Reilly threw for 391 yards with three touchdown passes and three rushing majors with one interception.
Despite the Eskimos leading by 20 points entering the fourth quarter, the Stamps nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback orchestrated by quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and running back Romar Morris.
Mitchell found Morris for a pair of touchdowns in the final 15 minutes, narrowing the deficit to 48-42.
The game went down to the wire as Mitchell threw a Hail Mary pass with seven seconds remaining in the game, but Calgary fell just short of the comeback.
Mitchell finished the night with an astounding 491 yards with four touchdown passes, but also threw three picks during the game.
Turnovers were the demise of the Stamps, who gave up the ball an uncharacteristic seven times in just their second loss of the season.
MITCHELL’S 491 PASSING YARDS ON SATURDAY NIGHT WAS A CAREER-HIGH FOR THE 28-YEAR-OLD. PHOTO: Walter Tychnowicz
Both teams put on an offensive display in the opening quarter, racking up a combined five touchdowns in the first 15 minutes.
The Eskimos wasted no time getting on the board. On Edmonton’s first drive of the game, Reilly connected with Bryant Mitchell for a 35-yard gain. Reilly followed that up with a 42-yard strike to Duke Williams to set the Esks up just two yards short of the goal line. Reilly made the short plunge into the end zone to give the Esks an early 7-0 lead.
Mitchell responded by spotting DaVaris Daniels in stride on his first pass of the ensuing drive for a 77-yard touchdown. Daniels was able to get behind the Eskimos defence and run untouched into the end zone for the Stamps first major of the game to tie the match at seven apiece.
The Esks reclaimed the lead just a few minutes later after they were forced to punt the ball away following a two-and-out. Adam Konar tackled Stamps return man Terry Williams, forcing the ball lose. Natey Adjei recovered the fumble for Edmonton to give the Esks possession deep in Calgary territory.
Reilly took advantage of the field position by finding his favourite target Williams for a 29-yard touchdown.
The Esks weren’t done there. Reilly and his offence found themselves back on the field after defensive back Forrest Hightower picked off a pass from Mitchell.
Reilly capitalized on another Stamps turnover by finding Vidal Hazelton for another major to take a 21-7 lead.
Calgary cut into the deficit before the end of the first quarter. Stamps defensive back Tay Glover-Wright intercepted a pass by Reilly, setting Calgary up at Edmonton’s 23-yard line. Calgary’s offence made quick work of the short field. The drive was capped off by a three-yard touchdown run from Romar Morris to put the score at 21-14.
And that was just the first fifteen minute.
Sean Whyte pulled the Esks further ahead on the scoreboard with a long 52-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
Mitchell led a steady charge down the field on the ensuing drive, finding Reggie Begelton for two long gains. The Stamps decided to go for a touchdown on third down from the Esks’ three-yard line, but came up short.
It was the Stamps fourth turnover of the half.
Calgary made up for the lost opportunity before the end of the quarter when Mitchell connected with Marken Michel for a 41-yard touchdown to cut the Esks’ lead to 31-21 entering the half.
Whyte notched his second field goal of the game to open the scoring in the third quarter and pull the Eskimos further ahead.
However, on the next play of the game, Morris blew past the entire Eskimos defence for a long 75-yard rushing major to cut the lead to 34-28.
The Esks led as much as 48-28 early in the fourth quarter after a rushing touchdown from Reilly and an added major by Kenny Stafford.
The Stampeders refused to go down without a fight, outscoring the Esks 14-0 in the final quarter.
But it was too little too late for Calgary.
The Stamps travel to Hamilton next week to take on the Ticats, while the Eskimos enter their bye week on a high note.