Music: {allcanada} MITCHELL LOOKS TO TIE CFL RECORD AS ESKS HOST STAMPS ON TSN

Thursday, July 24, 2014

{allcanada} MITCHELL LOOKS TO TIE CFL RECORD AS ESKS HOST STAMPS ON TSN

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Calgary Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell will look to tie a CFL record tonight as the undefeated Stampeders travel to Edmonton to face the undefeated Eskimos.

A win would be Mitchell's seventh straight to begin his CFL career, which would tie the league mark currently held by former Stampeders star Jeff Garcia. The third-year pro has been solid for Calgary, having thrown for 781 yards with six TDs against no interceptions, joining Ottawa's Henry Burris as the only league starters not to have been picked off.

Mitchell also sports the CFL's top efficiency rating of 116.2.

You can catch the all the action tonight on TSN starting at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt.

On the other side of the ball, Mike Reilly and the surprising Edmonton Eskimos will look to go 5-0 on the season with a victory.

Last weekend, Reilly and Co., faced the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a battle of 3-0 clubs. Reilly threw for 192 yards and a TD and added a game-high 96 yards rushing while the Eskimos defence recorded five sacks en route to a convincing 26-3 victory.

Edmonton won just four games last year.

Reilly has played a big role in Edmonton's transformation. The second-year starter is third overall in passing yards (930) but has completed a solid 65.5 per cent of his passes and thrown a league-best eight touchdowns. He's also a dual threat, standing sixth overall in rushing with a team-leading 199 yards and is averaging 8.3 yards per attempt.

Reilly and Mitchell are also surrounded by a solid supporting cast. Edmonton and Calgary are both averaging over 100 yards rushing per game — an impressive accomplishment for the Stampeders considering they'll again be minus CFL MVP Jon Cornish (concussion).

Calgary has also done a solid job of protecting Mitchell, allowing a league-low three sacks.

Edmonton counters with a defence that's recorded a league-best 18 sacks, not a surprise given rookie head coach Chris Jones' reputation for being innovative in how he designs and disguises his pressure packages. The Eskimos have also recorded a CFL-leading nine interceptions, six more than their closest rival.

But Calgary's defence isn't exactly chopped liver, either. It's first overall in fewest points allowed (10 per game), touchdowns (one), rushing yards (71 per game), is tied with B.C. and Toronto for fewest rushing TDs (one) and hasn't surrendered a passing touchdown this season.

And although the Stampeders have 10 sacks — which leaves them tied for sixth overall with expansion Ottawa — they do still have Charleston Hughes, who posed a league-leading 18 sacks last year.

Calgary has dominated the series of late, having amassed a 15-5 head-to-head record dating back to '08, although 11 contests have been decided in the final three minutes. Here's expecting that trend to continue.

Calgary and Edmonton are the last two undefeated teams in the CFL.