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Eskimos head to playoffs with win over hopeful Lions

Fri 6th, November 2009

Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Arkee Whitlock carried the ball 20 times for 165 yards and scored two of Edmonton's five rushing touchdowns, as the Eskimos clinched a playoff spot with a 45-13 rout of the British Columbia Lions at BC Place Stadium.

Ricky Ray completed 19-of-26 passes for 248 yards, a touchdown, and an interception for the 13-time Grey Cup champion Eskimos (9-9), who captured the third spot in the West with the victory. Ray also had two rushing TDs. Calvin McCarty carried the ball 10 times for 81 yards and a score. Efrem Hill caught four passes for 24 yards and a score, while Fred Stamps hauled in six balls for 102 yards for the victors.

Martell Mallett rushed for 69 yards and a score on 12 carries for the Lions (8-10), whose only shot at making the playoffs relies on the Hamilton Tiger- Cats defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday. British Columbia suffered a blow at the quarterback position on Friday, as Casey Printers (finger) and Buck Pierce (shoulder) left with injuries. Zac Champion connected on 4-of-14 passes for 35 yards and two interceptions in defeat.

Edmonton took control of the game with a 14-point third quarter. Ray's one- yard TD run ended a five-play, 74-yard march and gave the Eskimos a 31-13 lead midway through the period. Whitlock's 15-yard touchdown run near the end of the frame put Edmonton ahead 38-13.

Mccarty's five-yard TD run accounted for the only scoring in the fourth frame.

The Lions capitalized on a turnover to score the first points of the contest. After Miles intercepted a Ray pass, British Columbia put together an 11-play, 39-yard drive that Paul Mccallum capped with a 21-yard field goal with about 5 1/2 minutes to go in the first.

Edmonton responded as Whitlock topped off an 11-play, 79-yard drive with a 13- yard TD run to give the Eskimos a 7-3 lead after one period. A 43-yarder by McCallum and a 35-yard Noel Prefontaine field goal made it a 10-6 game in favor of Edmonton with less than eight minutes left until half.

A Ryan Grice-Mullen 73-yard kickoff return set up a five-yard Mallett touchdown run to put BC ahead 13-10 with less than five minutes to go in the second.

Skyler Green's 62-yard kickoff return led to Ray's one-yard TD run. Hill then hauled in a four-yard TD catch before the half to give the Eskimos a 24-13 lead.

Game Notes

The Eskimos had 260 yards on the ground, compared to 84 for the Lions...Edmonton outgained BC, 507-180...The Eskimos' five rushing TDs Friday was a 2009 CFL season best...Pierce completed 5-of-11 passes for 60 yards, while Printers connected on 2-of-3 passes for 10 yards.