77th Grey Cup
Encyclopedia
The 77th Grey Cup was the 1989 Canadian Football League
championship game played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders
and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
at SkyDome
in Toronto, ON. The Roughriders defeated the Tiger-Cats, 43-40 on Dave Ridgway
's winning field-goal. It is arguably, but widely considered, especially among Saskatchewan Roughriders fans, the best and most exciting Grey Cup game ever played.
, Jeff Fairholm
, Donald Narcisse, Tim McCray
; FGs, Dave Ridgway
(4); cons., Ridgway
(4); single, Terry Baker
; safety touch.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (40) - TDs, Tony Champion
(2), Derrick McAdoo (2); FGs, Paul Osbaldiston
(4); cons., Osbaldiston
(4).
First Quarter
HAM—FG Osbaldiston 42-yard kick
HAM—FG Osbaldiston kick
SSK—Single Baker punt
HAM—TD Champion pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
Second Quarter
SSK—TD Elgaard pass from Austin (Ridgway convert)
HAM—TD McAdoo pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
SSK—TD Fairholm pass from Austin (Ridgway convert)
HAM—TD McAdoo pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
SSK—TD Narcisse pass from Austin (Ridgway convert)
Third Quarter
SSK—FG Ridgway kick
HAM—FG Osbaldiston kick
SSK—Safety Osbaldiston concedes in end zone
SSK—TD McCray 1-yard run (Ridgway convert)
Fourth Quarter
SSK—FG Ridgway 25-yard kick
HAM—FG Osbaldiston 47-yard kick
SSK—FG Ridgway 20-yard kick
HAM—TD Champion pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
SSK—FG Ridgway 35-yard kick
After an up-and-down regular season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders
made the playoffs and were huge underdogs to make it to the Grey Cup
. However, the Roughriders managed to defeat the Calgary Stampeders
in the West Semi-Final 33-26 and went on to the Western Final to defeat the heavily-favoured Edmonton Eskimos
32-21, to reach the Grey Cup game.
In the Grey Cup game, the Riders were set to face the number one team in the East, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
in Toronto
. The Tiger-Cats had seven all-stars in their lineup and football experts assumed that it would be a huge blowout for Hamilton.
At the beginning of the game, it seemed that the football experts were right when the jubilant Saskatchewan fans were silenced when Tiger-Cats kicker, Paul Osbaldiston
kicked his first two field goals to give Hamilton an early 6-0 lead, while the Saskatchewan offence was struggling. But by the mid-way point of the second quarter, the Riders offence began to show signs of life, when QB, Kent Austin
had completed touchdown passes to Ray Elgaard
, Jeff Fairholm
and Donald Narcisse. On the last play before of the second quarter, Dave Ridgway
came on the field to attempt his first field goal of the game, a 50-yarder to pull the game within two, but he ended up missing the field-goal and Hamilton led the game 27-22, after two quarters.
However, by the end of the third quarter, the Riders scored 12 points through a Dave Ridgway field goal, a safety touch and a Tim McCray
touchdown, to move into a 34-30 lead. With just under two minutes left to go in the fourth quarter the Riders went ahead 40-33 after Ridgway kicked his third field goal of the day. But the Hamilton Tiger-Cats refused to surrender to defeat when trailing by seven points. With a well thought, methodical drive, Hamilton's QB, Mike Kerrigan
marched his team down the field and managed to eat up the clock and tie the game at 40-40, when he threw a pass to wide receiver Tony Champion
, who ended up making an incredible acrobatic catch for the touchdown, under a minute left in the fourth quarter.
Overtime loomed, but Saskatchewan still had the ball with a chance to win in regulation. With just 44 seconds left on the game clock, Riders QB Kent Austin completed three passes for 48 yards, to position his team for the winning field goal at Hamilton's 26-yard line with nine seconds remaining in the game. Tiger-Cats coach Al Bruno
decided to call a time-out, in an attempt to make Ridgway nervous even longer on the thought that he can be the game winner or failure for the Roughriders. But when Bob Poley
snapped the ball towards Glen Suitor
's hands, Dave Ridgway drilled 'The Kick' through the uprights to give Saskatchewan its first Grey Cup championship in 23 years.
1989 CFL season
The 1989 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 36th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 32nd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1989:...
championship game played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
at SkyDome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
in Toronto, ON. The Roughriders defeated the Tiger-Cats, 43-40 on Dave Ridgway
Dave Ridgway
David "Dave" Ridgway was a placekicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. His CFL career began in 1981 when he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. He did not make the squad that year and returned to the University of Toledo to complete his degree in Marketing...
's winning field-goal. It is arguably, but widely considered, especially among Saskatchewan Roughriders fans, the best and most exciting Grey Cup game ever played.
Game summary
Saskatchewan Roughriders (43) - TDs, Ray ElgaardRay Elgaard
Raymond Elgaard is a former Canadian Football League slotback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1983 through 1996, including winning the 77th Grey Cup in 1989. A big man, he was noted for his reliability as a receiver and his toughness on the field...
, Jeff Fairholm
Jeff Fairholm
Jeff Fairholm is a retired professional Canadian football player. He played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League as a slotback and wide receiver. He was a member of Saskatchewan's Grey Cup winning team of 1989...
, Donald Narcisse, Tim McCray
Tim McCray
Tim McCray was a Canadian Football League running back for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1984 through 1985, and for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1986 through 1990...
; FGs, Dave Ridgway
Dave Ridgway
David "Dave" Ridgway was a placekicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. His CFL career began in 1981 when he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. He did not make the squad that year and returned to the University of Toledo to complete his degree in Marketing...
(4); cons., Ridgway
Dave Ridgway
David "Dave" Ridgway was a placekicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. His CFL career began in 1981 when he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. He did not make the squad that year and returned to the University of Toledo to complete his degree in Marketing...
(4); single, Terry Baker
Terry Baker (Canadian football)
Terry Baker is a former punter and placekicker from 1987 to 2002 for four different teams of the Canadian Football League. In 1998 and 2000 he led the league in scoring....
; safety touch.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (40) - TDs, Tony Champion
Tony Champion
Tony Champion is a former American football and Canadian Football League player.- Early sports career :...
(2), Derrick McAdoo (2); FGs, Paul Osbaldiston
Paul Osbaldiston
Paul Osbaldiston is a former punter and placekicker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League from 1986-2003. Osbaldiston was a three-time CFL All-Star, seven-time East Division All-Star and a member of Hamilton’s 1986 and 1999 Grey Cup championship teams...
(4); cons., Osbaldiston
Paul Osbaldiston
Paul Osbaldiston is a former punter and placekicker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League from 1986-2003. Osbaldiston was a three-time CFL All-Star, seven-time East Division All-Star and a member of Hamilton’s 1986 and 1999 Grey Cup championship teams...
(4).
First Quarter
HAM—FG Osbaldiston 42-yard kick
HAM—FG Osbaldiston kick
SSK—Single Baker punt
HAM—TD Champion pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
Second Quarter
SSK—TD Elgaard pass from Austin (Ridgway convert)
HAM—TD McAdoo pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
SSK—TD Fairholm pass from Austin (Ridgway convert)
HAM—TD McAdoo pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
SSK—TD Narcisse pass from Austin (Ridgway convert)
Third Quarter
SSK—FG Ridgway kick
HAM—FG Osbaldiston kick
SSK—Safety Osbaldiston concedes in end zone
SSK—TD McCray 1-yard run (Ridgway convert)
Fourth Quarter
SSK—FG Ridgway 25-yard kick
HAM—FG Osbaldiston 47-yard kick
SSK—FG Ridgway 20-yard kick
HAM—TD Champion pass from Kerrigan (Osbaldiston convert)
SSK—FG Ridgway 35-yard kick
After an up-and-down regular season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
made the playoffs and were huge underdogs to make it to the 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...
. However, the Roughriders managed to defeat the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
in the West Semi-Final 33-26 and went on to the Western Final to defeat the heavily-favoured 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...
32-21, to reach the Grey Cup game.
In the Grey Cup game, the Riders were set to face the number one team in the East, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
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...
. The Tiger-Cats had seven all-stars in their lineup and football experts assumed that it would be a huge blowout for Hamilton.
At the beginning of the game, it seemed that the football experts were right when the jubilant Saskatchewan fans were silenced when Tiger-Cats kicker, Paul Osbaldiston
Paul Osbaldiston
Paul Osbaldiston is a former punter and placekicker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League from 1986-2003. Osbaldiston was a three-time CFL All-Star, seven-time East Division All-Star and a member of Hamilton’s 1986 and 1999 Grey Cup championship teams...
kicked his first two field goals to give Hamilton an early 6-0 lead, while the Saskatchewan offence was struggling. But by the mid-way point of the second quarter, the Riders offence began to show signs of life, when QB, Kent Austin
Kent Austin
Richard Kent Austin is the Head Coach for the Cornell University Big Red football team. Prior to this, he was the Offensive Coordinator for the Ole Miss Rebels football team. He is the former Head Coach of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders...
had completed touchdown passes to Ray Elgaard
Ray Elgaard
Raymond Elgaard is a former Canadian Football League slotback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1983 through 1996, including winning the 77th Grey Cup in 1989. A big man, he was noted for his reliability as a receiver and his toughness on the field...
, Jeff Fairholm
Jeff Fairholm
Jeff Fairholm is a retired professional Canadian football player. He played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League as a slotback and wide receiver. He was a member of Saskatchewan's Grey Cup winning team of 1989...
and Donald Narcisse. On the last play before of the second quarter, Dave Ridgway
Dave Ridgway
David "Dave" Ridgway was a placekicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. His CFL career began in 1981 when he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. He did not make the squad that year and returned to the University of Toledo to complete his degree in Marketing...
came on the field to attempt his first field goal of the game, a 50-yarder to pull the game within two, but he ended up missing the field-goal and Hamilton led the game 27-22, after two quarters.
However, by the end of the third quarter, the Riders scored 12 points through a Dave Ridgway field goal, a safety touch and a Tim McCray
Tim McCray
Tim McCray was a Canadian Football League running back for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1984 through 1985, and for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1986 through 1990...
touchdown, to move into a 34-30 lead. With just under two minutes left to go in the fourth quarter the Riders went ahead 40-33 after Ridgway kicked his third field goal of the day. But the Hamilton Tiger-Cats refused to surrender to defeat when trailing by seven points. With a well thought, methodical drive, Hamilton's QB, Mike Kerrigan
Mike Kerrigan
Michael Joseph Kerrigan is a former professional quarterback.An undrafted free agent, Kerrigan spent his first three professional seasons as a third-string quarterback behind Tony Eason and Steve Grogan...
marched his team down the field and managed to eat up the clock and tie the game at 40-40, when he threw a pass to wide receiver Tony Champion
Tony Champion
Tony Champion is a former American football and Canadian Football League player.- Early sports career :...
, who ended up making an incredible acrobatic catch for the touchdown, under a minute left in the fourth quarter.
Overtime loomed, but Saskatchewan still had the ball with a chance to win in regulation. With just 44 seconds left on the game clock, Riders QB Kent Austin completed three passes for 48 yards, to position his team for the winning field goal at Hamilton's 26-yard line with nine seconds remaining in the game. Tiger-Cats coach Al Bruno
Al Bruno
Albert P. "Al" Bruno is a retired gridiron football player, administrator, and coach who served as the head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1983–1990.-Early life:...
decided to call a time-out, in an attempt to make Ridgway nervous even longer on the thought that he can be the game winner or failure for the Roughriders. But when Bob Poley
Bob Poley
Robert Poley is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played fifteen seasons in the Canadian Football League for two different teams. He was named CFL All-Star in 1986....
snapped the ball towards Glen Suitor
Glen Suitor
Glen Suitor was a defensive back who played eleven seasons for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He ranks among the CFL all-time leaders in interceptions with 51. Suitor was a three-time CFL All-Star and a four-time Western All-Star...
's hands, Dave Ridgway drilled 'The Kick' through the uprights to give Saskatchewan its first Grey Cup championship in 23 years.
The Kick
- Dave Ridgway's field goal winner was known as 'The Kick' in Saskatchewan and that same play was rated #7 in CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's 10 best—and bizarre—Grey Cup plays in 2004 http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/grey-cup-2004/features/feature_tenplays.html.
West Division
- Semi-final (November 12 @ Calgary, Alberta) Saskatchewan RoughridersSaskatchewan RoughridersThe Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
33-26 Calgary StampedersCalgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... - Final (November 19 @ Edmonton, Alberta) Saskatchewan RoughridersSaskatchewan RoughridersThe Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
32-21 Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe 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...
East Division
- Semi-final (November 12 @ Toronto, Ontario) Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue BombersThe 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...
30-7 Toronto ArgonautsToronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta... - Final (November 19 @ Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, OntarioHamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
) Hamilton Tiger-CatsHamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
14-10 Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue BombersThe 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...