The Edmonton Eskimos won their first Grey Cup in 10 years on Sunday after beating the Ottawa RedBlacks 26-20 in a tight defensive battle in freezing temperatures in Winnipeg.
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Lynch, the former Northern Illinois star in his rookie season with the Eskimos, scored a third-down play.
Defensive back Abdul Kanneh, whose pass-interference penalty helped the Eskimos drive into position for Jordan Lynch’s game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown, said life outside football also featured situations in which individuals reach the mountain top, but can’t get over it.
The last time an Ottawa team played in the Grey Cup was 1981, and a questionable pass interference call late in that contest foiled their chances of upsetting the Eskimos.
Ottawa was in black helmets but the Eskimos were the ones wearing black hats after Edmonton club president Len Rhodes complained to the league in advance about the Redblacks’ signature lumberjacks who for two seasons have chainsawed a logoed “cookie” off a log after every scoring play.
“It’s not anger it’s disappointment”, said Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell.
The Ottawa Redblacks’ dream lasted deep into the fourth quarter of the 103rd Grey Cup game, and then it died on an instant replay of an incomplete pass.
Reilly finished 21-of-35 passing for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
Reilly, who won his 10th consecutive game as the Eskimos starting quarterback this season, came back from a serious knee injury in the season opener to lead the Eskimos to the 14th Grey Cup in franchise history. “It’s something that I’ll never take for granted”. While a two-point convert was unsuccessful the 10-play, 88-yard drive was huge as it erased a horrid start for the West Division champions, who fell behind 13-0 before the game was seven minutes old. “This is definitely not a business to be in if you don’t like highs and lows. I’m so proud of them and what we accomplished here today”. “They found ways to make plays and to get us off the field …” Seeing that just made me say, ‘If I have the opportunity, I’m going to come out and make sure I work the hardest so I can be put in the same sentences as Andy Fantuz, Rob Bagg, Andre Durie and, obviously, Brad Sinopoli’. “That’s how it transpired”.
The nine-year veteran and his Ottawa counterpart, Chris Milo, had wondered before the game if a different set of footballs being used by the kickers would affect their performance. Edmonton managed two sacks and held when Ottawa got the ball back with 3:12 left in the game and protecting a six-point lead.
“We gave up too many big plays early in the half”, said Edmonton head coach Chris Jones at the half.
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The Redblacks’ Henry Burris passed 22-for-29 for 229 yards and was sacked three times. We have to thank our host committee and all of our 800 volunteers for helping us to put on the best Grey Cup ever.
