Eskimos fend off Lions
EDMONTON — Sean Whyte kicked a pair of late field goals as the Edmonton Eskimos came from behind for a 27-23 victory over the B.C. Lions on Friday.
The Eskimos (6-7) snapped a three-game losing skid.
Meanwhile, the Lions (8-4) had a three-game winning streak come to an end.
After a fairly slow start to the game, the Lions broke the scoreless deadlock with three minutes remaining in the first quarter as quarterback Jonathon Jennings completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Arceneaux. The two-point convert attempt was stopped short.
The Lions started the second quarter in similar fashion as Jennings found Arceneaux wide open downfield and he scampered 68 yards for the TD and a 14-0 lead following a two-point convert run by Jeremiah Johnson.
The Eskimos finally got going on their next possession when quarterback Mike Reilly capped off a long drive with a one-yard TD plunge.
Edmonton was pressing again, but Reilly was picked off on the B.C. 31-yard line by Lions defensive back Anthony Gaitor to end the threat.
However, the Eskimos would tie the game late in the first half as a 59-yard pass to Adarius Bowman set up a three-yard TD run by Shakir Bell. The Lions got a punt single to lead 15-14 at the half.
Edmonton grabbed its first lead of the game 4:30 into the third quarter on a 22-yard TD reception by Bowman.
The Eskimos conceded a safety to make it 21-17 before Richie Leone booted a 42-yard field goal for the Lions to cut the lead to one point.
The Lions inched back ahead midway through the fourth quarter on an 18-yard Leone field goal. Edmonton then went ahead 24-23 on a 19-yarder from Whyte with four minutes left in the game.
The Eskimos defence came up big on the next play as Deon Lacey picked off Jennings, leading to a 33-yard Whyte field goal with 36 seconds left to give Edmonton the victory.
EXTRA POINTS: It was the first meeting of the season for the West Division rivals . . . . The attendance for the game was 26,934.
Redblacks 29, Argos 12
OTTAWA — The Ottawa Redblacks needed a big game at home. They got it.
Chris Milo kicked five field goals and the Redblacks took over first place in the East Division on Friday with a 29-12 win over the visiting Toronto Argonauts.
Ottawa (6-5-1) won at home for just the second time in six attempts to move one point up on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who play in Saskatchewan today. The Redblacks also have a game in hand.
“It’s a great win. We’ve been dying to get one at home here and all three phases of the game did everything tonight,” Milo said.
“I thought the defence played extraordinary today pitching a shut out for most of the first half and that was pretty good against a team that had been scoring touchdowns left and right.”