The Edmonton Elks will attempt to avoid becoming part of dubious history when they host the BC Lions on Saturday night.
The Elks have dropped 20 consecutive home games to match baseball’s St. Louis Browns (1953) for the worst all-time home futility among the major professional leagues in North America.
Edmonton (0-7) hasn’t won at home since beating the Lions 19-6 on Oct. 12, 2019. The Elks have also dropped 11 straight overall games dating back to last season.
BC blanked Edmonton 22-0 earlier this season in Vancouver and held a 431-151 edge in yardage. Lions coach Rich Campbell said his club will not take Edmonton lightly in the rematch.
“I fully understand that line of thinking,” Campbell said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a tough sell job on our players to say that they know that it’s going to be a tough game.”
The Lions (5-1) have their own challenges after losing quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to a knee injury during the first quarter of a 19-9 victory over the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders last Saturday.
Dane Evans replaced Adams and completed 16 of 25 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
On Tuesday, Campbell named Evans the starter against the Elks.
“This is what I live for,” Evans said. “I love this game. When you actually get to play, you just become a little kid in the backyard again.”
Evans started 14 of 17 games played last season for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and passed for 3,883 yards, 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Meanwhile, Edmonton ranks last in the nine-team CFL in scoring (15.0) and total offense (300.4 yards per game) as it again attempts to solve the league’s top defense.
The Lions lead the CFL in points allowed (15.7 ppg), total defense (259.7 ypg) and passing defense (218.7 ypg). BC has given up just five offensive touchdowns and seven overall, also league-best stats.
“That’s a good defense,” Elks coach Chris Jones said. “… They are a very active and very disruptive. The thing I’m most impressed by is the way they pursue the football.”
Edmonton is coming off a 28-14 road loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 20. Taylor Cornelius passed for 220 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Elks.
Cornelius has the lowest efficiency rate (71.5) and completion percentage (59.4) of qualifying quarterbacks. He has thrown for 1,063 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Edmonton wideouts Emmanuel Arceneaux (knee) and Ed Gainey (chest) will miss Saturday’s game. The Lions will be without receiver Dominique Rhymes (knee), who has a league-best five touchdown receptions.
–Field Level Media