Julien-Grant Fajardo leads Elks comeback, securing a 23-22 win against Alouettes in Montreal
Edmonton Elks Secure First Road Win of Season in Thrilling 23-22 Victory Over Montreal Alouettes
In a nail-biting encounter on August 8, 2025, the Edmonton Elks clinched their first road victory of the season, edging past the Montreal Alouettes by a margin of just one point. The Elks, who had previously lost three games in a row, managed to secure a hard-fought 23-22 victory, thanks to a strong performance from quarterback Cody Fajardo.
Fajardo, who returned to face his former team after being traded away last December, put in a stellar display, completing 27 of 38 passes for 289 yards and throwing two touchdown passes. The game-winning touchdown came with just 15 seconds remaining, a 15-yard pass to Kaion Julien-Grant, who dragged a defender into the end zone.
The Elks overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Julien-Grant, who spent five seasons with the Alouettes before signing as a free agent with the Elks in February, accounted for both of Edmonton's touchdowns in the game.
Montreal, who entered the match with a 5-4 record, struggled to generate points after getting the ball back to open the second quarter. The Alouettes' only offensive touchdown came courtesy of a 19-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Evans to Cole Spieker.
Fajardo faced intense defensive pressure throughout the game, being sacked five times. However, he showed his resilience by leading the Elks on a late game-winning drive under such pressure.
The Alouettes' first touchdown of the game came from Travis Theis, who returned a punt 80 yards. Montreal also scored a 34-yard field goal to take a 3-1 lead, courtesy of Jose Maltos Diaz. However, the Elks responded with a one-yard touchdown pass from Fajardo to Julien-Grant to cut their deficit to two.
The Alouettes lost their top running back, Sean Thomas-Erlington, due to an apparent upper-body injury in the third quarter. In the second half, Caleb Evans replaced McLeod Bethel- Thompson as the third-string quarterback for the Alouettes.
This marked Fajardo's first start back against Montreal since his outstanding 2023 Grey Cup MVP campaign while with the Alouettes, making the victory personally significant for him. This was Julien-Grant's first game back in Montreal since signing as a free agent with the Elks in February.
With this victory, the Edmonton Elks have managed to break their four-game losing streak and secure their first road win of the season. On the other hand, the Montreal Alouettes have lost to Edmonton for the first time since October 2022.
[1] Edmonton Sun [2] Montreal Gazette [5] TSN
Cody Fajardo, in an impressive display, led the Edmonton Elks to a thrilling 23-22 win over the Montreal Alouettes, securing their first road victory of the season. The Elks' football team overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, with Kaion Julien-Grant scoring both of Edmonton's touchdowns in the game, including the game-winning touchdown with just 15 seconds remaining.
