TORONTO QUARTERBACK RICKY RAY IS MOBBED BY TEAMMATES AFTER THE ARGONAUTS WON THE 105TH GREY CUP 27-24 OVER THE CALGARY STAMPEDERS SUNDAY IN OTTAWA.
STAMPEDERS DENIED FOR SECOND YEAR RUNNING AS RAY AND COMPANY COME FROM BEHIND TO WIN
That’s what makes the Canadian Football League wonderfully unique, a treasure in north of the border.
Once again the Grey Cup delivered in drama ... and in snow.
With snowflakes falling from the skies on Sunday in the nation’s capital, in front of 36,154 fans, the Toronto Argonauts beat the Calgary Stampeders 27- 24 at TD Place stadium.
Toronto, which won the East Division with a 9-9 record, barely ahead of the Ottawa Redblacks, went toe-totoe with the 13- 4-1 Stampeders, who lost last year’s Grey Cup 39- 33 to the Redblacks in overtime.
It was Bo Levi Mitchell vs. Ricky Ray. The favoured Stampeders against t he underdog Argos.
The back- breaker? With less than five minutes remaining and Calgary marching, Kamar Jorden fumbled on the Toronto one and it was scooped up by Cassius Vaughn and run 109 yards into the Calgary end zone. Incredible. Declan Cross caught the two-point convert pass. Tie game, 24-24. After a 32-yard field goal by Lirim Hajrallahu with 49 seconds left, Jorden caught a long one to give Calgary the ball at the Argos 30. But Mitchell tossed an interception and it was game over.
An army of snow shovellers and a couple of plows tried to keep key areas of the field uncovered. After Shania Twain finished her halftime set and her stage setup was removed, the game was delayed while some bigger snowplows removed a dusting of snow from the surface of the turf.
Heading into the game, the Stampeders had struggled in their games in Ottawa, tying the Redblacks 31- 31 this year, tying 26-26 in 2016 and losing 29-26 in 2015.
The Stampeders t ook a 6- 0 lead into the second quarter. After a 29-yard pass completion to DaVaris Daniels, Jorden found some open space and jogged into the end zone from 33 yards out. The two- point conversion failed when Mitchell’s pass ricocheted off the crossbar.
Following a terrific linedrive punt by Rob Maver, a kick which bounced out of bounds on the Toronto 10- yard l i ne, Ray l ooped a pass just over the hands of defensive back Tommie Campbell and DeVier Posey, who initially stumbled off the line of scrimmage, raced 100 yards for a touchdown. Hajrullahu missed the convert kick. The catch set a record for the longest catch in Grey Cup history, a yard better than Pat Woodcock’s 99-yarder from Anthony Calvillo in 2002 with the Montreal Alouettes.
With 10: 08 l eft in the second quarter, Calgary’s Jerome Messam plowed his way into the end zone. The Stampeders got the twopoint convert on a catch by Daniels.
Calgary punter Rob Maver booted the ball through his own end zone after a snap sailed over his head in his own territory — giving the Argonauts a safety and two points.
With 20 seconds left in the first half, Calgary’s Juwan Brescacin fumbled and the ball sat on top of the snow for a couple of seconds before the receiver managed to pounce on his own drop. It gave the Stampeders an opportunity to boot a field goal and Rene Paredes connected from 39 yards out on the final play of the half. It was 17-8 at the break.
The Argos cut into the lead on their first possession of the second half when James Wilder Jr. leaned into the end zone on a two- yard run. Ray found Declan Cross open for the two- point convert and it was 17-16.
The Stampeders, after a coach’s challenge on pass interference, got the ball on the Toronto six- yard line with 6: 19 left in the third quarter. Messam swung out of the backfield and caught a touchdown pass from Mitchell. The convert gave the Stampeders an eight- point lead.
Ray found SJ Green for a 31- yard completion, moving the Argos to midfield. Ray tried to find Green again, but the refs missed what should have been an obvious interference call. The Argos didn’t have their challenge left after wasting it on a 10- yard illegal contact penalty in the second quarter.
The Stampeders got a big break when punt returner Roy Finch tried to dive forward and draw a no- yards penalty. The ball popped out, was knocked backwards and was pounced on by Alex Singleton in a pile of bodies. A 50- yard pass completion to Marken Michel gave Calgary the ball in Toronto territory and an illegal contact penalty moved the ball to the Toronto 23. But the Jorden fumble gave the Argos a shot.