Jon Cornish rushes for two scores, leads Stampeders over Eskimos

Calgary, AB, Canada (4E Sports) – League’s top rusher Jon Cornish ran for 180 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns to lift the Calgary Stampeders to a 39-15 win over the Edmonton Eskimos Friday at McMahon Stadium.

The win helped the Stampeders improve to 8-5, good for second in the West Division, while the loss was the fifth straight for the Eskimos, who dropped to 5-8.

Cornish scored the first points of the game when he broke through the first wave of tacklers then raced to the endzone untouched for a 73-yard touchdown that brought him over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the year.

He became the eighth Canadian-born player to reach the mark behind Eskimos running back Jerome Messam, who accomplished the feat last season.

After Cornish’s touchdown, Stampeders quarterback found receiver Joe West for a 30-yard gain before delivering a strike down the field to a wide-open Johnny Forzani for a 44-yard score and a 14-0 lead.

The Eskimos later cut the lead to 14-7 behind an impressive 51-yard kick return by defensive back Weldon Brown.

But the Eskimos failed to contain Cornish, whose last big run set up an 11-yard field goal by Rene Paredes field goal to extend Calgary’s lead to 17-7. Paredes later buried another field goal as time expired for a 20-7 Stampeders’ advantage.

The Stampeders extended their lead to 25-8 in the second half but Eskimos quarterback Matt Nichols scored on a 17-yard touchdown run to cap a nine-play, 70-yard drive and cut the deficit to 25-15.

Cornish then responded with a one-yard score that ended a seven-play, 71-yard possession to extend the lead to 32-15.

The Stampeders put the game out of reach when Nik Lewis hauled in a five-yard pass from Glenn to put Calgary ahead by 39-15.

Glenn would hand the rest of the game over to reserve Bo-Levi Mitchell after completing 21 of 28 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Another bright spot for the Stampeders was wide receiver Joe West, who had a career-high six receptions for 135 yards.

Nichols, who got the start after Steven Jyles and Kerry Joseph were sidelined with injuries, finished the game 14 of 26 for 167 with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown.

Earlier, the Canadian Football League fined the Edmonton Eskimos $1,000 for having an ineligible player participate in practice.

The player was not eligible to practice with the club because he did not have a registered contract with the league office.

---

---