Rankin’s rushing dip coincides with fewer carries

Justin Rankin's rushing struggles this season appear to be tied to his reduced number of carries. In fact, Rankin has cracked the 100-yard rushing mark in four of the five games where he has registered 10 or more carries this season. The only instance where he fell short of the 10-carry threshold was in a 36-24 loss to the B.C. Lions on July 4, where he had just seven attempts for 19 yards.

After that win over Ottawa, Rankin only reached 100 yards rushing once, during Edmonton's 36-34 victory over Saskatchewan on July 23. In the other four games, Rankin struggled to achieve the milestone, logging seven carries three times and eight carries in the other matches. In the most recent game, a 48-30 loss to the Montreal Alouettes, Rankin ran seven times for 62 yards.

Despite these struggles, Rankin is still having a solid season with 651 rushing yards on 101 carries (6.4-yard average) and seven touchdowns. He has also contributed significantly as a receiver with 37 catches for 418 yards and a touchdown. The Edmonton Elks will face the Toronto Argonauts, who have won the last four meetings between these teams, at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday.

The Argos recently defeated Calgary in a close game, but their defense has been solid, forcing the fewest turnovers in the league. Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who have lost three straight games and face a challenging matchup against the Grey Cup champions.