Global News Edmonton has reported:

The Edmonton Elks scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27-12 on Friday night, clinching a home playoff game. Zach Mathis, quarterback Cody Fajardo and ShunDerrick Powell scored for Edmonton, which improved to 12-4. Hamilton fell to 5-12 and was eliminated from playoff contention.

Mathis, a second-year receiver, delivered the key play at 10:43 of the fourth quarter, returning an interception 48 yards for a touchdown. He picked off a surprising pass attempt by Hamilton punter Nik Constantinou intended for Tyler Ternowski. The score helped Edmonton secure its second straight win over Hamilton and its first two-game series sweep against the Ticats since 2017.

Hamilton cut the lead to 21-12 at 11:22 when Isaiah Wooden returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. Harrison Frost’s pass to Kiondre Smith for a two-point convert was incomplete. The Ticats opted to try for two, though a successful one-point convert would have made it a one-score game. Powell completed the scoring at 14:36 with a five-yard touchdown run after Hamilton turned the ball over on downs at its own 26-yard line.

Fajardo scored on a one-yard run at 4:47 of the fourth quarter to put Edmonton ahead 14-3. Marc Liegghio answered with a 37-yard field goal at 6:56, making it 14-6. Liegghio also kicked an 18-yard field goal at 11:58 of the second quarter, finishing a 13-play, 94-yard drive that brought Hamilton within 7-3 after the Ticats had gained only 49 net offensive yards to that point.

Edmonton led 7-0 at halftime after Vincent Blanchard kicked a single to end the second quarter. Defensive lineman Mario Kendricks Jr. got a hand on Blanchard’s 47-yard field-goal attempt, and Wooden could not return the ball out of the end zone. Earlier, Brad Hladik recovered Wooden’s fumble on a punt return to give Edmonton the ball at Hamilton’s 48-yard line. Blanchard’s 26-yard field goal at 12:43 followed Malik Carney’s sack of Frost on a third-and-five gamble at the Ticats’ 46. It was Carney’s third sack of the first half.

Edmonton opened the scoring with Blanchard’s 13-yard field goal at 13:38 of the first quarter. The offences struggled to sustain drives: the teams combined for 18 punts, including 10 by Edmonton. In the first half alone, they recorded 12 punts, six apiece, while Edmonton had 193 net offensive yards to Hamilton’s 45. At halftime, Frost was five-of-11 for 30 passing yards, while Fajardo was 11-of-17 for 159 yards.

Fajardo finished 16-of-25 for 229 yards. Frost ended the game 21-of-36 for 221 yards. Blanchard made two field goals, a single and two converts; Liegghio kicked two field goals.

At halftime, Hamilton added running back Troy Davis to its Wall of Honour. Davis played five seasons with the Ticats, from 2001 to 2005, and remains the team’s all-time leader in carries, with 1,053; rushing yards, with 5,296; and 100-yard games, with 18. He set franchise records in 2004 with 324 carries and 1,628 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns that season.

Edmonton is set to host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday, Oct. 16. Hamilton has a bye week. The Canadian Press first published this report on Oct. 9, 2026.