72nd Grey Cup

The 72nd Grey Cup was the 1984 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Blue Bombers dominated the Tiger-Cats in a 47-17 victory.

Game summary

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (47) - TDs, Willard Reaves (2), Joe Poplawski, Stan Mikawos, Jeff Boyd; FGs, Trevor Kennerd (4); cons., Kennerd (5).

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (17) - TDs, Dieter Brock, Rocky DiPietro; FGs, Bernie Ruoff; cons., Ruoff (2).

Before the game, most of the experts believed this was a mismatch on paper, and they turned out to be correct.

But not before the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, surprised Winnipeg, and its fans, by jumping to an early 14-3 first quarter lead. Winnipeg's quarterback, Tom Clements was ineffective in the opening 15 minutes, getting picked off two times by Felix Wright and Mark Streeter. Both interceptions led to Hamilton scores. Former Bombers pivot Dieter Brock scored on a 15-yard scamper, and completed a seven-yard pass to Rocky DiPietro for the other major.

But the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would eventually dominate and take over the game. The Bombers' got their initial points on a 25-yard field goal by Trevor Kennerd to close out the opening quarter, then went on to score 27 points in the second quarter.

Clements improved as the game wore on, completing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Joe Poplawski to put Winnipeg in the lead for good. Clements played the game with a rib injury.

The turning point of the game came 2:26 before halftime when Brock was levelled by Winnipeg linebacker Tyrone Jones. The ball was knocked loose and nose tackle Stan Mikawos picked up a loose football and ran 22 yards for a touchdown. This put the Bombers in front 24-17.

Willard Reaves, the CFL Most Outstanding Player, scored a pair of touchdowns on three-yard runs. His action was limited due to an injured shoulder, but did rush for 64 yards.

Winnipeg's backup quarterback John Hufnagel completed a four-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Boyd in the fourth quarter to complete the rout.

Bombers cornerback, David Shaw intercepted a Brock pass in the second quarter, returning the ball 26 yards to the Hamilton 28 to help set up one of Reaves’ scores.

Bernie Ruoff booted a 20-yard field goal for Hamilton in the second quarter. Kennerd kicked four field goals for Winnipeg.

Winnipeg scored 44 unanswered points, shutting out the Ticats in the final 30 minutes.

Trivia

• The game pitted two all star quarterbacks, Brock and Clements, (winners of the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award) that had been recently traded for each other.
• This was the first Grey Cup game in Edmonton, played in -10ºC (14ºF) weather.
• Winnipeg's 27 points in the second quarter was a new Grey Cup record for most points in a quarter. However, the Blue Bombers would eventually break that record in the 1990 Grey Cup game when they ended up scoring 28 points in the third quarter of that game.
• This was the first Grey Cup win for the Bombers since 1962, and their most recent Grey Cup win and appearance as a West Division team.
• This was also the first Grey Cup game played on a natural surface since the 1970 Grey Cup; since then, three more Grey Cup final games would be played on a natural surface after this one, with two being played at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, in 1996 and 2002. Toronto's BMO Field hosted to the Grey Cup game on a natural surface in 2016.

1984 CFL Playoffs

West Division

• Semi-final (November 4 @ Winnipeg, Manitoba) Winnipeg Blue Bombers 55-20 Edmonton Eskimos
• Final (November 11 @ Vancouver, British Columbia) Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31-14 BC Lions

East Division

• Semi-final (November 4 @ Hamilton, Ontario) Hamilton Tiger-Cats 17-11 Montreal Concordes
• Final (November 11 @ Toronto, Ontario) Hamilton Tiger-Cats 14-13 Toronto Argonauts OT

External links

• "Grey Cup: 1984". Canadian Football League.