42nd Grey Cup
Encyclopedia
The 42nd Grey Cup
football game was played on November 27, 1954, before a full house (27,321 in attendance) at Varsity Stadium
in Toronto
, Canada
.
The underdog Edmonton Eskimos
won a contest over the Montreal Alouettes
by the score of 26 to 25. The game, replete with record performances and a touch of controversy, is considered one of the finest Grey Cup
games ever.
Edmonton – TD – Earl Lindley
4-yard pass from Rollie Miles
(Bob Dean
convert)
Montreal – TD – Red O'Quinn 90-yard pass from Sam Etcheverry
(Ray Poole
convert)
Edmonton – TD – Bernie Faloney
1-yard run (convert no good)
Second Quarter
Edmonton – FG – Bob Dean
37 yards
Montreal – TD – Red O'Quinn 14-yard pass from Sam Etcheverry
(Ray Poole
convert)
Montreal – TD – Chuck Hunsinger
8-yard run (Ray Poole convert)
Third Quarter
Montreal – Rouge – Ray Poole
17-yard missed FG
Fourth Quarter
Montreal – TD – Joey Pal
13-yard pass from Sam Etcheverry
(Ray Poole
convert)
Edmonton – TD – Glenn Lippman 14-yard run (Bob Dean
convert)
Edmonton – TD – Jackie Parker
90-yard fumble return (Bob Dean
convert)
were led by their record-breaking quarterback Sam Etcheverry
, who teamed with receiver Johnny "Red" O'Quinn to form one of Canadian football's legendary pass-and-catch tandems. When combined with an all-star lineup, including Alex Webster, Hal Patterson, Joey Pal
, the hulking Tex Coulter
and Herb Trawick
, the Als won 11 games against 3 losses, and swept the Hamilton Tiger Cats in both playoff games. Though not favoured, Edmonton's appearance was no fluke, as their 11-win-and-5-loss record attests. They beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
2 games to 1 in the division final series. Led by a future Hall of Fame backfield that included quarterback Bernie Faloney
, Jackie Parker
, Normie Kwong
and Rollie Miles
, they were all the more dangerous given that both Parker and Miles could throw on the option as effectively as their nominal quarterback.
Edmonton opened with an impressive field-long drive that ended with a Miles to Earl Lindley
passing touchdown. Most impressive was that Miles, Faloney and Parker all took turns passing the ball, with the backs regularly utilizing the option. Normie Kwong took responsibility for the north-south running game, for which he, with his low centre of gravity, was so well suited.
The Alouettes responded quickly and spectacularly, with a 90-yard pass-and-run touchdown. Etcheverry threw his "jump" pass, which was literally a pass thrown at the top of a leap taken right after the snap and right behind the centre. His quick release allowed him to hit a streaking O'Quinn about 10 to 15 yards into the secondary, and being on the fly, it caught the Eskimos flat-footed. Jackie Parker
, no slouch himself when it came to fleet feet and spaghetti legs, actually caught O'Quinn at the three-yard line, but Red managed to slide to a touchdown. Under today's rules he would have been considered tackled.
Picking up where they left off, the Eskimos engineered another impressive drive, which led to a Faloney one-yard touchdown plunge. This was aided by a pass interference call, in a game where there were few penalties called. Faloney took a high snap on the convert and could not run it in.
The Alouettes showed their expertise in the second quarter. After an Eskimos field goal from Bob Dean
, the Larks produced two touchdowns. The first drive ended with yet another O'Quinn reception. The second came at the hands and feet of former NFL first-round draft choice Chuck Hunsinger
, on an eight-yard run.
In the third quarter the Als could muster only a single rouge on a missed field goal.
Into the fourth quarter Joey Pal hauled in a bullet Etcheverry pass to put the Als up 25 to 14.
The Eskimos came back to life with a drive that ended with a slashing Glenn Lippman reverse field dash for a touchdown.
Not to be outdone, the Als marched right back down the field. With first and ten on the Eskimos' 10-yard line and three minutes remaining, Etcheverry handed the ball off to Hunsinger, who was almost immediately corralled about 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage. In the game's most famous and controversial play he apparently fumbled and Parker snagged the ball on the 20-yard line, in full flight. Etcheverry had no chance to catch him, and he ran 90 yards for the touchdown. With Dean's convert, the score was 26 to 25.
There were still three minutes left in the game, and Etcheverry quickly moved his team downfield. Etcheverry passed to Red O'Quinn at the Eskimos 35-yard line and he quickly spun to face downfield. He was hit and the ball fell to the ground, to be recovered by the Eskimos, who held on to win.
history, and certainly of Jackie Parker
's storied career, was the Chuck Hunsinger
fumble.
However some fans and analysts question whether it was really a fumble at all. Close examination of the game film shows the ball apparently propelled towards the back of the Alouette who is about 5 yards ahead of Hunsinger. This would be his lineman, Ray Cicia. Cicia had his back to Hunsinger, and being an offensive lineman, was an ineligible receiver, but if Hunsinger did attempt to pass the ball, the play should have been whistled dead and Montreal given a penalty. Had Montreal retained possession they would have almost certainly scored at least a single.
While Hunsinger has gone down in Grey Cup
lore as the "goat" of the game, this is most certainly an unfair conclusion. Many forget that it was Red O'Quinn's fumble that sealed the Als' fate and even this fumble is controversial. Als supporters argue that O'Quinn didn't have possession of the ball, and it was an incomplete pass, not a fumble.
records from this game that still stand today. Jackie Parker's classic 90-yard fumble recovery is still the longest ever. Red O'Quinn's amazing 13 receptions for 316 yards has not been equalled. Montreal's 656 yards total offence is still the best team performance.
This was the first Grey Cup
game to be broadcast on television, by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.(CBC)
The cold and increasing muddy field conditions contributed to the many fumbles and interceptions that occurred.
This was the first of 11 Grey Cup
clashes between Edmonton and Montreal. The Eskimos have won in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2003 and 2005's overtime thriller. The Larks have prevailed in 1974, the Ice Bowl of 1977, and 2002.
The Eskimos versus Alouettes rivalry is one of the most enduring and exciting in modern Canadian professional sports. Contrasted to another famous match up, the Montreal Canadiens versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (who have met in the Stanley Cup final only 5 times, and last in 1967), the hockey clash seems bland by comparison.
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
football game was played on November 27, 1954, before a full house (27,321 in attendance) at Varsity Stadium
Varsity Stadium
Varsity Stadium is a collegiate football stadium that is home to the Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While the present structure was built in 2007, it is in fact the third major incarnation of the stadium that has occupied the same site...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The underdog Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
won a contest over the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
by the score of 26 to 25. The game, replete with record performances and a touch of controversy, is considered one of the finest Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
games ever.
Box score
First QuarterEdmonton – TD – Earl Lindley
Earl Lindley
Earl Lindley was a professional Canadian football player in 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957. During his playing career, he was tall and weighed . He participated in three Grey Cups in 1954, 1955 and 1956...
4-yard pass from Rollie Miles
Rollie Miles
Elmer Roland "Rollie" Miles was a professional football player for the Canadian Football League Edmonton Eskimos. Miles played offence , defence , and special teams , during his eleven career with the Eskimos...
(Bob Dean
Bob Dean
Bob Dean was a kicker and two-way lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.Dean played college football at the University of Maryland, where he lettered from 1948 to 1950. He graduated with a BA degree in education. He enjoyed three highly successful years with the Eskimos...
convert)
Montreal – TD – Red O'Quinn 90-yard pass from Sam Etcheverry
Sam Etcheverry
Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry was a professional American and Canadian football player and head coach. Etcheverry played the quarterback position, most famously with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and was named Canadian football's Most Outstanding Player in 1954...
(Ray Poole
Ray Poole
Ray Smith Poole was an American offensive and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants from 1947 to 1952. Born in Gloster, Mississippi, he graduated from Crosby High School in Crosby, Mississippi, then attended the University of North Carolina before...
convert)
Edmonton – TD – Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League and an outstanding American college football player at the University of Maryland...
1-yard run (convert no good)
Second Quarter
Edmonton – FG – Bob Dean
Bob Dean
Bob Dean was a kicker and two-way lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.Dean played college football at the University of Maryland, where he lettered from 1948 to 1950. He graduated with a BA degree in education. He enjoyed three highly successful years with the Eskimos...
37 yards
Montreal – TD – Red O'Quinn 14-yard pass from Sam Etcheverry
Sam Etcheverry
Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry was a professional American and Canadian football player and head coach. Etcheverry played the quarterback position, most famously with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and was named Canadian football's Most Outstanding Player in 1954...
(Ray Poole
Ray Poole
Ray Smith Poole was an American offensive and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants from 1947 to 1952. Born in Gloster, Mississippi, he graduated from Crosby High School in Crosby, Mississippi, then attended the University of North Carolina before...
convert)
Montreal – TD – Chuck Hunsinger
Chuck Hunsinger
Charles Ray "Chuck" Hunsinger was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League for six seasons during the 1950s...
8-yard run (Ray Poole convert)
Third Quarter
Montreal – Rouge – Ray Poole
Ray Poole
Ray Smith Poole was an American offensive and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants from 1947 to 1952. Born in Gloster, Mississippi, he graduated from Crosby High School in Crosby, Mississippi, then attended the University of North Carolina before...
17-yard missed FG
Fourth Quarter
Montreal – TD – Joey Pal
Joey Pal
Joey Pal was a Canadian football player with the Montreal Alouettes for nine seasons. Pal was a three time East All-Star at flying wing .- References :...
13-yard pass from Sam Etcheverry
Sam Etcheverry
Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry was a professional American and Canadian football player and head coach. Etcheverry played the quarterback position, most famously with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and was named Canadian football's Most Outstanding Player in 1954...
(Ray Poole
Ray Poole
Ray Smith Poole was an American offensive and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants from 1947 to 1952. Born in Gloster, Mississippi, he graduated from Crosby High School in Crosby, Mississippi, then attended the University of North Carolina before...
convert)
Edmonton – TD – Glenn Lippman 14-yard run (Bob Dean
Bob Dean
Bob Dean was a kicker and two-way lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.Dean played college football at the University of Maryland, where he lettered from 1948 to 1950. He graduated with a BA degree in education. He enjoyed three highly successful years with the Eskimos...
convert)
Edmonton – TD – Jackie Parker
Jackie Parker
John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker was an American football player who became an All-American in college football and an outstanding professional football player in the Canadian Football League at the running back, quarterback, defensive back, and kicker positions. He is primarily known for his play...
90-yard fumble return (Bob Dean
Bob Dean
Bob Dean was a kicker and two-way lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.Dean played college football at the University of Maryland, where he lettered from 1948 to 1950. He graduated with a BA degree in education. He enjoyed three highly successful years with the Eskimos...
convert)
| Team | 1 Q | 2 Q | 3 Q | 4 Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Eskimos | 11 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 26 |
| Montreal Alouettes | 6 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 25 |
Game summary
The Eskimos entered the game as clear underdogs, with one television announcer speculating that the betting odds were 5 to 1 against them (this in a day when such speculation was not yet forbidden). The Montreal AlouettesMontreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
were led by their record-breaking quarterback Sam Etcheverry
Sam Etcheverry
Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry was a professional American and Canadian football player and head coach. Etcheverry played the quarterback position, most famously with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and was named Canadian football's Most Outstanding Player in 1954...
, who teamed with receiver Johnny "Red" O'Quinn to form one of Canadian football's legendary pass-and-catch tandems. When combined with an all-star lineup, including Alex Webster, Hal Patterson, Joey Pal
Joey Pal
Joey Pal was a Canadian football player with the Montreal Alouettes for nine seasons. Pal was a three time East All-Star at flying wing .- References :...
, the hulking Tex Coulter
Tex Coulter
DeWitt E. "Tex" Coulter was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants and in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes. Coulter attended the United States Military Academy.-External links:*, El Paso Times, October 11, 2007...
and Herb Trawick
Herb Trawick
Herb Trawick was a famous professional Canadian football player and was the first African American to play professional Canadian football...
, the Als won 11 games against 3 losses, and swept the Hamilton Tiger Cats in both playoff games. Though not favoured, Edmonton's appearance was no fluke, as their 11-win-and-5-loss record attests. They beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
2 games to 1 in the division final series. Led by a future Hall of Fame backfield that included quarterback Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League and an outstanding American college football player at the University of Maryland...
, Jackie Parker
Jackie Parker
John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker was an American football player who became an All-American in college football and an outstanding professional football player in the Canadian Football League at the running back, quarterback, defensive back, and kicker positions. He is primarily known for his play...
, Normie Kwong
Norman Kwong
Norman Lim "Normie" Kwong, CM, AOE is a former professional athlete, sports executive, and was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta...
and Rollie Miles
Rollie Miles
Elmer Roland "Rollie" Miles was a professional football player for the Canadian Football League Edmonton Eskimos. Miles played offence , defence , and special teams , during his eleven career with the Eskimos...
, they were all the more dangerous given that both Parker and Miles could throw on the option as effectively as their nominal quarterback.
Edmonton opened with an impressive field-long drive that ended with a Miles to Earl Lindley
Earl Lindley
Earl Lindley was a professional Canadian football player in 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957. During his playing career, he was tall and weighed . He participated in three Grey Cups in 1954, 1955 and 1956...
passing touchdown. Most impressive was that Miles, Faloney and Parker all took turns passing the ball, with the backs regularly utilizing the option. Normie Kwong took responsibility for the north-south running game, for which he, with his low centre of gravity, was so well suited.
The Alouettes responded quickly and spectacularly, with a 90-yard pass-and-run touchdown. Etcheverry threw his "jump" pass, which was literally a pass thrown at the top of a leap taken right after the snap and right behind the centre. His quick release allowed him to hit a streaking O'Quinn about 10 to 15 yards into the secondary, and being on the fly, it caught the Eskimos flat-footed. Jackie Parker
Jackie Parker
John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker was an American football player who became an All-American in college football and an outstanding professional football player in the Canadian Football League at the running back, quarterback, defensive back, and kicker positions. He is primarily known for his play...
, no slouch himself when it came to fleet feet and spaghetti legs, actually caught O'Quinn at the three-yard line, but Red managed to slide to a touchdown. Under today's rules he would have been considered tackled.
Picking up where they left off, the Eskimos engineered another impressive drive, which led to a Faloney one-yard touchdown plunge. This was aided by a pass interference call, in a game where there were few penalties called. Faloney took a high snap on the convert and could not run it in.
The Alouettes showed their expertise in the second quarter. After an Eskimos field goal from Bob Dean
Bob Dean
Bob Dean was a kicker and two-way lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.Dean played college football at the University of Maryland, where he lettered from 1948 to 1950. He graduated with a BA degree in education. He enjoyed three highly successful years with the Eskimos...
, the Larks produced two touchdowns. The first drive ended with yet another O'Quinn reception. The second came at the hands and feet of former NFL first-round draft choice Chuck Hunsinger
Chuck Hunsinger
Charles Ray "Chuck" Hunsinger was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League for six seasons during the 1950s...
, on an eight-yard run.
In the third quarter the Als could muster only a single rouge on a missed field goal.
Into the fourth quarter Joey Pal hauled in a bullet Etcheverry pass to put the Als up 25 to 14.
The Eskimos came back to life with a drive that ended with a slashing Glenn Lippman reverse field dash for a touchdown.
Not to be outdone, the Als marched right back down the field. With first and ten on the Eskimos' 10-yard line and three minutes remaining, Etcheverry handed the ball off to Hunsinger, who was almost immediately corralled about 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage. In the game's most famous and controversial play he apparently fumbled and Parker snagged the ball on the 20-yard line, in full flight. Etcheverry had no chance to catch him, and he ran 90 yards for the touchdown. With Dean's convert, the score was 26 to 25.
There were still three minutes left in the game, and Etcheverry quickly moved his team downfield. Etcheverry passed to Red O'Quinn at the Eskimos 35-yard line and he quickly spun to face downfield. He was hit and the ball fell to the ground, to be recovered by the Eskimos, who held on to win.
The controversy
The biggest play of the game, and perhaps Grey CupGrey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
history, and certainly of Jackie Parker
Jackie Parker
John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker was an American football player who became an All-American in college football and an outstanding professional football player in the Canadian Football League at the running back, quarterback, defensive back, and kicker positions. He is primarily known for his play...
's storied career, was the Chuck Hunsinger
Chuck Hunsinger
Charles Ray "Chuck" Hunsinger was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League for six seasons during the 1950s...
fumble.
However some fans and analysts question whether it was really a fumble at all. Close examination of the game film shows the ball apparently propelled towards the back of the Alouette who is about 5 yards ahead of Hunsinger. This would be his lineman, Ray Cicia. Cicia had his back to Hunsinger, and being an offensive lineman, was an ineligible receiver, but if Hunsinger did attempt to pass the ball, the play should have been whistled dead and Montreal given a penalty. Had Montreal retained possession they would have almost certainly scored at least a single.
While Hunsinger has gone down in Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
lore as the "goat" of the game, this is most certainly an unfair conclusion. Many forget that it was Red O'Quinn's fumble that sealed the Als' fate and even this fumble is controversial. Als supporters argue that O'Quinn didn't have possession of the ball, and it was an incomplete pass, not a fumble.
Trivia
There are several Grey CupGrey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
records from this game that still stand today. Jackie Parker's classic 90-yard fumble recovery is still the longest ever. Red O'Quinn's amazing 13 receptions for 316 yards has not been equalled. Montreal's 656 yards total offence is still the best team performance.
This was the first Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
game to be broadcast on television, by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.(CBC)
The cold and increasing muddy field conditions contributed to the many fumbles and interceptions that occurred.
This was the first of 11 Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
clashes between Edmonton and Montreal. The Eskimos have won in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2003 and 2005's overtime thriller. The Larks have prevailed in 1974, the Ice Bowl of 1977, and 2002.
The Eskimos versus Alouettes rivalry is one of the most enduring and exciting in modern Canadian professional sports. Contrasted to another famous match up, the Montreal Canadiens versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (who have met in the Stanley Cup final only 5 times, and last in 1967), the hockey clash seems bland by comparison.