79th Grey Cup

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.

Game Summary

Toronto Argonauts (36) - TDs, Ed Berry, 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 L.A. 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.

Trivia

* The temperature was -27 degrees Celsius (-17 Fahrenheit), making the game one of the coldest Grey Cup finals ever.

* 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 the Grey Cup game,) suffered the previous week in the East Final. He finally completed a Grey Cup victory from start to finish. Previously, he lost with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1986, was injured out of Edmonton's classic 1987 victory, lost a heartbreaker with the B.C. Lions in 1988, and later would lose with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1992 and was unable to play in the 1993 Grey Cup (due to injury, with Winnipeg.)

* Danny Barrett, 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 Cup game.

* Raghib 'Rocket' Ismail's 87 yard kickoff return is a Grey Cup record for kickoffs. Surpringly, Ismail (who went on to a long NFL career) admitted in a recent television interview on the CBC 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.

1991 CFL Playoffs

West Division

* Semi-final (November 10 @ Calgary, Alberta) Calgary Stampeders 43-41 British Columbia Lions
* Final (November 17 @ Edmonton, Alberta) Calgary Stampeders 38-36 Edmonton Eskimos

East Division

* Semi-final (November 10 @ Winnipeg, Manitoba) Winnipeg Blue Bombers 26-8 Ottawa Rough Riders

* Final (November 17 @ Toronto, Ontario) Toronto Argonauts 42-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers

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