Redblacks refocus after East final win

Ottawa will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL East Division final Sunday afternoon. He was a member of the Roughriders during the Green and White’s 2013 championship season.

“Everything is good”, said Burris.

“I tip my hat off to Greg”.

“And at the end of the day being successful is the best way you can get back at people”. After shedding Emmanuel Davis’s attempted tackle, Ellingson streaked untouched into the end zone.

Ottawa Redblacks defensive back Abdul Kanneh celebrates with the East Division trophy after defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League East final Sunday, November 22, 2015, in Ottawa, Ontario.

“It’s nice to play against my old team but it’s more about going to the Grey Cup and winning it”, Ellingson said.

“I said, “great game.’ He just said ‘thanks, Dad” and he didn’t have much time to talk, though”.

“Every loss is difficult-especially a game you had a chance to win”.

Burris was 17 of 32 for 326 yards, and also ran for a score. Big-play practitioners Eric Norwood and Terrell Sinkfield were injured in the semifinal and on the East-clinching 93-yard touchdown the Ticats’ best defender, Ted Laurent, was missing from the rush, taken out by an illegal chop block on the previous play. It marked the first time an Ottawa football franchise advanced to the Grey Cup final since 1981.

With the knowledge they can play better and the confidence among players the Redblacks are optimistic they can put an end to Ottawa’s 39-year Grey Cup drought.

The Eskimos haven’t played in the Grey Cup since 2005, while the Redblacks are headed to the championship in their second season after last year’s 2-16 debut. But Redblacks coach Rick Campbell said veterans like Burris provide a huge benefit for his squad. “We’ll be happy for a few more hours and tee it up one more time”. We’re disappointed, but we have to tip our caps to Ottawa.

Sunday’s game was an old-fashioned knock-down CFL barnburner. They played hard, they’re well coached, they make plays.

“I really just let him play the game”. They ended the regular season on a four-game win streak, something an Ottawa team hadn’t done since 1991.

His allegiance will be a little different this time.

Hamilton (10-8) finished tied with Toronto for second but got the higher positioning after winning that season series.

Masoli got his second straight playoff start with incumbent Zach Collaros (knee) and backup Jeff Mathews (concussion) sidelined. The former Oregon Duck was 30-of-42 passing for 349 yards with two TDs and an interception.

Masoli and Tiquan Underwood scored Hamilton’s other touchdowns.

“What you saw with Jeremiah is what we’ve seen in him and why we wanted to keep him”, Austin said. We have the right mixture of play-making ability, leadership, experience, knowledge, but the belief is through the roof.

“That speaks volumes about the young man”.

Will Powell and Burris had Ottawa’s other touchdowns. Ottawa got in range for the first of Christopher Milo’s four field goals for a 19-17 halftime lead and never trailed again. After Medlock surrendered the safety, Chris Williams took the return 36 yards to the Hamilton 46-yard line with 29 seconds remaining.

For the Ti-Cats, critical penalties proved costly and none more so than an offside call that negated a 25-yard TD pass from Masoli to Luke Tasker at the start of the fourth quarter.