72nd Grey Cup


The 72nd Grey Cup was the 1984 Canadian Football League championship game, 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 - TDs, Willard Reaves, Joe Poplawski, Stan Mikawos, Jeff Boyd; FGs, Trevor Kennerd ; cons., Kennerd.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats - TDs, Dieter Brock, Rocky DiPietro; FGs, Bernie Ruoff; cons., Ruoff.
Most experts believed the contest was a mismatch, with the Blue Bombers heavily favoured. They turned out to be correct, but not before the Hamilton Tiger-Cats stunned the Bombers by jumping out to an early 17–3 lead. Winnipeg quarterback Tom Clements was ineffective in the opening 15 minutes, getting picked off twice by Felix Wright and Mark Streeter. Both interceptions led to Hamilton scores. Former Bomber 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 soon dominate and take over the game. Their initial points came on a 25-yard field goal by Trevor Kennerd to close out the opening quarter. In the second quarter, after Bernie Ruoff booted a 20-yard field goal to give the Ticats a 17–3 lead, the Bombers responded with a 27-point explosion to close out the half.
Clements, who played the entire contest with a rib injury, improved as the game wore on, completing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Joe Poplawski to give Winnipeg the lead for good.
The turning point came at 2:26 before halftime, when Brock was levelled by Winnipeg linebacker Tyrone Jones. The ball was jarred loose and nose tackle Stan Mikawos recovered the fumble 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 carries. His action was limited due to an injured shoulder, but he did rush for 64 yards. Bomber 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' TD runs.
Winnipeg's backup quarterback John Hufnagel tossed a four-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Boyd in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.

Trivia

West Division