Week 9 matchups and notable performances

By Liam Tremblay — 30 July 2026 — 5 min read

Week 9 matchups and notable performances

As Week 9 of the CFL season approaches, several teams are preparing for significant matchups, including rematches that have garnered attention. The week’s schedule features games such as BC against Winnipeg, Montreal facing Ottawa, Calgary playing Hamilton, and Saskatchewan once again meeting Edmonton.

One of the most anticipated games is the rematch between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Edmonton Elks. The previous encounter between these two teams in Week 8 saw a combined total of 70 points, 896 passing yards, and 974 total yards, along with eight touchdowns and eight lead changes.

Several individual players have delivered notable performances. Tyreik McAllister achieved a unique feat by scoring a touchdown in three different ways in the same game, all within the same half. His scores included a 17-yard rushing major, a 56-yard receiving touchdown, and a 118-yard return touchdown. He concluded that game with 318 combined yards and has seven career touchdowns.

Cody Fajardo recorded a career-high and league-wide season-high 510 passing yards, completing 78.1 percent of his attempts. He also threw four passing touchdowns, a career best, and achieved a perfect passer rating of 158.3. This performance marked the 35th instance of a player passing for 500 or more yards and was the first since Ricky Ray in 2017. Fajardo is also the fourth player to achieve 500+ passing yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in a single game.

Team statistics and player milestones

Across the league, several teams and players are reaching significant milestones or demonstrating strong statistical performances. Winnipeg leads the league with 15 sacks, while BC has allowed the most with 16. Montreal leads the league in net offence per game with 443 yards, whereas Ottawa allows the second-most at 426.2 yards per game.

Defensively, BC holds opponents to 366.5 yards per game and allows a league-low 54.8 rushing yards per game. Hamilton has the second-best net defence, allowing 369.7 yards per game, and permits the fewest passing yards at 283.1. Defences league-wide have seen an increase in sacks, averaging 1.3 more sacks per game over the past three weeks, rising from 3.2 to 4.5.

Individual player achievements include Trevor Harris, who is 288 passing yards shy of becoming the 12th player in CFL history to reach 40,000 career passing yards. Mathieu Betts is one sack away from becoming the ninth Canadian player to reach 50 career sacks, and his next tackle will be his 150th. Brady Oliveira recorded his 23rd career 100-rushing yard performance, placing him second all-time among Canadians behind Andrew Harris. He also became the fifth Canadian to reach the 6,000-rushing-yard milestone, moving to third on the Bombers‘ all-time list with 6,031 yards.

Rookie Zy Alexander of the Calgary Stampeders leads the league with four interceptions in five games. Another rookie, T.J. Luther, recorded his first game with over 100 receiving yards, tallying 157 yards. Major Williams is tied for the league lead with seven pass knockdowns, alongside 32 defensive tackles and one interception. Willie Jefferson has four sacks in his last three games, with at least one in each, and is tied for the league lead with five sacks.

Insights into upcoming games

The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Elks rematch is a focal point for Week 9. The previous game between these teams was decided by a 57-yard walk-off field goal. The Roughriders‘ practice schedule and game preparation were altered in the week leading up to their last game against Edmonton. Marcus Sayles, a defensive back, commented that many mistakes in their previous game stemmed from communication breakdowns and a lack of focus. Rolan Milligan Jr., a defensive leader, addressed the defence after that game, leading to a renewed focus on defensive improvements in media availabilities this week.

Edmonton has been strong in close games, with a 5-0 record in games decided in the final three minutes. The Elks have not won the season series against Saskatchewan since 2016. Edmonton last started 4-0 at home in 2019. Last season, at this point, the Elks had a record of 1-6.

Other players to watch include Travis Theis, who has recorded over 100 rushing yards in each of his past two games, including a career-best 156 yards last week, and has scored a touchdown in each of his past five games. Tyson Philpot is 161 yards away from achieving his first 1,000-yard receiving campaign. Brett Lauther has been perfect on field goal attempts, going 20-for-20, including 6-for-6 from 40+ yards. Austin Mack had a career-high 173 receiving yards in his last game, with touchdowns of 57 and 81 yards.

The Calgary Stampeders swept their 2025 season series against Hamilton with a 2-0 record. Vernon Adams Jr. has a record of 7-4 against Hamilton and has thrown at least three touchdowns in each of his past five games. Jalen Philpot has 10 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns in his past two games, putting him on pace for 1,376 yards. Ben Labrosse recently became the third player since 1994 to record three interceptions, joining Stavros Katsantonis (2025) and Greg Knox (1994). Isaiah Wooden had 212 combined yards in his last game, including a 100-yard punt return touchdown.

Kiondré Smith is 70 receiving yards away from 3,500, while Kurleigh Gittens Jr. needs 30 yards to reach 4,000. Alexandre Gagné is tied for second on Montreal‘s all-time list for special teams tackles with Darryl Townsend, and is one tackle shy of tying Chip Cox for first. Demerio Houston has 194 career defensive tackles.

Kaidon Salters is set to make his first CFL start. During his collegiate years at Liberty, CFHOF member Kent Austin served as his offensive coordinator. Dru Brown has a career record of 1-2 against BC. Jake Maier holds a career record of 1-4-1 against Montreal, and in his last game, he recorded 344 passing yards with a 75 percent completion rate. Davis Alexander has a career record of 5-0 against Ottawa.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have the second-best red zone percentage, scoring a touchdown on 76 percent of their trips, and the second-best red zone defence, allowing a major on 47.8 percent of opportunities.

Source: cfl.ca