‘Best place ever!’ Winnipeg scores big as Grey Cup 2015 host

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.

Lynch, showing the toughest he frequently displayed in black and red, punched in the go ahead touchdown securing a 26-20 Grey Cup win for the Eskimos. The Eskimos were awarded the football deep in Ottawa territory and soon scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. Reilly, the game MVP, believes the Eskimos have the framework in place to win multiple championships.

Quarterback Mike Reilly was thrilled to be able to celebrate Sunday’s win with his parents, Pat and Rhonda, and wife, Emily, who drive or fly to Edmonton for every home game.

“I obviously chose the right team this year”, said Mackintosh, one of the 36,634 fans in the sold-out stadium.

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.

“I’m year to year and it’s more like week to week at this point”, said Phillips, who returned to the field this year after recovering from a broken fibula and torn ligaments in his left ankle during a game last season.

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.

Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell said he wasn’t angered by the officials’ call. That’s part of what you sign up for when you’re in this business.

“Both teams should be very proud of their remarkable seasons – they have taken their fans on a wild ride over the past six months”. “They found ways to make plays and to get us off the field …”

“You could pull tons of positives out of this year”, defensive tackle Keith Shologan said, “but right now all we’re thinking about is we just lost the Grey Cup”. “That’s how it transpired”.

Edmonton kicker Sean Whyte, who joined the team in September after nearly retiring, missed a 45-yard field goal and hit the upright on a 35-yard attempt.

Then there was a three-yard run by Calvin McCarty on a fake punt late in the third quarter, plus four runs leading to a couple of first downs as the Eskimos ran out the clock at game’s end. Edmonton took a 17-16 lead on Reilly’s 2-yard pass to Shavers with 12 seconds left in the half.

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.

The Redblacks had a 19-18 edge after the third quarter, added another point on a Milo single and then Esks backup QB Jordan Lynch clinched the victory with a one-yard TD plunge. Burris finished 22-of-29 passing with 220 yards and two TDs and an interception after registering a league-record 481 completions and CFL-high 5,703 yards.