Fans soak up atmosphere for Grey Cup

The CFL’s 103rd Grey Cup championship game in Winnipeg between the Edmonton Eskimos and Ottawa RedBlacks is in the books.

Lynch, the former Northern Illinois star in his rookie season with the Eskimos, scored a third-down play.

But after earning a single on Sean Whyte’s missed 45-yard field goal, Edmonton took its first lead of the game on Shavers’ touchdown.

The Eskimos won their 14th Grey Cup, but their first since 2005.

Ottawa (12-6) finished atop the Eastern conference after winning just two games in its inaugural 2014 season while Edmonton (14-4) finished tied with Calgary for the league’s best record but secured top spot in the standings based after winning the season series with the Stampeders. They won their final 10 games, all after Reilly returned as the starter after injuring a knee in the season-opening loss to Toronto.

In the final quarter, the Redblacks’ lead was down to 20-18 until Lynch’s one-yard punch proved to be the knockout blow.

“You know what previous year, when it was in BC, the room filled up and everyone was really busy”.

Edmonton’s winning five-play, 78-drive was aided by Eskimos coach Chris Jones’ successful challenge of an incompletion that was changed to pass interference against Ottawa’s Brandon Sermons. But obviously heartbroken, disappointed, all those things.

“I was one of those guys out partying all week and I kind of lost focus of why I was really here and I’m trying not to let that happen again, but I don’t plan on leaving here without the trophy”, said Willis this week. “They found ways to make plays and to get us off the field …” That gave the Eskimos the ball at the Redblacks 10. It didn’t take long for the replay official to declare pass interference should have been called. “That’s how it transpired”. The RedBlacks led 13-10 after the first quarter.

Lynch scored his first CFL touchdown against Ottawa on July 9.

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. Chris Milo added a convert, single and two field goals. Edmonton would get another single this one off the foot of punter Grant Shaw, Eskimos were now within one.

“We had opportunities to turn the tide and we just didn’t make the plays, whether it was me missing a throw or making a play or something”, Burris said.

Players on the winning team in the Grey Cup game receive $16,000 bonuses, while the members of the losing squad get $8,000 each to ease the sting of defeat.

“We need this”, said Beau Willier, a construction worker who was rushing via LRT to finish an errand before watching the game.