The Ottawa REDBLACKS are Grey Cup champions.
Henry Burris' 18-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Jackson on Ottawa's first possession in overtime was the difference, as the REDBLACKS won 39-33 over the Calgary Stampeders at BMO Field in Toronto Sunday night.
Burris, who was named the game's MVP, threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more. But none was bigger than the one to Jackson, who bobbled the ball twice before securing it in the endzone.
It almost didn't happen for Burris. Before the game, the 41-year-old tweaked his knee and there were reports that Trevor Harris was going to start at QB. But Burris came running out of the locker room and played the entire game.
“There was almost a situation where I wasn't able to play today. My knee locked up on me before the game, I mean I wouldn't have been able to accept that,” Burris said when interviewed by TSN after receiving his MVP award.
“But you know what? For all those haters out there, their organizations haven't won a Grey Cup in decades, but ours, in three years, here we are, Grey Cup champions.”
The Ottawa defence also had a big game, containing Mitchell, the CFL's Most Outstanding Player, and the Calgary offence. Forrest Hightower picked off Mitchell twice and Abdul Kanneh made a shoe-string tackle on Stampeders' back up quarterback Andrew Buckley late in the game to prevent Calgary from converting the go-ahead score.
The REDBLACKS win the CFL championship in just their third season since returning to the league in 2014. It's the first time in 40 years an Ottawa CFL franchise has won the Grey Cup.
The team will return to the capital today. The team plane will arrive at the Avitat airport around 10:45 am. Players and staff will be bussed to Lansdowne from there. The team is encouraging fans to be at TD Place, where they're expected to arrive around 11:30 am.
A Grey Cup parade is set for Tuesday. Mayor Jim Watson tweeted the parade will start at 12:00 pm at the Pretoria Bridge.
Report by CTV Ottawa, with files from the Canadian Press