Eskimos hammer Stampeders in West final behind Reilly's big day

There will be a new Grey Cup champion in 2015, as the Edmonton Eskimos eliminated the defending champion Calgary Stampeders on Sunday with a 45-31 victory in the West Division final.

Quarterback Mike Reilly was unstoppable, throwing for 370 yards and three touchdowns and adding two scores on the ground in front of a raucous crowd at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.

Bo Levi Mitchell led Calgary's offense with 381 yards through the air, but the Stampeders were no match for the Eskimos, who notched their ninth straight victory and punched their ticket to the Grey Cup for the first time since 2005.

Edmonton never trailed in the contest, leading 20-12 at the half thanks in part to Reilly's 15-yard touchdown strike to Adarius Bowman. Three minutes into the third frame, Kenny Stafford caught a 38-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 16, all but icing the victory.

The league's top-ranked defense showed it's steel when needed, forcing two Calgary fumbles, which the Eskimos offense converted to points on the other end.

The loss marks the end of Stampeders coach John Hufnagel's career on the sidelines, as he's expected to become the general manager next season.

Edmonton advances to the 103rd Grey Cup next weekend in Winnipeg to face the RedBlacks, a matchup favoring the Eskimos, who went 2-0 against Ottawa this season and dominated by a combined score of 69-29.