CFL Gameday: Calgary at Edmonton (November 13)

It's a familiar scene set to unfold on the field at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday, two long time rivals battling it out for provincial bragging rights and as an added bonus a chance to move one step closer to a Grey Cup berth and a CFL championship

The Edmonton Eskimos play host to the southern cousins on Sunday as the Calgary Stampeders make the trek north to try and bring to an end the Eskimos pretty remarkable rebuilding year.

Calgary, as inconsistent as they have been this year were still in the hunt last week for hosting duties for the playoffs, holding up their end of the deal with a victory over Winnipeg and then settling in for some television viewing last Saturday only to watch the stars come out of alignment, sending them on what could be a three game road trip for a Grey Cup.

The Eskimos earned their semi final host status with a hard earned victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week, as good a live time practice session as Kavis Reed could have hoped for, though injuries from that game could have a huge impact on the Eskimos plans to move on to the Western final next week.

While the injury list will most likely be a closely guarded secret up until game time, Reed is still pulling out all the stops to motivate his squad onwards, keeping the focus of a championship season in full view through a number of options including bringing in past Eskimos to talk about the rich history of the Green and Gold and those playoff games of the past against the Stamps.

It's of those past experiences that the Eskimos hope to draw from, the history of their past charting a new course for their present and future.

The Stamps come into what should be a very loud Commonwealth Stadium with but one thing on their minds, crashing the party and moving on towards a goal that many thought was theirs for the taking this year a Grey Cup berth.

The Stamps however are featuring a different look from that which started the season, having turned to Drew Tate to move them out of their season long funk, a task which he seems to have taken to with relish and with the full confidence of his coach John Hufnagel.

While we here at Twelve Men originally thought that Hufnagel was perhaps playing his final motivation card on former starter Henry Burris, it's pretty clear now that there has been a changing of the guard in Calgary, the future it seems belongs to Tate and the future has a good chance to move on this Sunday.

An old fashioned Calgary - Edmonton show down in front of what will no doubt be the Eskimos largest crowd of the year and perhaps the largest crowd in the last few years,  it all makes for a pretty good weekend of football for the CFL.


Game Time 2 PM MT (1 PT, 4 ET) Commonwealth Stadium, TSN

Pre Game

Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos lean on rich history
Edmonton Journal-- Building successful team began in locker-room for Eskimos
Calgary Sun-- Stamps' Forzani growing into game
Calgary Herald-- Stamps have history on side
Globe and Mail-- Passing of the Stamps' torch to Tate?
National Post-- Reed, Tillman have Eskimos back on track

Quick Snaps Edmonton Eskimos
Quick Snaps Calgary Stampeders


Post Game


Calgary 19 at Edmonton 33
Attendance-- 30, 183


Edmonton advances to CFL West Final in Vancouver


Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos defence gets it done
Edmonton Journal-- Esks back where they belong in West final
Calgary Herald-- Stampeders lose CFLWest semifinal to Eskimos
Calgary Sun-- Stamps' season over
Globe and Mail-- Eskimos eliminate Stampeders
National Post-- Eskimos off to West final with win over Stampeders
Canada.com-- Eskimos can thank defence for West semifinal win