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Edmonton gets by BC for first win of season

Fri 30th, July 2010

Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Ricky Ray threw for 360 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Edmonton Eskimos outlasted the British Columbia Lions, 28-25, at Commonwealth Stadium in Alberta.

Ray completed 25-of-34 pass attempts with one interception for Edmonton (1-4), which was off to its worst start since 1965. Kelly Campbell and Andre Talbot each pulled in a touchdown pass, while Fred Stamps had 118 yards receiving. Noel Prefontaine made 4-of-5 field goals in the victory.

Travis Lulay, making his second CFL start, threw for 134 yards and rushed for 62 more and a score for BC (1-4), which dropped its fourth game in a row following a season-opening win over Edmonton. Lulay committed three costly turnovers, including a pair in the final three minutes.

"These are things that catch up to you, and tonight they did," Lions head coach Wally Buono said of the turnovers. "You pay the price for inexperience."

The defenses took center stage in the first quarter, as neither team had much success moving the ball and both clubs settled for a long field goal.

The Eskimos struck first when Prefontaine connected on a 46-yarder on the team's initial possession.

After three straight two-and-out series to start the game, BC was finally able to move the ball, with Paul McCallum tying things up on a 45-yard field goal with 3:12 left in the opening quarter.

Edmonton's offense showed some life at the start of the second quarter, driving 70 yards deep into BC territory before stalling and settling for a 16- yard field goal from Prefontaine.

Midway through the second quarter the weather started to impact the game, as rain and whipping winds intensified. The Lions countered the conditions by turning to the run game and it paid immediate dividends. Robertson first ripped off a 71-yard run, his longest of the season, before Lulay capped the 99-yard drive with a nine-yard scamper to the end zone.

After BC grabbed the 10-6 lead with 3:12 left, the game was delayed because of lightening. The teams went into the intermission and resumed the second quarter following a full halftime break. There was no break between the second and third quarter.

Once the game resumed, neither team was able to score before the end of the half, though Edmonton had a shot at a field goal. Prefontaine, however, missed a 46-yard attempt on the last play and BC returned the kick, but for just 18 yards.

The Eskimos got the ball to start the third quarter and moved quickly into BC territory thanks to a 52-yard pass from Ray to Stamps. Edmonton though, was unable to continue its momentum and Prefontaine was summoned for his third field goal, a 35-yarder.

Following an interception by Chris Thompson at the BC 42-yard line, Edmonton's offense went right back to work and this time finished a drive with a touchdown. Ray connected on all three of his pass attempts, including a seven- yard scoring strike to Campbell that gave the Eskimos a 16-10 lead with 9:22 to go in the third.

BC's struggles continued on the ensuing possession, as a poor kickoff return and a 10-yard penalty pinned the Lions inside their own 10-yard line. After two straight incomplete passes, BC elected to take a safety instead of punting deep in its own territory.

The safety gave the ball back right back to Edmonton, which continued to carve up the BC defense. The Eskimos moved the ball down to the BC four-yard line on just three plays before finding themselves in a third-and-goal situation from the one-yard line. Edmonton elected to go for the touchdown instead of the sure field goal and Ray was stopped short on a quarterback-sneak, keeping hope alive for the Lions.

BC's defense then came up big on the first play of the fourth quarter, as Davis Sanchez picked off Ray and returned the interception 54 yards for a score.

Edmonton fought back in the face of adversity, responding on the ensuing drive with a 35-yard field goal by Prefontaine for a 21-17 advantage.

McCallum then missed a 42-yard field goal for BC, but a penalty on the return pinned the Eskimos deep in their territory. After failing to move the ball, Edmonton took a safety.

The safety proved costly in more ways then one, as Yonus Davis, who was making his pro debut, returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. The Lions were unsuccessful on the two-point try, leaving them with a 25-21 lead with 8:04 remaining.

The seesaw battle continued, with Edmonton answering the call on the very next drive. The Eskimos put together a seven-play, 71-yard drive which was capped with a nine-yard scoring strike from Ray to Talbot with 3:57 remaining. The key to the drive was a swing pass from Ray to Campbell, who eluded several defenders for a 46-yard gain.

The Lions tried to respond, but Lulay was intercepted for the second time by Thompson at midfield. BC's defense then forced an Edmonton punt, giving the Lions the ball at their own 15-yard line with 1:36 to play. The Lions were able to move the ball into field-goal position, but Lulay was stripped and the Eskimos recovered with just under a minute left to seal the deal.

"I'm happy for the guys because they battled," Edmonton head coach Richie Hall said. "If you play good defense, you always have a chance...I thought our guys played hard for all four quarters."

Game Notes

The Eskimos snapped a five-game slide that dated back to last year...Chris Thompson now has a league-high five interceptions, including one in each of the past four games...Edmonton's Arkee Whitlock led all players with 102 rushing yards on 18 carries...BC had won four the last five meetings in the series, including a 25-10 triumph in Edmonton back on July 4th...The Lions managed just 264 total yards in the game.