Since
this is Grey Cup week, I thought I’d give my list of the top ten best Grey Cup
games since 1975. I will start with some honourable mentions, then look at #10 to #7.
Honourable Mentions
1991: Toronto
Argonauts – 36, Calgary Stampeders – 21
This
game was close until the Argos’ special teams took over early in the fourth
quarter. With the score 22-21 Toronto, Raghib “The Rocket” Ismail returned a
punt 87 yards, putting the Argos up 29-21. The following kickoff was fumbled,
Toronto recovered, and QB Matt Dunigan threw a 36-yard pass to Paul Massotti to
bury the Stamps.
1995: Baltimore
Stallions – 37, Calgary Stampeders – 20
The first and only Grey Cup won
by an American based team, the Stallions were led by an 82-yard punt return by
Chris Wright, a four-yard fumble return by Alvin Walton and five Brian Huerta
field goals. The Stamps never really threatened Baltimore’s control of the
game.
2002: Montreal
Alouettes – 25, Edmonton Eskimos-16
Montreal won its first Grey Cup
since 1977. After being in contention since their re-incarnation in 1996, the
Alouettes were strong defensively during the game. The Eskimos trailed by eight
when they scored a touchdown with 19 seconds to play, but the two-point convert
attempt failed. Still, at 18-16, they still had a chance to win if they
recovered the onside kick. Instead, Montreal’s Jermaine Copeland grabbed the
onside attempt and raced 47 yards to the endzone with the game-clinching score.
Okay, now for the top 10 list:
#10. 2009: Montreal
Alouettes – 28, Saskatchewan Roughriders – 27
This will forever be remembered
for the game that the Roughriders won, if it were not for a
too-many-men-on-the-field penalty. Saskatchewan, who led by as many as 14
points at one point during the game, led by two with time winding down. The Als
lined up to kick a 43 yard field goal to win the game. But Montreal kicker
Damon Duval missed it wide right and the Saskatchewan players began to
celebrate.
However, the Roughriders had 13
men on the field and were penalized ten yards and Duval was given another
chance to win the game, this time a 33 yard attempt, which he hit, giving
Montreal their first cup win since 2002.
#9. 1998: Calgary
Stampeders – 26, Hamilton Tiger-Cats – 24
This was a back-and-forth game
which featured two All-Star quarter backs: Jeff Garcia for Calgary and Danny
McManus for Hamilton. Calgary led 4-3 at the end of the first quarter, and
Hamilton took a 16-10 lead at the half. After two single points for Hamilton
(one from a missed field goal, the other on a punt that went into the
Stampeders’ end zone), Calgary scored a TD on a Garcia run and the third
quarter ended with Hamilton ahead 18-17.
Two field goals by Calgary
kicker Mark McLaughlin put the Stamps up 23-18, but Hamilton scored the
go-ahead touchdown with three minutes remaining on a four-yard run by Ronald
Williams. The two-point conversion attempted was unsuccessful. Now trailing by
a point, Calgary drove down the field and McLaughlin kicked the winning field
goal as time expired.
#8. 1988: Winnipeg
Blue Bombers – 22, B.C. Lions – 21
While
the temperature wasn’t much of a factor in this Grey Cup game, held in
Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, the wind played havoc with the kicking and the
passing game all day. Tony Cherry scored the first major of the game when he
carried the ball in from 14 yards out, giving the Lions a 7-1 lead. Two Trevor
Kennard field goals tied the game at seven, but B.C. quarter back Matt Dunigan
threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to David Williams to put the Lions back on top,
14-7. Winnipeg QB Sean Salisbury led the Bombers on a touchdown drive of their
own to tie the score at 14.
From there, it was a contest of
field goals and single points as the Bombers eventually took a 22-19 lead as
time began to wind down. The Lions started what looked like a potential
game-winning drive as Dunigan led the team 75 yards down to the Winnipeg
seven-yard line. However, Dunigan’s pass on first-and-goal was batted up in the
air and intercepted by the Bombers’ Mike Gray to end the threat.
After Winnipeg conceded a safety
in favour of better field position, the Lions got the ball back for one last
chance, trailing 22-21. However, they never threatened again and Winnipeg won
their second Grey Cup Championship of the decade.
#7. 1976: Ottawa
Rough Riders – 23, Saskatchewan Roughriders – 20
This would be the final Grey Cup
Ottawa would ever win. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with
an early field goal, then a 79-yard touchdown on a punt return by Bill
Hatanaka. However, before the first half ended, Saskatchewan scored 17
unanswered points, led by two touchdowns from quarter back, Ron Lancaster and a
field goal. Steve Mazurak and Rob Richardson were the recipients of the
touchdown passes.
The two teams traded field goals
in the third quarter and Saskatchewan led 20-13 heading into the final fifteen
minutes of the game. Another Ottawa field goal cut the lead to 20-16, but were
stopped on a goal-line stand with just few minutes remaining by the
Saskatchewan defense. But Ottawa got the ball back, and found themselves on the
Green Riders’ 24-yard line with only 20 seconds left.
As Ottawa quarterback, Tom
Clements, dropped back to pass, receiver Tony Gabriel headed towards the
endzone on a post pattern, but quickly changed it into a corner route. The
Saskatchewan defender fell for the fake and Gabriel was wide open. Clements' pass was perfect and Ottawa had the touchdown needed to win the Grey Cup.
Follow us on Twitter at @topofthethird
Like us on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment