They say third time’s the charm and that was exactly the case as the Calgary Stampeders defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 27-16. Calgary never left any doubt thwarting any late comeback attempts by Ottawa in the fourth quarter after two straight Grey Cup heartbreaks.
Bo Levi Mitchell
Bo Levi Mitchell got off to a shaky start throwing an interception on his first drive to Jonathan Rose. However, later in the quarter, he would find running back Don Jackson for a 21-yard connection for the touchdown. The often talked about field conditions were a factor for both teams as receivers were slipping in and out of routes. Lemar Durant dealt with a few drops of his own before hauling in a 17-yard touchdown. Mitchell’s legacy was left in question leading up to the big game. It’s safe to say he answered the call going 24/36 (66.7%), 253 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Better yet, no back-breaking turnovers late in the game that had plagued Calgary in prior Grey Cups. Bo Levi Mitchell was named Grey Cup MVP.
Trevor Harris
Another storyline coming into this one was the question on whether Trevor Harris could force his way into the “elite” conversation. After torching Hamilton’s secondary for six touchdowns, many figured this game would be the icing on the cake had Harris been able to put up a similar performance. This was not the case as Harris would go 20/38 (52.6%), 288 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Harris was hindered by drops from some of his most trustworthy receivers Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopoli. There was also the questionable play calling late in the fourth. Ottawa attempted an array of deep passes despite having enough time to structure a more methodical drive. Harris is a free agent going into 2019.
Calgary Defence & Special Teams
Of course, no recap is complete without mentioning the most exciting play of the game. With 20 seconds left in the half, Ottawa punted deep into Calgary territory when second-year back-up running back Terry Williams returned the punt 97 yards (Grey Cup Record) for a touchdown to make the score 21-11 going into halftime.
Terry Williams returns a punt 97 yards for a @calstampeders touchdown with one second remaining in the first half! ??#GreyCup #CFL pic.twitter.com/lRMCpLAm5t
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 26, 2018
Calgary’s defence would do its job as it has all season forcing three fumbles, three interceptions and a turnover on downs. After halftime, it never felt as though the Redblacks had a chance to make it back into the game. Ottawa would score just five points in the second half. Two of which came on a safety when Calgary was attempting to run out the clock.
Halftime Show
Alessia Cara’s halftime show as generally received positively on Twitter as she performed hits like “Stay” and “Wild Things” before the show ended with a barrage of fireworks.
Through the lens, check out some of the images from the @alessiacara @FreedomMobile Halftime Performance.
Gallery | https://t.co/oMkFMFxLlK #GreyCup pic.twitter.com/kWmIAgdyCn
— CFL (@CFL) November 26, 2018
The Last Word
That puts the wrap on the 2018 CFL season that brought many storylines, big plays and exciting games every week. There will be lots to unpack in the off-season with a new CBA to be negotiated, coaching vacancies to be filled and marquee free-agents coming available in 2019. Stay tuned to the Last Word on Sports CFL for all the latest, find us on Facebook (@LWOScfl) or Twitter (@LastWordOnCFL) and thank you for sticking with LWOS for the 2018 season.
Main image credit:
Embed from Getty Images
