WINNIPEG - The Edmonton Eskimos downed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 33-30 on Thursday in the second-longest game in CFL history.
When the final gun sounded at 1:17 a.m. CT, Edmonton kicker Sean Whyte had given his team a three-point victory after lightning forced two weather delays in the action at Investors Group Field.
Kickoff was at 7:35 p.m. and the total of the two delays was two hours and 55 minutes. The total time of the game was five hours and 42 minutes.
Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly ran in a pair of one-yard touchdowns, including one with 1:22 left in the game. He then connected with Nate Behar on a two-point convert to tie it 30-30.
Whyte kicked a 44-yard winning field goal with eight seconds to go.
Bombers rookie quarterback Chris Streveler threw three touchdown passes in his pro debut.
The longest game in CFL history was the league's 50th Grey Cup in 1962, nicknamed the Fog Bowl because fog caused the championship in Toronto between Hamilton and Winnipeg to be suspended on Dec. 1 with 9:29 left in the fourth quarter. It was finished the next day and the Bombers won 28-27.
In Thursday's game, the first delay was 83 minutes after play was stopped with 8:41 left in the second quarter with Edmonton ahead 17-7.
It re-started at 9:55, but lightning started flashing across the sky again and the game was stopped with 1:24 remaining in the second with the Eskimos up 19-14.
After a 92-minute delay, the game continued at 11:52 p.m. Halftime was cancelled. Attendance at Investors Group Field was announced at 25,458, but only a few thousand remained until the end.
Streveler was named the starter earlier in the week because Matt Nichols is out four to six weeks with an injured knee. He experienced a range of highs and lows - all in the first quarter.
The recent grad of the University of South Dakota was sacked on his first play, intercepted on his fourth one, but threw his first CFL touchdown to veteran receiver Weston Dressler at 9:03 of the first quarter to close Edmonton's lead 10-7.
The Crystal Lake, Ill., native threw his second touchdown pass at 13:36 of the second, this time a 22-yarder into the end zone to an open Darvin Adams that made it 19-14.
Winnipeg went ahead 20-19 on a 110-yard touchdown by defensive back Kevin Fogg as time expired in the second quarter.
Whyte went wide right on a 45-yard field goal attempt and Fogg took the ball all the way down the field. But on a two-point convert attempt, Streveler was intercepted by Eskimos safety Neil King.
Streveler notched his third TD pass with a 20-yard toss to his former University of Minnesota teammate Drew Wolitarsky at 3:33 of the third quarter. This time a Justin Medlock convert gave the Bombers a 27-19 lead.
After the kickers exchanged field goals, Fogg intercepted a Reilly pass in the end zone intended for D'haquille Williams.
Eskimos receiver Derel Walker opened the game's scoring at 3:26 of the first quarter when he caught a pass from Reilly and ran 49 more yards into the end zone for a 101-yard major. The four-year veteran's longest TD was a 104-yard reception in 2016.
Linebacker J.C. Sherritt intercepted Streveler, the turnover leading to Whtye's 52-yard field for the 10-0 lead at 5:41 of the first.
After Dressler's TD, Edmonton responded with Reilly keeping the ball for a one-yard score at 14:44 for a 17-7 lead.
Whyte was good on two converts and also field goals of 52 and 32 yards. Medlock made three converts, booted a 34-yard field goal and conceded a safety.
