The Saskatchewan Roughriders secured their first Canadian Football League playoff berth since 2021 with a 28–24 victory over the Edmonton Elks on October 5, 2024. A late forced fumble stopped Edmonton’s final comeback attempt at Commonwealth Stadium.
Saskatchewan moved to 8–7–1
The win guaranteed the Roughriders a place in the West Division post-season with two regular-season games remaining. It continued a recovery under first-year head coach Corey Mace after the club had missed the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023.
Edmonton fell to 5–11 and was eliminated. Its 0–7 start proved too large to overcome despite a much stronger second half of the season.
Trevor Harris produced explosive passes
Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris completed a 358-yard night with two touchdown passes. Samuel Emilus caught four passes for 126 yards, including an 88-yard score, and KeeSean Johnson caught the other touchdown.
Backup quarterback Shea Patterson added a rushing touchdown. The production gave Saskatchewan enough margin despite two Harris interceptions and periods when the offence could not close out the game.
Edmonton kept pressure on the defence
McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 33 of 41 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Javon Leake also scored on a short third-down play as the Elks stayed within one possession.
The statistics showed why the final minutes remained uncertain. Edmonton moved the ball effectively, but turnovers and earlier mistakes prevented drives from becoming enough points.
The decisive play came with 1:41 left
With Edmonton trailing by four and driving for a possible winning touchdown, Saskatchewan defensive back Amari Henderson forced receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. to fumble. The Roughriders recovered and ran out the remaining opportunity.
A single turnover decided the final possession, but it should not erase the preceding 58 minutes. The lead existed because of Saskatchewan’s explosive scores, defensive takeaways and Edmonton’s inability to turn yardage into a lead.
Rolan Milligan Jr. added another interception
Milligan recorded his league-leading eighth interception of the season. His ability to create turnovers had become a defining part of Saskatchewan’s defence and a major reason the club could survive uneven offensive stretches.
Interception totals still depend on pressure, coverage and opportunity across the unit. A defensive back’s number is individual recognition built through team structure.
The result ended Edmonton’s playoff pursuit
The Elks had not reached the post-season since 2019. Their midseason improvement made qualification plausible, but losses accumulated during the winless opening left almost no room for error.
Elimination did not mean the final games were meaningless. Coaches could evaluate players, affect division seeding and establish standards for the next season, while the organization assessed why another year began too slowly.
Clinching was a milestone, not the finish
Saskatchewan celebrated returning to the playoffs, but the club still had to improve ball security and fourth-quarter execution. A berth creates an opportunity; it does not guarantee a home game or championship run.
The 28–24 score captured a tense contest in which both quarterbacks surpassed 350 passing yards. The lasting play was Henderson’s forced fumble, because it converted Saskatchewan’s narrow lead into the result that formally returned the Roughriders to postseason football.
