Two former Boise State football players and one former Idaho Vandal are on the Ottawa RedBlacks’ and Edmonton Eskimos’ active rosters for Sunday’s Canadian Football League championship game in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Edmonton won its 14th Grey Cup title, but its first since 2005. That meant the two cornerbacks did not necessarily start on the outside edge of Edmonton’s defence for most of the first quarter, although the Esks started to change up their coverage in the second quarter.
It was a dramatic finish for the Investors Group Field sellout of 36,634, the second-smallest Grey Cup attendance since 1975.
After another rouge for Ottawa put them up 20-18, the Eskimos got two pass interference calls on back-to-back plays that moved them 65 yards deep into Redblacks territory and Lynch punched it in on third down from the one-yard line.
Ottawa committed two pass interference penalties to set up Edmonton with great field position.
An Ottawa CFL team hadn’t been to the CFL title game since 1981, when the Rough Riders lost 26-23 to the Eskimos.
In the first quarter, the Redblacks took an early 13-0 lead with touchdowns on their first two possessions before momentum shifted in Edmonton’s favour.
The Eskimos also finished the season registering their 10th straight win, all coming after Reilly returned as the club’s starter.
The popular Ottawa RedBlacks quarterback led the league in passing this season and won the Most Outstanding Player award. Whyte booted a convert, single and field goal while Grant Shaw added another single.
Henry Burris was 22/29 for 220 yards and passed for 2 touchdowns, but also had an interception. Chris Milo missed the extra point. The Ottawa RedBlacks were up 13-0 before the Eskimos offence had run a play.
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A Chris Milo 33 yard field goal, and a Sean Whyte miss from 35 yards out was the difference in the 3rd quarter as Ottawa led 19-18 heading into the final 15 minutes. The two-point convert failed giving Edmonton a 17-16 lead at half time. Then after Edmonton’s Kendall Lawrence fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the RedBlacks veteran QB found Ernest Jackson for a 7 yard TD strike.
