79th Grey Cup
Encyclopedia
The 79th Grey Cup was the 1991
Canadian Football League
championship game played between the Toronto Argonauts
and the Calgary Stampeders
at Winnipeg Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Argonauts defeated the Stampeders 36-21 in an entertaining game.
, Darrell K. Smith
, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, Paul Masotti
; FGs Lance Chomyc
(2); cons., Chomyc
(4); singles Chomyc
(2).
Calgary Stampeders (21) - TDs, Danny Barrett
, Allen Pitts
; FGs, Mark McLoughlin
(2); cons., McLoughlin
(2); single. McLoughlin
.
First Quarter
TOR - TD Berry 50 yard interception return (Chomyc convert)
CGY - TD Barrett 1 yard run (McLoughlin convert)
TOR - Single by Chomyc
Second Quarter
TOR – FG Chomyc
CGY – FG McLoughlin
Third Quarter
CGY - Single McLoughlin
TOR - Single Chomyc
CGY - FG McLoughlin
TOR - TD Smith 48 yard pass from Dunigan (Chomyc convert)
Fourth Quarter
TOR - FG Chomyc
CGY - TD Pitts 12 yard pass from Barrett (McLoughlin convert)
TOR - TD Ismail 87 yard kickoff return (Chomyc convert)
TOR - TD Masotti 36 yard pass from Dunigan (Chomyc convert)
The Grey Cup
was held in Winnipeg for the first time, but it had more of a Hollywood feeling. The Toronto Argonauts
capped off a memorable season under the new ownership of Los Angeles Kings
owner Bruce McNall
, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky
and actor John Candy
with a win over Calgary.
The Argos started the game with a bang as defensive back Ed Berry
intercepted Calgary quarterback Danny Barrett
’s first pass attempt and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.
Barrett made up for this miscue late in the first quarter, calling his own number on a one-yard run over the goal line. Toronto led 8-7 after 15 minutes.
The teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, as the Argos carried their one-point lead into halftime.
The Toronto offence got kick started in the second half. With the Argos trailing 14-12 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter, quarterback Matt Dunigan
threw a 48-yard strike to Darrell K. Smith
, giving the Boatmen some life.
Reggie Pleasant
stepped in front of a Barrett pass in the fourth quarter, helping to set up a Lance Chomyc
field goal to make it a 22-14 score. It was Pleasant’s second interception of the game.
Calgary receiver Allen Pitts
’ narrowed the gap to 22-21 on a 12-yard touchdown reception. But Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, a much publicized pickup by the Argos in the off-season, returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown with 10:26 remaining, sealing Calgary’s fate.
Keyvan Jenkins
fumbled on the following kickoff, and Argos linebacker Keith Castello covered the ball to set up a 36-yard touchdown from Dunigan to Paul Masotti
to officially put an end to the game and their championship season.
1991 CFL season
The 1991 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 38th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 34th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1991:...
Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
championship game played between the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
and the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
at Winnipeg Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Argonauts defeated the Stampeders 36-21 in an entertaining game.
Game summary
Toronto Argonauts (36) - TDs, Ed BerryEd Berry
-Career:Berry was drafted in the seventh round of the 1986 NFL Draft and played that season with the team. The following season he played with the San Diego Chargers.He played at the collegiate level at Utah State University.-References:...
, Darrell K. Smith
Darrell K. Smith
Darrell K. Smith was a wide receiver and slotback who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League, mainly for the Toronto Argonauts. His move to the Edmonton Eskimos in 1993 was a part of the largest trade in CFL history, involving 16 players...
, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, Paul Masotti
Paul Masotti
Paul Masotti is a former professional Canadian football player and current front office executive with the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts...
; FGs Lance Chomyc
Lance Chomyc
Lance Chomyc is a former placekicker from 1985 to 1993 for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. In 1986 and 1991 he was a CFL All-Star. He now teaches English at Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie, Ontario....
(2); cons., Chomyc
Lance Chomyc
Lance Chomyc is a former placekicker from 1985 to 1993 for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. In 1986 and 1991 he was a CFL All-Star. He now teaches English at Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie, Ontario....
(4); singles Chomyc
Lance Chomyc
Lance Chomyc is a former placekicker from 1985 to 1993 for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. In 1986 and 1991 he was a CFL All-Star. He now teaches English at Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie, Ontario....
(2).
Calgary Stampeders (21) - TDs, Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett is a former Canadian Football League quarterback and former quarterbacks coach at the University at Buffalo. He was previously the head coach of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders....
, Allen Pitts
Allen Pitts
Allen Pitts was a receiver for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League from 1990 to 2000. He attended Cal-State Fullerton and played his entire professional career as a receiver for the Calgary Stampeders...
; FGs, Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin is a former placekicker in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 2003 and the BC Lions in 2005...
(2); cons., McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin is a former placekicker in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 2003 and the BC Lions in 2005...
(2); single. McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin is a former placekicker in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 2003 and the BC Lions in 2005...
.
First Quarter
TOR - TD Berry 50 yard interception return (Chomyc convert)
CGY - TD Barrett 1 yard run (McLoughlin convert)
TOR - Single by Chomyc
Second Quarter
TOR – FG Chomyc
CGY – FG McLoughlin
Third Quarter
CGY - Single McLoughlin
TOR - Single Chomyc
CGY - FG McLoughlin
TOR - TD Smith 48 yard pass from Dunigan (Chomyc convert)
Fourth Quarter
TOR - FG Chomyc
CGY - TD Pitts 12 yard pass from Barrett (McLoughlin convert)
TOR - TD Ismail 87 yard kickoff return (Chomyc convert)
TOR - TD Masotti 36 yard pass from Dunigan (Chomyc convert)
The Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
was held in Winnipeg for the first time, but it had more of a Hollywood feeling. The Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
capped off a memorable season under the new ownership of Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
owner Bruce McNall
Bruce McNall
Bruce Patrick McNall is a former Thoroughbred racehorse owner, and a sports executive who once owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League .McNall claimed to have made his initial fortune as a coin collector, though...
, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and actor John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
with a win over Calgary.
The Argos started the game with a bang as defensive back Ed Berry
Ed Berry
-Career:Berry was drafted in the seventh round of the 1986 NFL Draft and played that season with the team. The following season he played with the San Diego Chargers.He played at the collegiate level at Utah State University.-References:...
intercepted Calgary quarterback Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett is a former Canadian Football League quarterback and former quarterbacks coach at the University at Buffalo. He was previously the head coach of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders....
’s first pass attempt and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.
Barrett made up for this miscue late in the first quarter, calling his own number on a one-yard run over the goal line. Toronto led 8-7 after 15 minutes.
The teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, as the Argos carried their one-point lead into halftime.
The Toronto offence got kick started in the second half. With the Argos trailing 14-12 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter, quarterback Matt Dunigan
Matt Dunigan
Matt Dunigan is a former quarterback, coach, and executive in the Canadian Football League who is currently a CFL sportscaster for Canadian sports television channel TSN...
threw a 48-yard strike to Darrell K. Smith
Darrell K. Smith
Darrell K. Smith was a wide receiver and slotback who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League, mainly for the Toronto Argonauts. His move to the Edmonton Eskimos in 1993 was a part of the largest trade in CFL history, involving 16 players...
, giving the Boatmen some life.
Reggie Pleasant
Reggie Pleasant
Reginald Lecarno Pleasant is a former professional gridiron football defensive back. Playing collegiately for Clemson University, he then played in the Canadian Football League for eleven years with the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos. He won a Grey Cup with the Argonauts in 1991...
stepped in front of a Barrett pass in the fourth quarter, helping to set up a Lance Chomyc
Lance Chomyc
Lance Chomyc is a former placekicker from 1985 to 1993 for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. In 1986 and 1991 he was a CFL All-Star. He now teaches English at Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie, Ontario....
field goal to make it a 22-14 score. It was Pleasant’s second interception of the game.
Calgary receiver Allen Pitts
Allen Pitts
Allen Pitts was a receiver for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League from 1990 to 2000. He attended Cal-State Fullerton and played his entire professional career as a receiver for the Calgary Stampeders...
’ narrowed the gap to 22-21 on a 12-yard touchdown reception. But Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, a much publicized pickup by the Argos in the off-season, returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown with 10:26 remaining, sealing Calgary’s fate.
Keyvan Jenkins
Keyvan Jenkins
Keyvan Lewis Jenkins is a former running back who played 8 seasons in the Canadian Football League. He also played two seasons in the National Football League. He won the Grey Gup for the BC Lions in 1985, and with the Calgary Stampeders in 1992....
fumbled on the following kickoff, and Argos linebacker Keith Castello covered the ball to set up a 36-yard touchdown from Dunigan to Paul Masotti
Paul Masotti
Paul Masotti is a former professional Canadian football player and current front office executive with the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts...
to officially put an end to the game and their championship season.
Trivia
- The temperature at kickoff was -16 degrees Celsius (+3 Fahrenheit), making the game one of the coldest Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
finals ever.
- Matt DuniganMatt DuniganMatt Dunigan is a former quarterback, coach, and executive in the Canadian Football League who is currently a CFL sportscaster for Canadian sports television channel TSN...
, who completed only 12 of 29 passes, throwing for 142 yards, including two TD passes, was playing with a separated shoulder (frozen for the Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
game), suffered the previous week in the East Final. He finally completed a Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
victory from start to finish. Previously, he lost with the Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
in 1986, was injured out of EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
's classic 1987 victory, lost a heartbreaker with the BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
in 1988, and later would lose with the Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
in 1992 and was unable to play in the 1993 Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
(due to injury, with WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
).
- Danny BarrettDanny BarrettDanny Barrett is a former Canadian Football League quarterback and former quarterbacks coach at the University at Buffalo. He was previously the head coach of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders....
, who hit 34 of 56 passes for 377 yards and a TD, but also 3 interceptions, set records for passes attempted and completed in a Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
game.
- Raghib 'Rocket' IsmailRaghib IsmailRaghib Ramadian Ismail is a retired professional American and Canadian football player, who played Wide receiver in both the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame...
's 87 yard kickoff return is a Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
record for kickoffs. Surprisingly, Ismail (who went on to a long NFL career) admitted in a recent television interview on the CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
that he had not seen a replay of the return since the game (some 15 years earlier). The CBC provided him with a DVD copy of the game.
- Calgary had 28 first downs compared to Toronto’s seven. The Stampeders had 406 yards of total offence compared to 174 for the Argos.
- It was Toronto’s first title since 1983.
West Division
- Semi-final (November 10 @ Calgary, Alberta) Calgary StampedersCalgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
43-41 BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
- Final (November 17 @ Edmonton, Alberta) Calgary StampedersCalgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
38-36 Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
East Division
- Semi-final (November 10 @ Winnipeg, Manitoba) Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
26-8 Ottawa Rough RidersOttawa Rough RidersThe Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
- Final (November 17 @ Toronto, Ontario) Toronto ArgonautsToronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
42-3 Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...