Burris leads Redblacks to shocking upset of Stampeders in 104th Grey Cup

This was in so many ways exactly what the Canadian Football League needed. Calgary was looking to finish its banner season with a Grey Cup victory to garner support as the best team in history to capture a championship. The RedBlacks opened scoring in the game with number 1 Henry Burris getting the first touchdown of the game, and with the extra point it was 7-0 Ottawa.

“It was a little rough”, said one fan after the game. Burris wasn’t with the Redblacks when they took to the field but rejoined his teammates after undergoing treatment that reportedly included having the joint frozen. In other words, a typical CFL game. “We fought our butts off to get back here and I told the guys this week we’re going to make the sure bottom line is changed this time”.

A Grey Cup parade is set for Tuesday. And you can win with an old quarterback! Man, we’re going to party it up. It was like damn, why are we even here?

Last year Ottawa had Edmonton down early but couldn’t put them away and Mike Reilly ended up Grey Cup MVP.

But despite that, the game endured.

Ultimately, their start cost them the game. Back-up Trevor Harris was throwing, with his helmet on.

Instead, it looked nearly easy.

Asked if he would have done anything differently on that final play of regulation, Mitchell said: “I think you know the answer to that question”. It was the city’s ninth Grey Cup triumph – and fourth in nine years (1968, ’69, ’73 and ’76). “Henry is just unbelievable”.

Calgary linebacker Alex Singleton, formerly on the Redblacks negotiation list, recovered a Travon Van fumble and the Stampeders snuffed out a Redblacks drive, taking over possession on their own 30. Apparently whatever treatment he got worked.

Burris overcame a knee injury scare during warm-ups that left him limping off the field before the game had even started.

The Stampeders were led by the CFL’s regular season Most Outstanding Player, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. Calgary’s best receiver, Marquay McDaniel, was injured making a 51-yard catch in the first quarter and didn’t play again.

A Redblacks spokesperson said the Algonquin Loggersports Team that traditionally slices a “wood cookie” off a log at home games wasn’t welcome due to space issues and the same went for the Stampeders touchdown horse, Quick Six.

And then it wasn’t.

Ray Early added field goals at the end of each quarter.

And the game was on.

But the Redblacks answered that with another Burris TD plunge and a 10-point lead with 8:22 to play.

Or, at least ensured if this wasn’t the CFL.

On the first possession of overtime, Henry Burris threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Jackson.

Following winning an Ottawa pass interference call on appeal, Andrew Buckley runs in to end an eight-play, 66-yard march, but Paredes’ convert attempt is wide to the right (Ottawa 27, Calgary 23).