A football fan is seen prior to the 103rd Grey Cup between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Ottawa Redblacks, in Winnipeg, Man., on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015.
Advertisement
Ottawa (12-6) is making its appearance as the “Redblacks” in the championship game and they will face the Edmonton Eskimos (14-4), who are considered the favourite to win the Grey Cup this year.
For two years, the Algonquin Loggersports Team has attended every Redblacks’ home game, celebrating touchdowns by revving up their chainsaws and slicing through a log emblazoned with the CFL team’s logo. Akeem Shavers hauled in the two-point convert pass from Reilly to make it a six point edge.
Price, now 30, was the first veteran CFL receiver acquired during the offseason in a bid to spice up the offence led by Burris and also the first Redblacks player to publicly guarantee a playoff spot.
Jones has a well-earned reputation as a defensive guru and somewhat of a riverboat gambler, having won three Grey Cups as a defensive co-ordinator before assuming the top job in Edmonton in 2014. If you need motivation for this type of game then you’re probably in the wrong business.
The contest was a defensive battle, especially in the second half as Edmonton outscored Ottawa just 9-4.
Things tightened up in the second half as each team’s defence started to find their legs. “If we play the way we should, I’ll just be kicking PATs (points after touchdowns)”. Then Burris found Jackson on a seven-yard touchdown toss set up by Domaso Munoz’s recovery of Kendial Lawrence’s fumble on the ensuing kickoff. For the first time in team history, it saw four receivers go over 1,000 yards, while Burris led the CFL with 5,703 passing yards. The REDBLACKS finished first defensively in net offense allowed (298), rushing yards allowed (71), interceptions made (26), and sacks (62). Edmonton’s game winning drive was also aided by a pair of pass interference calls on Ottawa.
Jay Ferguson, 28 from Edmonton, arrived in Winnipeg with two friends Thursday and has been living and breathing the Grey Cup ever since.
“With the GM we have, the coaching staff we have and the players they brought in, we’ve been built to do this multiple times”. A nine-yard catch by Nate Coehoorn put the ball at the one-yard line, and Lynch pushed his way into the end zone on a third-down gamble.
The second quarter’s early drives didn’t create much, with Ottawa settling for a Milo field goal from 26 yards and Whyte missing from 44 (but producing a rouge).
Reilly’s two-yard TD strike to Shavers at 14:48 of the second gave Edmonton a 17-16 half-time lead.
Advertisement
Adarius Bowman and Shavers scored Edmonton’s touchdowns.
