79th Grey Cup

79th Grey Cup

Toronto Argonauts Calgary Stampeders (13–5) (11–7) 36 21 Head coach: Adam Rita Head coach: Wally Buono
1 2 3 4 Total Toronto Argonauts 8 3 8 17 36 Calgary Stampeders 7 3 4 7 21
Date	November 24, 1991
Stadium	Winnipeg Stadium
Location	Winnipeg
Most Valuable Player	Raghib Ismail,WR (Argonauts)
Most Valuable Canadian	Dave Sapunjis,SB (Stampeders)
National anthem	Burton Cummings
Referee	Ken Lazaruk
Halftime show	Luba,Salute to 1992 Winter Olympic Athletes
Attendance	51,985
Broadcasters
Network	CBC,SRC
Announcers	(CBC)Don Wittman,Joe Galat,Steve Armitage,Brian Williams.

The79th Grey Cupwas the1991Canadian Football Leaguechampionship game played between theToronto Argonautsand theCalgary StampedersatWinnipeg StadiuminWinnipeg, Manitoba.The Argonauts defeated the Stampeders 36–21 in an entertaining game.

Game summary

Toronto Argonauts(36) - TDs,Ed Berry,Darrell K. Smith,Raghib "Rocket" Ismail,Paul Masotti;FGsLance Chomyc(2); cons.,Chomyc(4); singlesChomyc(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)
TOR - Single by Chomyc
CGY - TD Barrett 1 yard run (McLoughlin convert)

Second Quarter
CGY – FG McLoughlin
TOR – FG Chomyc

Third Quarter
CGY - Single McLoughlin
CGY - FG McLoughlin
TOR - Single Chomyc
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)

TheGrey Cupwas held in Winnipeg for the first time, but it had more of aHollywoodfeeling. TheToronto Argonautscapped off a memorable season under the new ownership ofLos Angeles KingsownerBruce McNall,hockey playerWayne Gretzkyand actorJohn Candywith a win over Calgary.

The Argos started the game with a bang as defensive backEd Berryintercepted Calgary quarterbackDanny 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, quarterbackMatt Duniganthrew a 48-yard strike toDarrell K. Smith,giving the Boatmen some life.

Reggie Pleasantstepped in front of a Barrett pass in the fourth quarter, helping to set up aLance Chomycfield goal to make it a 22–14 score. It was Pleasant's second interception of the game.

Calgary receiverAllen Pitts' narrowed the gap to 22–21 on a 12-yard touchdown reception. ButRaghib "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 Jenkinsfumbled on the following kickoff, and Argos linebacker Keith Castello covered the ball to set up a 36-yard touchdown from Dunigan toPaul Masottito officially put an end to the game and their championship season.

Trivia

• The temperature at kickoff was -16 °C (3 °F), making the game the coldestGrey Cupfinal.
• The 1991 game is, to date, the lastGrey Cupcompleted in daylight.
• Matt Dunigan,who completed only 12 of 29 passes, throwing for 142 yards, including two TD passes, was playing with a separated shoulder (frozen for theGrey Cupgame), suffered the previous week in the East Final. He finally completed aGrey Cupvictory from start to finish. Previously, he lost with theEdmonton Eskimosin 1986, was injured out ofEdmonton's classic 1987 victory, lost with theBC Lionsin 1988 to the Blue Bombers, and later would lose with theWinnipeg Blue Bombersin 1992 and was unable to play in the 1993Grey Cup(due to injury, withWinnipeg).
• Danny Barrett,who hit 34 of 56 passes for 377 yards and a touchdown, but also 3 interceptions, set records for passes attempted and completed in aGrey Cupgame.
• Raghib 'Rocket' Ismail's 87 yard kickoff return is aGrey Cuprecord for kickoffs. Surprisingly, Ismail (who went on to a longNFLcareer) admitted in a recent television interview on theCBCthat 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.
• This was the first Grey Cup game since 1973 that a single Most Valuable Player award was given out; from 1974 to 1990, two awards were given one (one to an offensive player, one to a defensive player).
• 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 the Toronto Argonauts's first Grey Cup championship since1983.
• The CFL originally only engraved McNall's name on the Grey Cup as the Argos' owner. The names of Gretzky and (the by then-deceased) Candy were added in 2007. Gretzky is one of five people to have his name engraved on both theStanley Cupand the Grey Cup (the other four areLionel Conacher,Carl Voss,Joe MillerandNormie Kwong).
• With the shutdown of the league-runCanadian Football Networkbroadcast service after the end of the previous season, this was the first Grey Cup game to be broadcast on only one network since1960,CBC Television. All Grey Cup games since have been broadcast on CBC or, since 2008, TSN.

1991 CFL Playoffs

West Division

• Semi-final (November 10 @Calgary, Alberta)Calgary Stampeders43-41BC Lions
• Final (November 17 @Edmonton, Alberta)Calgary Stampeders38-36Edmonton Eskimos

East Division

• Semi-final (November 10 @Winnipeg, Manitoba)Winnipeg Blue Bombers26-8Ottawa Rough Riders
• Final (November 17 @Toronto, Ontario)Toronto Argonauts42-3Winnipeg Blue Bombers

External links

• "Grey Cup: 1991".Canadian Football League. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-08-19.Retrieved2017-08-23.