There were fireworks to close out the Labour Day weekend as the Edmonton Elks picked up a much-needed 35-20 win against the Calgary Stampeders on Monday night.

Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson was the star of the game with 486 passing yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers. Receiver Tevin Jones caught all five of his targets for 208 yards and two scores, including an 81-yard touchdown. The offense gained 588 yards while the defense forced five turnovers.

There were fireworks to close out the Labour Day weekend as the Edmonton Elks picked up a much-needed 35-20 win against the Calgary Stampeders on Monday night.

Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson was the star of the game with 486 passing yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers. Receiver Tevin Jones caught all five of his targets for 208 yards and two scores, including an 81-yard touchdown. The offense gained 588 yards while the defense forced five turnovers.

After losing his job as the starting quarterback, Bethel-Thompson stepped back in following the Ford injury and has performed well since then. He had his best game of the season on Monday, with almost 500 passing yards. The man he faced, Maier, struggled mightily with four interceptions. Maier will have a short week to bounce back while Bethel-Thompson waits to see if Ford gets the start after being his backup on Monday.

The defense in Edmonton has not been a shining spot for the team, but Monday’s performance was memorable from the secondary. Loucheiz Purifoy and Devodric Bynum each had two interceptions in the win. Edmonton had 11 interceptions going into the game. Creating five turnovers and shutting down one of the best passing offenses in the league is a big testament to the defense’s improvement over the last month.

A ton of credit must be given to interim head coach Jarious Jackson, who has been 4-3 since taking over as the head man in Edmonton. The Elks are one win away from removing themselves from last place in the West Division, as they need to beat Calgary again on Saturday to accomplish that. With the lack of a dominant team in the West, Edmonton could sneak into the playoffs and still has an outside shot of winning the division. The Elks are a dangerous team regardless.