Strat-O-Matic Pro Football Solo Systems

 

SOM PRO FOOTBALL LINKS

Strat-O-Matic Pro Football Solo Systems

By no means comprehensive, but I’ll try! Send along any comments or new systems. It struck me that every year they’re a scramble to find these, me included. 

Solo Cards System (Courtesy Rodney Miller)

FB_Solitaire_Cards_5x7_2016.pdf

This system has a series of cards based on offensive scenarios. 

Glenn Guzzo Strat Fan Solo System (Posted with Permission from Glenn Guzzo, all of his rights reserved) 

This is an excellent system, and the original scans from Strat Fan. Note the correction pages with some clarifications and corrections. 

Glenn-Guzzo-Solo-System.zip

Mike Kane’s F9 Random System (Courtesy Mike Kane)

This is kind of a fun automated system, made better by the fact he automated dice rolling. Has an elementary system too.  Files are old excel 2003 and modern. 

Mike-Kane-s-Solitaire-Calls.zip

NFL Ed’s Solo System System (Courtesy Ed Berro)

NFLedStratFootballSolitaireCardsDice.xlsx

This system is very well thought out, and I like it so much I adapted it to Canadian 12 man play and renamed it “CFLed”. 

Unknown Author Solo System

Scribd-Unknown.pdf

This system is pretty simple to use and will distribute the ball nicely. Dave who runs the SOM Forum 2 found it and posted it. 

The SOM Football Utility

The-Football-Utility.zip

The utility operates the Advanced Game rather nicely, in this file are the two patches it needs. You can set up the utility to play Pro Football rather easily- I usually use three top runners regardless of position with a receiver in the fourth spot, usually to replace a runner who can’t catch. I’ll allow the opponent to swap cornerbacks to my best receiver while I can’t do that, and I’ll only allow my keys to work if there’s a lb in zone, which does not apply to the pc opponent. There’s no safety blitzing - that’s super advanced, no lb double teams, just you and your free safety and hope. It’s plenty tough. 

Only problem is- it doesn’t run on modern computers. You have to enable a 32 bit environment on your 64 bit machine, or find an old 32 bit win XP machine to run it. 

Using Virtual Box to enable a 32 bit environment:

Download an iso (installation disk type file) of the target 32 bit operating system ie win32 version of windows XP service pack 2 c86

https://archive.org/details/WinXPProSP3x86

And write down the serial number

X86 means 32 bit; the Utility will not work in 64 bit environments 

Download Oracle VirtualBox 

Download the Virtual Box Extensibility Pack 

Install Virtual Box

Pick a valid name, suggest my-server

Select where the iso file is for WinXP 32 bit

Select the sizing 

Ram 500k-2MB

Servers - 2

Partition size - 20 GB 

Add in your user name and a valid pass word if all are green advance and crest the partition with the operating system. 

You can use the Utility files. You need them all including the dlls in one folder preferably on a usb drive.  
 

Download VirtualBox from oracle for your win64 operating system for your system - it’s free. 
 

wait until you fire up the environment to download the extension pack. You will need it. 
 

Now also download the ISO image for win xp here: 

https://archive.org/details/WinXPProSP3x86

Save the serial number that’s on here since the install will ask for it.

 

The x86 iso (which is the install cd image for the operating system) is the 32 bit version, This bears repeating 32 bit only. 32 bit Xp was still compatible with some dos based and 16 bit programs. (You could also mount WIN 98 or ME). 
 

This all sounds intimidating but it’s not. It takes just a few minutes to set up a partition on your system but the key is the parameters and here’s where I can create some value for once. You only need at most 20 Gig on your modern hard drive for an xp install with most programs unless you plan to go nuts. I was able to put civ 2 in there and a bunch of old vga games. The parameters are: 

 

select a valid system name format, like my-server

 

put in a user name and password, if you ever need to restart the virtual machine within xp for a program restart you will need these so for the love of god write them down! 
 

okay RAM slider can be any number between 512 mb and a gig. 

Pick two processors. 
 

size is 20 gbs for the partition 

 

EFI is yes. 
 

You select the location of that ISO file with the xp image. 
 

Fire away. The virtual box will create a new partition on your 64 bit machine with an XP environment. It takes just a few minutes. You can start and stop the new xp environment from Virtual Box manager on your host (main) environment. 
 

You can download the extension pack from the same site as virtualbox and this will also be an iso file. These are your drivers and you need them because some stuff you want to load will not load with the native drivers on your 64 bit architecture.
 

There are directions on the internet, essentially you mount that extension pack as a virtual optical drive, like a digital dvd or cd player, and then go to the “run” command in xp and execute it. It will install the Extensions, a set of drivers. 

 

Now your partition is ready to accept data. Seriously all this takes like twenty minutes. The hard part and I’m not gonna lie is to get it to communicate with the outside world. 
 

Turn the box itself off. Plug in a usb drive with those utility files on it. From the VM manager go to settings, the usb section and add a controller- it should show your USB’s manufacturer name. Select that and Add the 1.1 version- I know most usbs are 2.0 or even 3.0 but those drivers are about as stable as I am when someone brings up team Interception returns.
 

The 1.1 driver version is stable - you might have to use a slightly older usb drive. Before you save the config edit the actual settings so that it has only three things -manufacturer, description and model number. The rest of the suggested config is not needed and can cause problems. Save it. Unplug the usb. Start the virtual drive and plug in the usb. The virtual drive should capture the usb and when you check the drives in XP- not the main machine - you should now also have that usb drive there alongside the c: drive.  Open it and there’s your files; create a folder on the virtual environments screen 📺 and copy into it, fire up the executable and boom 💥 you have the utility. You can start the program from there and it will in in xp, 

You can add a dvd player, a suggested 1.1 or 2.0 compatible usb one (they are cheap on eBay) the same way as the usb drive- from the usb add function in settings. The native optical drives it has in the  refer to the pcs native drive if it has one, but I recommend an external drive. Mounting and enabling pass through for a native 64 bit player is a bit of a faff. 

 
Let me know if you have questions. 
 

Now-
 

XP load on a partition

 

The best things about this are: 

 

Its free. 

You no longer need to try to keep twenty year old Dell D610s running, (ask me how I know).

 

Once you configure your drive to accept stuff you can run programs your win 11 browser will deny you. Got Adobe X? Yup. I was able to install off diskettes (!) SAS JMP 3.6.2 which is a very powerful statistical program. A seat for SAS is not cheap. Want to run ofiice 2003? No

problem. 
 

People who do this stuff for a living is probably facepalming 🤦‍♂️ but for guys like on the test teams they could create a dvd iso of selected drivers they want to work with for testing old stuff.  Create a partition for different operating systems and you could mount those drivers and have a dedicated partition to test in on one machine for several generations of software. I’m sure they know this and I bet they’re  doing just that. 

-Fred Bobberts

Initial Date of Publication 8-27-2026

1974 Washington, or why I don’t care how many “replays you run”.

 

Sonny Jurgensen 

Editorial: 

Simply put, there’s nothing you can teach me with 8 or 12 uncontrolled replays of one of my seasons that I won’t have already seen in the hundreds I would have run to test scenarios alongside the guys who made the CMs.  This was not done in silos, not in my case, it was done as a team, with Scotty, and in the case of the 1983 or 1984 USFL, HOF Ed.  In the case of one season I had in prototype, I had to chuck the model and try again because the midpoint itself of the model itself was an issue. I had to push it to the next year. 

HJ you’ve never understood or chosen to ignore the fact I’ve told you my metrics- I am concerned about the overall balance of net yards per ball control play and turnovers per ball control play first and foremost, not overall numbers.  Overall numbers are dependent on things like the pace of the season in terms of plays and the pace of the teams themselves within them; the 1957 Rams are simultaneously not as good on offense and better on defense than their overall numbers might suggest because they simply run more plays per game. 

Play calling matters.  In our game every coach can choose to “up” their average gain per play by taking more risks and they can choose to try to Buddy Ryan the ball downfield, using conservative end runs and flat and short passing.  Both approaches can work, but they would look different in replays.  If you play the run more against teams with variable fumble chances you should force more fumbles, but your interception totals will suffer.  In the testing we did we focused mostly on that balance- are the teams penalized as correctly as we can penalize them based on prior precedent?  Can they attempt to play different strategies and if they do will the trade offs work well?  What you don’t want to do is give a team a “cheat code” player that allows them to go against the team’s* or season’s outcomes.  I also have constraints, the consistency of patterns or approaches used in prior seasons.  

We ran hundreds of replays. All of us are engineers. We know the data.  There is nothing you can show me with a cursory replay set under an unknown and undocumented rule set that we have not already seen. You can hate that response but I’m not going to debate it. 

Rules changes and game flow change results; I don’t chase results with new cards. That would be silly. That goes against the approach of applying prior precedent to the data, which is how all seasons are made. 

Now in terms of 1974 Washington, they pose a dual set of questions you have to try to answer from prior precedent.  One - while Jurgensen has the better stats, Kilmer is the starter. So you have a team with a good relief pitcher.  You have a relief QB with better stats but on fewer attempts. 

There are a couple of examples of this in prior seasons. In 1972 Griese was clearly the better qb on the Wideboys than Morrall, who had the better stats.  This reflected the fact that he was the starter to Don Shula.  Griese did play the tougher opponents and was the one called upon for the Super Bowl.  On the narrow cards, the reprints, the two QBs are closer together.  There’s room for more than one interpretation. 

The same is true with the 1970 Raiders, where Blanda actually received AFC player of the year votes because he won games at the buzzer with either big drives in relief or game winning kicks. But Lamonica is the starter. Here Blanda’s ints are higher, so it’s easier to card to his other stats.  

For 1974 Washington Kilmer is carded as the starter. The interpretation I chose was George Allen’s. 

The other item specific to 1974 Washington is a game flow question.  They have a runner who had 144 carries at 3.0 yards per carry.  This kind of a runner has a tendency to bring down the whole offense and that card poses a real problem for the whole team.  Again, I won’t get into the specifics because I am not obligated to, but in such cases I am very concerned with how the team is performing overall and there are some constraints that must be met.  

TLDR:  the results you quoted don’t really surprise me at all. And I ran controlled experiments not replays, I am an engineer trained in DOE. If I could find a handful of scenarios that covered the data I expected to see; to me; that was good enough even if that was not the CM model chosen for the final baseline. And playcalling changes results. 

Now the best part! I had already talked to The Game Co. about this last week.  My Statute of Limitations for my seasons is up, and so if you want to see new versions send those suggestions to them or Mike. I don’t have the time or inclination to rework stuff from ten or more years ago, so go ahead and forward those ideas on to them. If the potential future sales might support it you might have some luck!

Meanwhile I have replays to run! 

-Fred

* Original rulebook from 1960s.  Last line there on page 19.  Applies to 1974 Kilmer and Jurgensen. 

“Northern Lights” Strat-O-Matic Pro Football cards for the 2025 CFL Season

 

Led by DB Rolan Milligan, Jr., Saskatchewan celebrates their win in the 112th Grey Cup

“Northern Lights”

Strat-O-Matic Pro Football cards for the 2025 CFL Season

CARDS Link to 2025CFL_print_rev4_v1_9_1.pdf

NEW! Improved link to 2025 season files / cards. 

Smaller file, cleaner, better format. Try windows print on “use printable area” and MAC on 98 percent. 

2025CFL_print_rev4_2026v5.pdf

New! Counters for these Teams: (Thanks, SJB!)

AND a colour-tiled version. 

2025CFL_DefensiveCounters_v1.pdf

2025CFL-Counters_V5_newColours.pdf

2025CFLDefensiveCounters_ V12-B-Win.pdf Maple Leafs

2025-Rosters.docx

QB Starts and CFL Schedule_2025.xlsx

Specific CFL_Penalties_and_Ejections_2a.pdf

Ejections_Chart for Game Misconduct Fouls (CFL Specific)

Fumble returns, Int returns, Rouges

CFL Final Raw Data

SOM PRO FOOTBALL LINKS

1981 CFL Retro Cards

Modern Format CFL Cards for SOM Football

For Stephen Beardslee, the genius behind the look and feel. 

Changes

It has been said that a quick turnaround in CFL team fortunes is often preceded by the hire of a hot offensive guru at head coach to match up with a new QB prospect.  This has been true in Ottawa in 2024 and Montreal in 2025, and it may prove true in Edmonton in 2026.  But it is also true that injuries and free agent losses can close a competitive window in Canadian Football just as quickly.  Nowhere was this more true than in Toronto, where off-season and post-Grey Cup raids on both sides of the Argo’s lines and the season-long 2025 absence of QB Chad Kelly denied the Boatmen a chance to repeat as champions.  Winnipeg lost its receiving depth, as standout WR Kenny Lawler’s move to Hamilton raised the bar for the Tiger-Cats and QB Bo Levi Mitchell. Excellent leaders such as Dru Brown of Ottawa and Zach Collaros of the Blue Bombers spent a lot of time on the sidelines, costing the Redblacks a possible playoff berth and the Blue Bombers a shot at their sixth straight Western Division title. Changes in both lineups and team fortunes were a constant in the 2025 CFL. 

In 2025, CFL Teams filled the sky with footballs 

Reappraisal

But for once in mid-season the big changes occurred off the field.  On September 22, 2025, CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston announced that meaningful rules changes would be instituted over the next two seasons through a phased approach. The most significant modifications would come in 2027 with the goalposts being moved to the back of the end zone and the field being re-sized. In anticipation of these structural changes, and beginning in 2026, the rouge would be modified and adjustments would be introduced to ensure a more consistent game flow. 

CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnson

Reprisal 

These proposals started a firestorm of commentary, as people sought to both predict and place motives behind the actions. The overwhelming fear was that the Canadian game was being “Americanized” in an effort to make US Expansion a stronger possibility. A smaller field with more US friendly rules might be leveraged to place a tenth team somewhere in the Lower 48.  While expansion to a tenth team has long been the dream of many CFL fans, their ideal target locations would be somewhere in the Canadian Maritimes or in Saskatoon, out West. The idea that potential expansion might not include a National site thus infuriated long time fans of the Canadian sport. Rising political friction between the two nations had made this possibility untenable for many Canadians. 

There was more to it than just expansion, though. Canadian fields are used at the high school and collegiate level as well, and it was unclear at the time of the announcement what the plan might be for preparing and transitioning the existing lower levels of Canadian competition.  While the players came down on both sides of the issue, no less a critic than “Kid Canada”, Nathan Rourke, the BC quarterback and the preeminent Canadian-born CFL star, pointed out the real objection most people had was the lack of consultation with the various stakeholders before the decision was made. 

Resolution

The search for consensus in decision making is definitely uniquely Canadian; it will be interesting to see how these changes play out now that they are on paper and will soon take place on the field. 2025 is thus the last season we have with the nine traditional teams and (more or less) the traditional CFL rule set. The controversies did nothing to ruin the playing of the postseason- the Divisional games saw four outstanding and close contests, and the final between Montreal and Saskatchewan was a tremendous watch.  The victorious Roughriders of course are a classic franchise and are well-supported by their fan base, and their win put a bow on what had been an entertaining and competitive 2025 CFL season. 

Hamilton 11-7 

The 26 year winless streak continues.  The Tiger-Cats rode Eastern All Star QB Bo Levi Mitchell and a ball hawking defence to host the Eastern Finals, where it took the tough and opportunistic Montreal defence to hold them off 19-16 and deny them a Grey Cup appearance; the ‘Cats now still haven’t won the Cup since 1999.  Still, it was a great regular season.  Bo Levi Mitchell adeptly utilized former Winnipeg free agent Tim Lawler, who caught passes for over 1,400 yards and 14 scores, as well as his fellow receivers Tim White and Kiondre Smith, who also tallied over 1,000 yards each, to post a 5,000 yard passing season with a CFL- leading 36 passing major scores. Tailback Greg Bell chipped in 1,008 yards on the ground to give the team four thousand yard players. On defence Julian Howsare hounded enemy passers and the Hamilton secondary, led by All- Canada backs Jamal Peters and Stavros Katsontonis feasted on them, as the team led the CFL in interceptions.  

Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell led the CFL in 2025 in passing yards and major scores

Montreal 10-8

The 2025 10-8 record for the Alouettes is deceptive; Montreal had some horses.  They had won the Cup in 2023 and finished 12-5-1 in 2024 before an error-prone loss to Toronto in the Eastern Finals, so much was expected from them in 2025. Behind new QB Davis Alexander the team won its first three games including the Eastern Final rematch with the Boatmen 28-10 in Week One. But Davis suffered from the injury bug, and after a 5-2 start the team stumbled behind three different backup quarterbacks to drop to 5-7, close to possible elimination. Through it all Canada’s top defence held firm.  Led by All- Canada LBs Tyrice Beverette  and Darnell Sankey, and safety Marc-Antoine DeQuoy, the Montreal defence allowed the least yards on the season. And when Alexander returned, the Alouettes started playing their usual brand of crisp error free football, as he spread the ball around to a group of talented receivers, led by All-Canada selection Tyler Snead, Tyson Philpot and Charleston Rambo. 

Montreal held off Winnipeg 42-33 in the East Semis and dropped Hamilton in a close one in the East Finals 19-16 to head to the Grey Cup to face Saskatchewan.  In Winnipeg in the Cup, Alexander thew three uncharacteristic interceptions in his first loss of his CFL career, and another late fumble cost the ALs the title. 

The Alouettes Defence, led by LB Tyrice Beverette, held firm all year. 

Toronto 5-13

What a difference a year makes! Defending champion Toronto lost starting QB Chad Kelly to a devastating injury before the 2024 Grey Cup, and perennial understudy QB Nick Arbuckle won the Championship with an MVP performance. But the off-season was disastrous for the Argos, as teams raided the Boatmen for experienced linemen and backs.  The depleted roster dropped close contests early in the year to start 2-8 in spite of a good year from Arbuckle. He threw for over 4000 yards and 26 touchdowns, but received little help from Canada’s worst running game or a defence that allowed 583 points. While Derek Slewa played an exciting brand of football in his first professional year at safety and on returns, and “Touchdown Jake” Herslow caught nine majors in six games, and rookie Kevin Mital had 102 receptions to tie for the lead in the CFL, problems up front doomed the Argos to a last place finish in rushing yards and sacks allowed.  Only a miracle 63 yard catch with one second remaining by Dejon Brissett to set up a Labour Day comeback win against the rival Tiger-Cats kept the defending champs from falling into the East’s basement. 

Ottawa 4-14

One year after winning a 2024 spot in the Eastern Playoffs, injuries, turnovers, and poor special teams play doomed the RedBlacks to last place in the East at 4-14.  The team featured a pair of Eastern All-Star receivers in Eugene Lewis and Justin Hardy, and a good young quarterback in Dru Brown, but Brown was frequently injured and threw more interceptions than is normally helpful, finishing at two wins and seven losses in his starts for the year. It was his backup, Dustin Crum who had the better season, as he won two of his six starts on his “no holds barred” scrambling ability. In both of his wins Ottawa came from behind; coining the term “Crumback”, which owing to its popularity, may be with us for awhile.  The offence did not get much help from runners William Stanback or Daniel Adeboboye, but I would not count either out in 2026. A lot of talent dots this roster, particularly on the defensive line, and if they can improve their league- worst pass rush and shore up their offensive line, they could be a winner once again. 

Both Geno Lewis and Justin Hardy made the 2025 East All Star team for Ottawa. 

Saskatchewan 12-6

Melonheads rejoice! The Saskatchewan Roughriders had lost the 97th Grey Cup in 2009 against the Alouettes due to a "too many men on the field" penalty on the final play, a costly (and infamous) illegal substitution that gave Montreal  kicker  Damon Duval a second chance at a game-winning field goal, which he made to win 28-27 after missing the first attempt. But they did not fail in the key moments in the 2025 112th Grey Cup. Nursing a 25-17 lead and with the Als inside their five, the Roughriders defence avenged that loss and forced and recovered a fumble by Montreal short yardage specialist Shea Patterson to clinch their first Grey Cup win since 2013. 

Saskatchewan’s roster was dotted with experienced players who, over their careers, have seen it all. Led by 39 year old signal caller Trevor Harris, who completed 72.3 pct of his passes for 4569 yards and 24 scores.  Harris has now been in the CFL for 13 years and has found a home in Saskatchewan and his intelligent and cerebral approach drove the Roughriders to championship heights.  Harris was able to leverage 1,000 yard receivers Dohnte Meyers and Keesean Johnson, allowing the team to overcome injuries to Mitchell Picton and Sam Emilus. The Riders had three All Canadian linemen up front in Jamarcus Hardrick, Jacob Brammer, and Logan Fenland, and they opened running lanes for A.J. Ouellette, who rushed for 1,222 yards and 8 major scores on the ground.  With so much veteran talent Saskatchewan was able to post the key major scores to gain the leads in both the Eastern Finals and the Grey Cup, and their defence, the best in the West and Canada’s toughest against the run, was able to make good in each contest to win the Championship. 

Saskatchewan’s rugged defence forced the biggest play of the 112th Grey Cup, a short yardage fumble at the goal line. 

BC 11-7

The Lions had two seasons- an early slow start that saw them drop to below .500 at 5-7, and then a 6-0 finish keyed by their defensive emergence and an explosive passing attack.  The defence was keyed by their pass rush, led by defensive player of the year Mathieu Betts, who topped the league in sacks with 15, just three short of his own CFL record; the passing attack was led by Nathan Rourke, the first Canadian quarterback to win the Most Outstanding Player award since Russ Jackson claimed it while playing with the old Ottawa Rough Riders in 1969.  

The 2025 MOP, BC Quarterback Nathan Rourke

BC added in two All-Canada receivers in Keon Hatcher and Justin McInness, plus a very dangerous downfield receiver in Ayden Eberhard and the underrated Stanley Berryhill III.  Jarell Broxton is one of the league’s best tackles, and James Butler (1,213 yards and 11 major scores) and Zander Horvath gave defences a running threat to worry about, too. BC was the only Canadian team to average over 8.0 yards a play, but their inability to run out the clock late against Saskatchewan cost them the Western Division Final and a Grey Cup berth. 

Calgary 11-7

With one off season move, it looked like the Stampeders might be on their way to the Grey Cup.  Following a November trade of draft picks with the Lions they picked up “Big Play V.A.”, thirty two year old former Oregon star QB Vernon Adams. Adams played in 17 regular-season games in 2025, posting an 11-6 record. He completed 280 of 429 passes – a 65.2-per cent success rate – for 4,247 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. It was the second 4,000-yard season of his career. Adams also carried the ball 40 times for 332 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions.  The Stamps already had the CFL’s top runner by yards in Dedrick Mills, and a talented defensive front and secondary.  Mills, a 5’10’’ 238 pound back from Nebraska, gained 1,409 yards rushing with 11 major scores.  

Vernon Adams, Jr.

With their dangerous balance of running, downfield passing and defence the Stampeders raced out to an 8-3 start, just a half game behind Saskatchewan, and it looked like a home playoff game in McMahon Stadium was in the bag. Then the wheels game off- in one three game stretch Adams threw for only 6 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions, and the league saw fewer of his beautiful moon-ball deep shots to receivers Jalen Philpot, Dominique Rhymes, and Damien Alford. While Adams regained his form in time to clinch a postseason berth, the stumble allowed BC to overtake Calgary for second place and to take the Western Division Semi Final game for BC Place in Vancouver. There a late Stamps special teams fumble allowed Rourke and Co. to escape to the Western Final on a walkoff field goal. Calgary will be dangerous in any replay, though, they have the defence and offence to compete with anyone.

Winnipeg 10-8

In a league of offensive fireworks, Winnipeg still preferred to win in the old-fashioned CFL way- on special teams and defence. They possessed the CFL’s most dangerous long range kicker in Sergio Willis, who could fire through FGs from mid field. The return game was anchored by the CFL’s best return man, Trey Vaval; Vaval led the West in punt returns and average; among his many accomplishments was setting the CFL game yardage record for missed Field Goals on September 20 (199). The Minnesota Vikings liked Vaval so much they worked him out in the middle of the season.  The Bomber defence could stop the run and the pass, and they possessed a great all-around back in Brady Olviera (1,163 rushing yards, 61 catches for 546 yards - and he can block!) Add in excellent coaching, and a proven commodity in QB Zach Collaros along with a change of pace in scrambling reserve QB (and former NY Jet) Chris Streveler and Winnipeg had enough to make another playoff run, albeit in the East as a crossover team. But time and free agency had eroded their receiving corps and offensive line, and their reign of six straight Grey Cup appearances came to a close with a tough loss to Montreal in the Eastern Semifinals. 

Edmonton Elks 7-11

The Elks may have finished in fifth place in the West but they have a dynamic roster, led by veteran QB Cody Fajardo and RB Justin Rankin, a former Kent State player who scored 9 majors in runs while he added in 56 catches for 713 yards and four more TDs.  Rankin led the CFL in yards from scrimmage at 1,739 and he averaged a whopping 7.0 yards per touch.  Rankin had the CFL’s longest run in 2025 at 90 yards, and he was a threat to go the distance, either on passes or on the ground, every time he touched the ball. Edmonton also had the combined yards leader, Javon Leake, who tallied 2,424 yards on runs, catches, and returns (134.7 yards per game). 

Edmonton started the season 1-5 before a late August win streak and some solid play play in September brought them to 7-9 in early October, and on the brink of a possible playoff spot. Two tough losses to BC and Calgary ended those dreams, but Edmonton had built a solid foundation for the future. 

Fred Bobberts

Original Date of Publication: Jan 26, 2026