EDMONTON — The Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks will close out a Friday night doubleheader and their respective regular seasons when they face off at Commonwealth Stadium.

Toronto earned the right to host the Eastern Semi-Final with a 38-31 victory over the Ottawa REDBLACKS in Week 20.

Edmonton will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season but can finish with its most wins since 2019 with a victory.

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Ryan Dinwiddie will share playing time at quarterback, with Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle likely to see action under center.

It will be Dukes who gets the start, a role he held for much of the first nine weeks of the season. In 192 pass attempts, he completed 138 passes for 1,404 yards and seven touchdowns.

Receiver Makai Polk needs 98 yards to reach 1,000 in his first season, while Tommy Nield and Kevin Mital could also benefit from significant playing time.

The Elks will roll with their regulars, meaning Devodric Bynum will lead a secondary that includes Loucheiz Purifoy. Bynum and Purifoy both have five interceptions this season.

In the ground game, Dinwiddie will have the opportunity to put all three of Ka’Deem Carey, Daniel Adeboboye and Deonta McMahon into action if he so chooses. Carey is just 29 yards away from reaching a career high, Adeboboye is averaging just over four yards per carry and McMahon has three touchdowns.

Allowing 97.3 yards per game, the Elks’ front seven hopes to bounce back after giving up 134 rushing yards to Calgary in Week 19. It’s another chance for linebackers Nick Anderson and Nyles Morgan to add to their 106 and 103 defensive tackles.

When the ball falls into the hands of the Elks, Tre Ford will take control of the pocket. The game serves as a final test to show he can take on the starting role heading into the offseason.

With a 5-4 record over the last nine games, Ford hopes to see continued growth as the season ends.

“We want to win, I think that’s the most important thing,” he told reporters.

“I know we’re not in a position to go to the playoffs and go for the Gray Cup. Not every team has the opportunity to do that, but we are always professionals so when we go on the pitch we try to win.

With Ford, Justin Rankin, and Javon Leake all able to carry the football in the running game, this should help open up space downfield for Tevin Jones and Eugene Lewis to play.

Speaking of Rankin, he totaled 140 yards on 10 carries in his team’s loss to the Stamps and now has 717 this season.

Statistically, the Argos defense is made up of two teams. In the secondary, they allow 294.8 yards per game, a total that places them eighth. Defensive back Tarvarus McFadden intercepted a pass from Dru Brown last week. If he can step up again and Dinwiddie gets strong performances from Benjie Franklin and Royce Metchie, it will make life difficult for Ford in the air.

Up front, the Argos were the best team in the CFL in terms of limited yards. Although lineup changes will occur throughout the game, it remains a point of pride for the defense as defensive linemen Jared Brinkman, Jake Ceresna and Ralph Holley all had solid seasons.

Elks head coach Jarious Jackson is pleased with the effort level and doesn’t expect a disappointment in the team’s final game given how they’ve been playing lately.

“These guys fight for each other,” Jackson told reporters.

“They are here to have fun. It could be on the other end of the spectrum and we could make an effort to get guys to come here and compete and prepare to win a football game. To me, this doesn’t seem like a team that won’t make the playoffs.

A road win to end the season would be a good way to qualify for the playoffs for Toronto.

The Elks can earn seven wins for the first time since 2019.

Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET. Watch the action on TSN. International and American audiences can watch on CFL+.

— With files from Argonauts.ca and GoElks.com