The Elks snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Saturday. Having a 21-8 lead in the fourth quarter, the Elks allowed the Riders to score 21 unanswered points on their way to a 29-21 victory.
Penalties and turnovers factored into the loss.
“When you’re up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter at home and basically penalize yourself and turn the ball over and allow someone to beat you here at home, it’s tough,” said Head Coach Chris Jones after the game.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson performed well in his Elks debut, completing 33 of 42 pass attempts for 336 yards and two touchdowns. His favourite target was fellow former Argos teammate Kurleigh Gittens Jr who caught nine of 12 passes for 62 yards.
On defence, Kai Gray and Darius Bratton each recorded interceptions, while Robert Nkemdiche registered his first CFL sack.
The Elks will have little time to dwell on the loss, as their next game is on Friday, June 14 against the visiting Montreal Alouettes.
