Eskimos stay in playoff hunt

It took until October, but the Edmonton Eskimos finally feel like they have found their game.

Ricky Ray ran in a fourth quarter touchdown and passed for two more as the Eskimos kept their playoff hopes alive with a narrow 37-35 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday.

With Edmonton leading 37-29 late in the game, the Ticats marched down the field and scored on a nine-yard passing play from Kevin Glenn to Marquay McDaniel. However, the two-point convert attempt to tie the game failed.

It was the first time this season that the Eskimos (4-9) have won two games in a row. They remain two points behind third-place B.C. in the CFL West.

"That was probably our best performance of the whole year," Ray said. "Things are finally starting to come together for us. Early in the season it seemed like we couldn't do anything right. Now it feels like some positive things are starting to happen. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going."

Ray easily racked up the 28 passing yards he needed to become the 11th player in CFL history to reach the 35,000 mark.

Eskimos head coach Richie Hall said it is nice to see some of the swagger back in Ray's step.

"It's a big confidence boost," he said. "We need him to feel confident. When Ricky feels confident, the team feels confident."

The Ticats have lost two in a row to sit at 6-7. They squandered a two-touchdown lead in both games.

"We were up by 14 again just like we were last week and you have to get the next score and put them away when you are in that position," said Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille. "We let them back into the game.

"We just couldn't get the ball. I think they had nine more minutes of possession than us in the first half. We couldn't get any two and outs. That puts a lot of stress on your offence to be perfect."

Edmonton had a rough start to the game as Noel Prefontaine's 47-yard field goal attempt hit the uprights on their opening drive.

Hamilton made good on their first possession with a long drive capped off by a one-yard plunge by DeAndra Cobb shortly after a big 36-yard reception by Arland Bruce.

The Eskimos bounced back on their next possession with a prolonged drive of their own as Calvin McCarty reeled in a four-yard TD pass from Ray on a third down gamble to make it 7-7 with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter. It was Edmonton's first offensive touchdown in the first quarter since the second game of the season.

Hamilton regained the lead three minutes into the second frame as Glenn unleashed a 37--yard bomb to McDaniel in the end zone.

The Ticats went up 21-7 six minutes into the second as McCarty fumbled on a third down gamble and Stevie Baggs scooped it up and rambled 59 yards.

The Eskimos got back to within striking distance with five minutes left in the second as Fred Stamps caught a five-yard TD toss.

Just over a minute later the game was knotted up again as Rod Davis stepped in front of a Glenn pass and took it 22 yards into the end zone to make it a 21-21 game.

The two teams traded field goals in the final minute to make it 24-24 at the half.

The game slowed down a bit in the third until Edmonton struck for a field goal with six minutes remaining.

Edmonton quickly gave back two of those points on a bizarre play as Tristan Jackson attempted to field a punt at his own 10 but fumbled and bumbled the ball before eventually being tackled in the end zone for a safety.

The Eskimos got pinned into their own end to start the fourth and conceded another safety to trail 28-27, setting a league record for the most safeties conceded in a season at 12.

Edmonton caught a break two minutes into the final quarter as Greg Peach was able to strip the ball from Cobb and TJ Hill picked it up at the Hamilton 20, leading to a Prefontaine field goal to regain the lead.

Hamilton closed to within one on a punt single but Edmonton made it an eight point game with just under five minutes to play as a 45-yard reception by Fred Stamps set up a one-yard quarterback keeper by Ray to make it 37-29.

The two teams face each other again next Friday in Hamilton.