The 103rd Grey Cup, held at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, will see the Ottawa Redblacks take on the Edmonton Eskimos. The second-year expansion Redblacks will be making their first ever trip to the Grey Cup and are the first team from Ottawa to play in the big game since the Rough Riders last participated in 1981. The Eskimos will be heading to the championship game for the 23rd time and first since their win in 2005.
The Redblacks won the East Division title with a dramatic 35-28 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. After six lead changes in the close-fought game, the game was tied in the dying minutes when former Ti-Cat Henry Burris, on a second-and-25 from his own 17 yard-line, threw a 93-yard bomb for a touchdown to another former Ti-Cat, Greg Ellingson. This sealed the deal and sent the 25,000+ fans at TD Place Stadium into a frenzy.
The 40-year-old Burris is looking to become the second-oldest quarterback ever to win a Grey Cup after the 41-year-old Damon Allen did so in 2004. Burris is having a career year and is the favourite to win the Most Outstanding Player of the year award and would love nothing more than to top the 2015 season all off with a Grey Cup victory.
The Eskimos played in an anti-climatic West Final, beating their rivals from the south of Alberta, the Calgary Stampeders, 45-31.They dominated from start to finish and proved why they won the division and will be making the trip to the 103rd Grey Cup. Mike Reilly spread the ball around and utilized his star receivers in Derel Walker, Adarius Bowman and Kenny Stafford, each catching at least one touchdown. The team got off to a great start with a touchdown on their first drive, led 21-12 at the half and exploded for a 31-15 lead after three quarters. They never looked back and cruised their way to Winnipeg.
The Redblacks finished the season with a 12-6 record and led the league in offensive yards and were second in terms of yards allowed per game. Edmonton’s 14-4 record was mainly thanks to having the league’s best defence in points and yards allowed, while also gaining the third-most yards per game in the league. Reilly missed seven weeks with a knee injury early in the season and Edmonton was still able to prevail to be the best team in the league.
In their two games against each other this season, the Eskimos beat the Redblacks at home 46-17, then again on the road the following week, 23-12. However, the Redblacks had yet to discover their true form and are a much improved team since their games against Edmonton in early July. The Redblacks have never beat the Eskimos in franchise history.
The 103rd Grey Cup will kick-off at 6pm Eastern Time next Sunday. In what should be a defensive contest with little margin for error, American band Fallout Boy will be performing at the half-time show but they will be sandwiched in between entertainment of great, Canadian football between the Ottawa Redblacks and the Edmonton Eskimos.
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