on schedule on first down' and was therefore unable to 'consistently run the ball well early in the game, so then it gets harder for a play-caller to come back to it.' 'When you run early and it doesn't go well, then throughout the course of the game, it can get difficult,' said the 28-year-old Korte, a seven-year CFL veteran and Spruce Grove native. 'One of our points of emphasis is being able to run the ball well early, be on schedule on first down, getting us into second and manageable situations. 'I think that's big for us.' Lions vs. Elks Edmonton Elks' quarterback Cody Fajardo, top, tries to score a touchdown against the B.C. Lions during the second half of a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (ETHAN CAIRNS/THE CANADIAN PRESS) Full-sized fire truck returns for home-opener They're going large. Large fire truck, that is. The Elks are bringing back the original, full-sized version of the team-hued fire truck that drives on the track around the field after touchdowns. A smaller version of the truck had been used the last few seasons, which Evan Daum, the Elks' vice-president of marketing and fan experience, said had been used since 2019. He said the original one 'has been refurbished, so it's historically accurate in terms of what it looks like, and we've made some mechanical upgrades so it's a little bit easier to drive.' 'We know how much the fans enjoy it,' Daum told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday. 'We're looking forward to coming out and having some firefighters on there doing their thing.' Also on tap for Thursday's opener are pyrotechnics, including in places around the stadium they haven't before been used, an in-house band, more Kids Zone features and an enhanced tailgating experience that includes upgrades to the beer garden, better seating and more signage, Daum said. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Dave Mitchell
CTV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Elks look for first home-opening win in four years as Alouettes roll into Edmonton
Edmonton Elks' Justin Rankin (5) is tackled by B.C. Lions' Deontai Williams (9) during the first half of a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once said: 'don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.' A catchy sound bite that's easier said than done, but that's what the Edmonton Elks are hoping to achieve this week in preparation for their CFL home opener Thursday against the Montreal Alouettes. The Elks are eager to erase the memories of their horrendous starts the last three seasons (0-5, 0-8, 0-7) and looking to rebound from their season-opening 31-14 road loss to the B.C. Lions. Winning their home opener for the first time in four seasons is the No. 1 priority, said centre David Beard. 'We're trying to block out all the rest of the noise,' he said after another upbeat practice. 'We, as players, have to reduce it down to simply winning the next game. 'As much as we understand and recognize the importance of winning, and we want to get off to a hot start, we have to reduce it down to just winning the next football game. So we're trying to block out the extra noise, the pressure and just trying to do our job the best we can.' The Elks started well in B.C., but a second-half collapse sent them back into the film and meeting rooms to make substantial changes. 'In all three phases there are things we needed to clean up,' said head coach Mark Kilam. 'Offensively we have to stay on the field, we have to sustain some drives, we've got to be more productive on first downs. Game 1 shows you what you need to get better at.' One of those things is to reduce costly penalties, an issue that has plagued the team for several seasons. 'We didn't have a ton of penalties, we had operational penalties that are killing our momentum on offence,' said Kilam. 'Those are all preventable penalties, stuff we need to cut out.' The Elks have had 12 days to make whatever changes they deemed necessary, the one advantage of having a bye week after just one game played. 'We had the bye week, a chance to reset,' said running back Justin Rankin, held to just 24 yards in seven carries against the Lions. 'I think everybody's coming back hungry. We want to put on a show for the fans so we're excited to get out there and get after it.' Rankin said there have been a lot of changes made in preparation for Thursday's game and one of the keys is getting the running game back to what it was last season when the team led the league in rushing yards. 'It's super important,' he said. 'We're a physical team, that's kind of our motto, what we want to be. That starts with the running game. We'll get that together. One week doesn't define who we are.' Success for the running game starts with the offensive line and its ability to open holes, something they weren't overly successful at against the Lions. 'We were not happy with that result,' said Beard. 'First and foremost, for our group, we want to make the run game better. I feel like we've identified a lot of issues. 'We've corrected them in the meeting room, we've brought them onto the field, made the corrections. Now it's a matter of making sure we execute on game day.' On the injury front, two of the three players hurt in the season opener — offensive lineman Brett Boyko (hamstring) and wide receiver Arkell Smith (head) — are questionable for Thursday. Left tackle Martez Ivey (hamstring) is ready to play. The Alouettes enter the game at 2-0, including a 39-18 road win at Ottawa last week. They won both their meetings with Edmonton in 2024, including a 23-20 win at Commonwealth Stadium in Week 2. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025. John Korobanik, The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Snead helps Montreal Alouettes to 2-0 start
Tyler Snead is making the most of his opportunities early this season with the Montreal Alouettes. The third-year receiver has seven catches for 151 yards in two games. His 21.6-yard average is even more impressive considering Snead has been targeted just eight times compared to 16 for Canadian Tyson Philpot (nine catches, 90 yards and a touchdown) and 14 for Austin Mack (10 receptions, 154 yards). Snead was targeted five times in Montreal's 39-18 win over the Ottawa Redblacks last week, recording four catches for 117 yards. Mack had nine targets (five catches, 103 yards), one more than Philpot (five receptions, 42 yards). 'The coolest thing about playing in this offence, it can be anyone's week on any given gameday,' Snead said. 'We've got many plays we gameplan for based on what the coaches see and like, we have coverages we prepare for early that end up working out in our favour with some big plays. 'Later we get different looks that get people open. It just happened to be a big first half for me (versus Ottawa) but next week it could be a big first half for anybody.' Snead's start is a positive sign given he was slowed by a foot injury last season. After posting 56 catches for 788 yards and five TDs in 15 games as a rookie in 2023, the five-foot-seven, 172-pound Raleigh, N.C., native had 24 receptions for 253 yards in seven contests last year. 'That was like my first major injury, the first time I had to miss games and it was definitely tough,' Snead said. 'But they (Als medical staff) did a great job with rehab and treatment so coming back for the last six games (in '24) and this year, I haven't even noticed it.' Montreal (2-0) visits the Edmonton Elks (0-1) on Thursday night. Its start comes with the remaining three East Division teams all 0-2. 'Tyler has shown tremendous resiliency coming back from an unfortunate injury in his 2024 campaign,' said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Snead's Florida-based representative. 'I fully expected him to tackle his rehab head-on and as a result he's off to a fast start this season. 'Tyler is a humble, hard-working and determined individual and it's my expectation he'll continue to be a dominant force in this league.' Montreal hasn't skipped a beat with Davis Alexander in his first full season as the starting quarterback. Alexander won all four of last year's starts and is 6-0 overall. 'He's just a winner,' Snead said. 'Every time he steps on to the field he gets into that different mindset and plays to win. 'If you see your quarterback is confident, making plays, getting fired up and showing everyone he can do it, it's like that snowball effect where everybody wants to play good ball and then feels like everybody is.' But a stout Montreal defence — anchored by veteran linebackers Tyrice Beverette and Darnell Sankey — has more than done its part, allowing just 27 offensive points while forcing seven turnovers. 'We've got the league's best defence and that makes us better going against the best every day and competing,' Snead said. 'They're going to get turnovers, they're going to rally to the ball and hit you. 'I feel like we see a lot of two-and-outs and so it's the offence right back up, which gives us more confidence.' Snead's first CFL campaign was a memorable one, capping it with a '23 Grey Cup victory. Last year, Montreal posted a CFL-best 12-5-1 record before losing a 30-28 East Division final decision to the Toronto Argonauts, who ultimately won the Grey Cup. Snead said that memory fuelled his and many of his teammates' off-season workouts. 'The goal is the same every year, win a Grey Cup,' he said. 'But it (loss) definitely left a bitter taste in our mouth. 'I know that was on the mind of many guys. We put in a lot of hard work in during the off-season and now we're just trying to show it all during the regular season.' Snead, 25, admits sometimes having difficulty believing he's playing football professionally. 'It feels weird calling it a job because I have so much fun doing it,' he said. 'This is what I've loved doing since I was five years old. 'I'm grateful I get to play a game for a living but I love going out and competing with my teammates and sharing a win or learning lessons from a loss. I know one day it's going to end and it won't be here forever so I just try to enjoy everything about it while I can.'
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Snead, Montreal Alouettes both enjoying solid starts to 2025 CFL regular season
Tyler Snead is making the most of his opportunities early this season with the Montreal Alouettes. The third-year receiver has seven catches for 151 yards in two games. His 21.6-yard average is even more impressive considering Snead has been targeted just eight times compared to 16 for Canadian Tyson Philpot (nine catches, 90 yards and a touchdown) and 14 for Austin Mack (10 receptions, 154 yards). Snead was targeted five times in Montreal's 39-18 win over the Ottawa Redblacks last week, recording four catches for 117 yards. Mack had nine targets (five catches, 103 yards), one more than Philpot (five receptions, 42 yards). 'The coolest thing about playing in this offence, it can be anyone's week on any given gameday,' Snead said. 'We've got many plays we gameplan for based on what the coaches see and like, we have coverages we prepare for early that end up working out in our favour with some big plays. 'Later we get different looks that get people open. It just happened to be a big first half for me (versus Ottawa) but next week it could be a big first half for anybody.' Snead's start is a positive sign given he was slowed by a foot injury last season. After posting 56 catches for 788 yards and five TDs in 15 games as a rookie in 2023, the five-foot-seven, 172-pound Raleigh, N.C., native had 24 receptions for 253 yards in seven contests last year. 'That was like my first major injury, the first time I had to miss games and it was definitely tough,' Snead said. 'But they (Als medical staff) did a great job with rehab and treatment so coming back for the last six games (in '24) and this year, I haven't even noticed it.' Montreal (2-0) visits the Edmonton Elks (0-1) on Thursday night. Its start comes with the remaining three East Division teams all 0-2. 'Tyler has shown tremendous resiliency coming back from an unfortunate injury in his 2024 campaign,' said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Snead's Florida-based representative. 'I fully expected him to tackle his rehab head-on and as a result he's off to a fast start this season. 'Tyler is a humble, hard-working and determined individual and it's my expectation he'll continue to be a dominant force in this league.' Montreal hasn't skipped a beat with Davis Alexander in his first full season as the starter. Alexander won all four of last year's starts and is 6-0 overall. 'He's just a winner,' Snead said. 'Every time he steps on to the field he gets into that different mindset and plays to win. 'If you see your quarterback is confident, making plays, getting fired up and showing everyone he can do it, it's like that snowball effect where everybody wants to play good ball and then feels like everybody is.' But a stout Montreal defence — anchored by veteran linebackers Tyrice Beverette and Darnell Sankey — has more than done its part, allowing just 27 offensive points while forcing seven turnovers. 'We've got the league's best defence and that makes us better going against the best every day and competing,' Snead said. 'They're going to get turnovers, they're going to rally to the ball and hit you. 'I feel like we see a lot of two-and-outs and so it's the offence right back up, which gives us more confidence.' Snead's first CFL campaign was a memorable one, capping it with a '23 Grey Cup victory. Last year, Montreal posted a CFL-best 12-5-1 record before losing a 30-28 East Division final decision to the Toronto Argonauts, who ultimately won the Grey Cup. Snead said that memory fuelled his and many of his teammates' off-season workouts. 'The goal is the same every year, win a Grey Cup,' he said. 'But it (loss) definitely left a bitter taste in our mouth. 'I know that was on the mind of many guys. We put in a lot of hard work in during the off-season and now we're just trying to show it all during the regular season.' Snead, 25, admits sometimes having difficulty believing he's playing football professionally. 'It feels weird calling it a job because I have so much fun doing it,' he said. 'This is what I've loved doing since I was five years old. 'I'm grateful I get to play a game for a living but I love going out and competing with my teammates and sharing a win or learning lessons from a loss. I know one day it's going to end and it won't be here forever so I just try to enjoy everything about it while I can.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Snead, Montreal Alouettes both enjoying solid starts to 2025 CFL regular season
Tyler Snead is making the most of his opportunities early this season with the Montreal Alouettes. The third-year receiver has seven catches for 151 yards in two games. His 21.6-yard average is even more impressive considering Snead has been targeted just eight times compared to 16 for Canadian Tyson Philpot (nine catches, 90 yards and a touchdown) and 14 for Austin Mack (10 receptions, 154 yards).
