93rd Grey Cup
Encyclopedia
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver
, British Columbia
between the Edmonton Eskimos
and the Montreal Alouettes
, to decide the winner of the 2005 season
of the Canadian Football League
. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime victory. It was the first time in 44 years that a Grey Cup
had gone into overtime. It was also the first Grey Cup to be presented in high-definition television
.
served as Grand Marshal.
The Black Eyed Peas
, who also performed during halftime of the Grey Cup game, appeared on scene and performed, marking the culmination of a large celebration to welcome the Grey Cup to British Columbia.
, Tony Tompkins
, Ricky Ray
, Jason Tucker
; FGs Sean Fleming (3); cons., Fleming (3); 2-point cons., Tucker
(1).
Montreal Alouettes (35) - TDs, Eric Lapointe
(2), Anthony Calvillo
, Dave Stala
; FGs Damon Duval
(2); cons., Duval
(4); singles, Duval
(1).
First Quarter
EDM—FG Fleming 18 yard field goal 8:03 3 - 0 EDM
MTL—Single Duval 56 yard kick went through end zone :18 3 - 1 EDM
Second Quarter
EDM—TD Hervey 9 yard pass from Ray (Fleming convert) 11:11 10 - 1 EDM
Third Quarter
MTL—TD Lapointe 1 yard run (Duval convert) 11:14 10 - 8 EDM
EDM—FG Fleming 35 yard field goal 4:04 13 - 8 EDM
MTL—TD Lapointe 1 yard run (Duval convert) 3:03 15 - 13 MTL
MTL—FG Duval 13 yard field goal 1:16 18 - 13 MTL
EDM—TD Tompkins 96 yard kickoff return (Fleming convert) 1:03 20 - 18 EDM
Fourth Quarter
MTL—TD Calvillo 1 yard run (Duval convert) 9:34 25 - 20 MTL
EDM—TD Ray 1 yard run (Ray to Tucker - two point convert) 1:03 28 - 25 EDM
MTL—FG Duval 28 yard field goal 0:00 28 - 28
Overtime
MTL—TD Stala 30 yard pass from Calvillo (Duval convert) 35 - 28 MTL
EDM—TD Tucker 11 yard pass from Ray (Fleming convert) 35 - 35
EDM—FG Fleming 36 yard field goal 38 - 35 EDM
The game opened with a ceremonial coin toss by Prime Minister Paul Martin
to determine who would start the game with possession of the football. As Martin came out to toss the coin, he was greeted with a rousing chorus of boos from the crowd, to which the prime minister responded with a smile and a wave to the crowd. Martin, a Liberal
, was at the time embroiled in the sponsorship scandal
.
The game got off to a slow start, with Edmonton holding a 10-1 lead going into half-time, thanks to a Sean Fleming field goal and a Ricky Ray
touchdown pass to Ed Hervey
. A rouge
by Montreal kicker Damon Duval
accounted for the Alouettes' point.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair. The Alouettes came on strong in the third quarter, scoring on a pair of goal-line plunges by backup running back Éric Lapointe
, with the Eskimos notching a Fleming field goal in reply. After an Edmonton turnover, the Alouettes ended up with a Duval field goal, an 18-13 lead. On the ensuing kickoff Edmonton returner Tony Tompkins
scored a 96-yard touchdown, the longest kickoff return in Grey Cup history. The third quarter ended with the Eskimos leading 20-18.
Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo
scored on an one-yard bootleg that caught Eskimos linebacker Marcus Winn
out of position. With the Alouettes leading 25-20, the Eskimos had one last chance to take the lead. Facing third-and-four in Montreal territory, Ray hit Derrell Mitchell
on a deep out pattern to get a first down, and a trio of penalties left the Eskimos first-and-goal at the Alouettes' one yard line. Ricky Ray punched it in for his second touchdown of the night, and hooked up with Jason Tucker
on the two-point conversation for a 28-25 Edmonton lead with only a minute left.
The Alouettes struck back with a Duval field goal as time expired, tying the game at 28-28.
Montreal went first in the overtime shootout, and Calvillo passed to Dave Stala
in the right corner of the endzone to give Montreal a 35-28 lead. Edmonton replied with Ray hitting Jason Tucker on an 11-yard score.
In the second overtime, the Eskimos were unable to convert on second and four and kicker Fleming converted a field goal to bring the score to 38-35, with Montreal's turn in hand.
The second overtime featured an unusual if illegal play. On first down, Calvillo faced a heavy Edmonton rush and tried to throw the ball away. Edmonton defensive end Joe Montford
knocked the ball down at the line, but Calvillo was able to catch it. Calvillo then illegally threw the ball again into the endzone to wide receiver Kerry Watkins who, without an Eskimo within five yards, dropped the game winning (albeit illegal) pass. The play resulted in a 10 yard penalty against the Alouettes for an illegal forward pass, putting them on the 45 yard line. On 1st and 20, Calvillo was sacked by Charles Alston for a 13 yard loss, which pushed the ball out of Duval's field goal range. An incomplete pass on second down and a long injury break set the stage for third and 33. An Eskimos blitz forced Calvillo to scramble ten yards down the left sideline. Anticipating a tackle, Calvillo kicked the ball forward in order to keep Montreal's Grey Cup hopes alive, but the ball was recovered by Eskimo linebacker A.J. Gass.
award was given to Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray, who overcame doubts during previous playoff rounds to complete 35 of 45 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns. The Most Valuable Canadian
was Edmonton backup fullback Mike Maurer
(substituting for the injured Mathieu Bertrand
), who despite a dropped pass earlier, picked up 41 receiving yards on four catches.
Montreal and Edmonton have met in 11 Grey Cup
clashes. The Alouettes prevailed in 1974, the Ice Bowl of 1977, and 2002. The Eskimos have won in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2003 and 2005.
MONTREAL
- The perennial powerhouse Alouettes had boasted four 1,000-yard receivers for the second consecutive season (and second time in CFL history), but had finished a mere second in the East Division behind the defending champion Toronto Argonauts. As a result, they were forced to defend the hard surface at Olympic Stadium against the fourth-place team in the West Division, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who took the third spot in the East Division for playoff purposes after finishing higher than the Ottawa Renegades.
A remarkably low crowd of 31,199 turned out to watch their Alouettes stomp on the Roughriders in the first half, leaping out to a 24-0 lead on three Anthony Calvillo
touchdown passes to Terry Vaughn
, Ben Cahoon
, and Thyron Anderson and a Damon Duval
field goal. By contrast, Saskatchewan quarterback Marcus Crandell
struggled badly in the first half, after getting the start over Nealon Greene
, and the Roughriders offense produced three turnovers to help the Alouettes.
After the embarrassing first half, Saskatchewan head coach Danny Barrett
opted to leave Crandell in to start the third quarter, Crandell finally began to get over his struggles as the Alouettes sat back on their big lead, and threw a touchdown pass to Jamel Richardson
early in the third quarter to give Roughriders fans some marginal hope. But another touchdown pass to Jason French
in the fourth quarter was the only other scoring the Roughriders could produce, and Duval hit two more field goals and send Montreal to Toronto for the East Final.
CALGARY
- Every advantage seemed to belong to the Calgary Stampeders in their Battle of Alberta
playoff date against their fiercest rival, the Edmonton Eskimos. The Stampeders were playing at home and were on a roll, having won seven of their last eight. Moreover, they had humiliated the Eskimos the previous week in a game that could have allowed the Esks to finish first in the West. As if that weren't enough, Edmonton's star quarterback Ricky Ray
was ice cold, having gone six games without a touchdown pass.
Sure enough, in front of a rabid home crowd, Calgary began to beat on Edmonton early. Three field goals by Calgary's leadfooted kicker Sandro Deangelis
put Calgary up 9-0 through the first quarter, while running back Joffrey Reynolds
ate the Eskimos defense for lunch. The Eskimos allowed another fourteen points in the second quarter, thanks to a massive 63-yard run by little-used Tony Stallings, who had 93 yards on only four carries in the game. Reynolds scored the touchdown that Stallings set up, and quarterback Henry Burris
added another on a goal-line plunge before the half.
The Eskimos would have been in deep trouble if not for kicker Sean Fleming, who nailed four field goals in the second quarter to give Edmonton a chance, but it was 23-12 Calgary at the break and things were not looking good. Edmonton quarterback Ray had continued to struggle getting into the end zone, but the deficit was not his doing: his defense had let him down, he had not turned the ball over, and he had been victimized by dropped passes, particularly a would-be touchdown pass dropped by Trevor Gaylor
. However, Edmonton coach Danny Maciocia
tried to change the momentum by putting backup quarterback, and former starter, Jason Maas
in for the second half (in contrast to Saskatchewan coach Barrett's decision to leave his quarterback in during the previous game).
With Maas under centre, the Eskimos began to claw back into the game. Calgary was held off the scoresheet in the third quarter while Fleming pounded his fifth field goal and added a rouge on a punt into the endzone. In the fourth quarter, the Eskimos completed the comeback. The Eskimos started the fourth quarter with a devastating 93-yard clock-killing drive, finishing it up with a one-yard touchdown from fullback Mathieu Bertrand
to tie the game at 23. The Stampeders began to roll on the next drive, but a fumble by Reynolds broke Calgary's back, and a touchdown pass from Maas to Jason Tucker
gave the Eskimos their first lead. Deangelis and Fleming swapped field goals but Calgary could not come back, and the Eskimos advanced to the Western final.
TORONTO
- During the 2004 CFL season
, the Toronto Argonauts stunned Montreal at their own field, taking a 26-18 victory over the favoured Alouettes in the East final. The Argonauts went on to take the Grey Cup, and the Alouettes came into Toronto looking for revenge.
Early on, it looked like they would not get it. Toronto had come to party, as a team which has suffered attendance problems in recent seasons drew a near-sellout crowd of 44,211 through the turnstiles. The unusual fan attention may have motivated the Argonauts early, as their grandfather of a quarterback Damon Allen
started on a roll. First, Allen scored the first points on a game on a one-yard touchdown run. Then, he threw a strike to receiver R. Jay Soward
, who went 43 yards to the endzone (and then went to the stands, grabbed a bag of popcorn, and shared it with teammate Robert Baker
in a rather novel showboating touchdown celebration).
That would be the high water mark of the game for the Argonauts. In the second quarter, Damon Duval
hit two field goals to make the score 14-6 at the half. More importantly for the Alouettes, starting running back Robert Edwards
went down in the second quarter with a rib injury. In came backup Éric Lapointe
, who would become the key cog of Montreal's offence in the second half.
Montreal's defence began to catch on to Allen, especially in the second half, and the Toronto quarterback began taking hits and throwing ill-advised passes. He ended up with two interceptions and a fumble, while the Argonauts added three other fumbles to make a total of six turnovers. And Lapointe just ran, scoring three second-half touchdowns for Montreal while quarterback Anthony Calvillo
put in a solid but unremarkable 190 yards on a team renowned for aerial pyrotechnics. Allen's 273 yards left Calvillo in the dust, but Montreal did not commit a single turnover in the game. Only a single Noel Prefontaine
field goal in the third quarter accounted for Toronto scoring after the first half, while Damon Duval hit four field goals to add to Lapointe's three touchdowns and giving Montreal a Grey Cup berth and a 33-17 victory.
VANCOUVER
- On the heels of his benching against Calgary, it seemed likely that Edmonton head coach Danny Maciocia
would leave Ricky Ray
as the backup for the West final against the British Columbia Lions. However, Maciocia said mid-week that Ray would start, leaving Jason Maas
remaining as the backup. In B.C., Dave Dickenson
unsurprisingly got the start over former Most Outstanding Player Casey Printers
, leading some to joke that four of the CFL's best quarterbacks would be in this game.
In contrast to their previous game against Calgary, Edmonton started out strong against British Columbia, racking up two Sean Fleming field goals, a rouge on a punt through the endzone, and a one-yard touchdown plunge by Ray to notch fourteen first-quarter points against a single Mark McLoughlin
field goal for B.C. Another Ray touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Eskimos a 21-3 lead before Casey Printers, sent in on short yardage situations, scored a one-yard touchdown run of his own to send it to the half at 21-10.
Ray had looked good in the first half, but ran into trouble not always of his own making. He threw an interception to Barron Miles
that bounced off Edmonton receiver Trevor Gaylor
's shoulder pads and lost a fumble on a bad exchange, two turnovers that produced ten points for the Lions. Meanwhile, Dickenson briefly got in a groove, nailing Geroy Simon
with a ninety-yard touchdown toss, the longest in Lions playoff history. After another McLoughlin field goal and a rouge by punter Duncan O'Mahony
, all of a sudden the game was tied at 21 after the third quarter.
To start the fourth quarter, Maciocia decided to make a quarterback change for the third consecutive game, sending Jason Maas in to replace Ray, whose 17 of 28 for 207 yards, along with two rushing touchdowns, a fumble, and an interception, were acceptable but not fantastic.
Maas's arrival seemed to spur on the Edmonton defence, as they shut Dickenson down the rest of the way. Dickenson threw an interception directly into the hands of Edmonton linebacker Steven Marsh, only his sixth interception all season and setting up a Maas 15-yard pass to Trevor Gaylor to make it 28-21. The far-from-sellout but boisterous crowd of 37,337 grew restless and British Columbia coach Wally Buono
sent in his backup, Printers, to great applause.
However, aside from a dramatic 47-yard pass to Paris Jackson
, Printers was ineffective. After the toss to Jackson, Printers promptly threw an interception to Keyou Craver
at the goal line. The Eskimos went two-and-out and opted to have Derrell Mitchell
concede a safety rather than have Sean Fleming punt out of his own endzone, thus pulling the Lions within five. The game ended on a controversial non-call, in which Casey Printers threw the ball up for Geroy Simon, however, he was bumped on his way to the ball, and the pass ended up being incomplete. Some argue that the Edmonton defender was merely exercising his fair right to the ball, others argue that he interfered with Simon, while others suggest that the ball was not catchable. Regardless, the referees did not throw a flag, and Edmonton went on to win the Grey Cup.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
between the 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...
and 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...
, to decide the winner of the 2005 season
2005 CFL season
The 2005 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2005:...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime victory. It was the first time in 44 years that a 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...
had gone into overtime. It was also the first Grey Cup to be presented in high-definition television
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.
Festivities
The Grey Cup Parade was held the day before the game; Pamela AndersonPamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
served as Grand Marshal.
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
, who also performed during halftime of the Grey Cup game, appeared on scene and performed, marking the culmination of a large celebration to welcome the Grey Cup to British Columbia.
Game summary
Edmonton Eskimos (38) - TDs, Ed HerveyEd Hervey
Edward "Ed" Hervey is a retired Canadian football wide receiver who played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League .-Professional career:...
, Tony Tompkins
Tony Tompkins
Tony Tompkins is a Canadian Football League wide receiver and special teams player for the Montreal Alouettes....
, Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray is a Canadian and American football quarterback who has played in the Canadian Football League and af2, as well as spending time on a roster in the National Football League...
, Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker is a former American and Canadian football slotback.-High school career:Tucker attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas where he excelled in football, and track and field, particularly long jumping where he was a state finalist his junior and senior years...
; FGs Sean Fleming (3); cons., Fleming (3); 2-point cons., Tucker
Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker is a former American and Canadian football slotback.-High school career:Tucker attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas where he excelled in football, and track and field, particularly long jumping where he was a state finalist his junior and senior years...
(1).
Montreal Alouettes (35) - TDs, Eric Lapointe
Éric Lapointe (football player)
Éric Lapointe is a retired Canadian football player. He was a running back with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League....
(2), Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
, Dave Stala
Dave Stala
Dave Stala is a professional Canadian football slotback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the 6th round, 50th overall by the Montreal Alouettes as a placekicker in 2003. He played CIS football for the Saint Mary's Huskies...
; FGs Damon Duval
Damon Duval
Damon Duval is a professional Kicker and Punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Raised by his mother, Cynthia, Damon attended Central High School in Harrison, Tennessee. At age 13, he played professional soccer in the United States Indoor Soccer League as a Striker for...
(2); cons., Duval
Damon Duval
Damon Duval is a professional Kicker and Punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Raised by his mother, Cynthia, Damon attended Central High School in Harrison, Tennessee. At age 13, he played professional soccer in the United States Indoor Soccer League as a Striker for...
(4); singles, Duval
Damon Duval
Damon Duval is a professional Kicker and Punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Raised by his mother, Cynthia, Damon attended Central High School in Harrison, Tennessee. At age 13, he played professional soccer in the United States Indoor Soccer League as a Striker for...
(1).
First Quarter
EDM—FG Fleming 18 yard field goal 8:03 3 - 0 EDM
MTL—Single Duval 56 yard kick went through end zone :18 3 - 1 EDM
Second Quarter
EDM—TD Hervey 9 yard pass from Ray (Fleming convert) 11:11 10 - 1 EDM
Third Quarter
MTL—TD Lapointe 1 yard run (Duval convert) 11:14 10 - 8 EDM
EDM—FG Fleming 35 yard field goal 4:04 13 - 8 EDM
MTL—TD Lapointe 1 yard run (Duval convert) 3:03 15 - 13 MTL
MTL—FG Duval 13 yard field goal 1:16 18 - 13 MTL
EDM—TD Tompkins 96 yard kickoff return (Fleming convert) 1:03 20 - 18 EDM
Fourth Quarter
MTL—TD Calvillo 1 yard run (Duval convert) 9:34 25 - 20 MTL
EDM—TD Ray 1 yard run (Ray to Tucker - two point convert) 1:03 28 - 25 EDM
MTL—FG Duval 28 yard field goal 0:00 28 - 28
Overtime
MTL—TD Stala 30 yard pass from Calvillo (Duval convert) 35 - 28 MTL
EDM—TD Tucker 11 yard pass from Ray (Fleming convert) 35 - 35
EDM—FG Fleming 36 yard field goal 38 - 35 EDM
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
to determine who would start the game with possession of the football. As Martin came out to toss the coin, he was greeted with a rousing chorus of boos from the crowd, to which the prime minister responded with a smile and a wave to the crowd. Martin, a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, was at the time embroiled in the sponsorship scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
.
The game got off to a slow start, with Edmonton holding a 10-1 lead going into half-time, thanks to a Sean Fleming field goal and a Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray is a Canadian and American football quarterback who has played in the Canadian Football League and af2, as well as spending time on a roster in the National Football League...
touchdown pass to Ed Hervey
Ed Hervey
Edward "Ed" Hervey is a retired Canadian football wide receiver who played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League .-Professional career:...
. A rouge
Single (football)
In Canadian football, a single is awarded when the ball is kicked into the end zone by any legal means, other than a successful field goal, and the receiving team does not return, or kick, the ball out of its end zone...
by Montreal kicker Damon Duval
Damon Duval
Damon Duval is a professional Kicker and Punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Raised by his mother, Cynthia, Damon attended Central High School in Harrison, Tennessee. At age 13, he played professional soccer in the United States Indoor Soccer League as a Striker for...
accounted for the Alouettes' point.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair. The Alouettes came on strong in the third quarter, scoring on a pair of goal-line plunges by backup running back Éric Lapointe
Éric Lapointe (football player)
Éric Lapointe is a retired Canadian football player. He was a running back with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League....
, with the Eskimos notching a Fleming field goal in reply. After an Edmonton turnover, the Alouettes ended up with a Duval field goal, an 18-13 lead. On the ensuing kickoff Edmonton returner Tony Tompkins
Tony Tompkins
Tony Tompkins is a Canadian Football League wide receiver and special teams player for the Montreal Alouettes....
scored a 96-yard touchdown, the longest kickoff return in Grey Cup history. The third quarter ended with the Eskimos leading 20-18.
Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
scored on an one-yard bootleg that caught Eskimos linebacker Marcus Winn
Marcus Winn
Marcus Winn is an American football defensive back who currently plays for the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League.-Pro career:...
out of position. With the Alouettes leading 25-20, the Eskimos had one last chance to take the lead. Facing third-and-four in Montreal territory, Ray hit Derrell Mitchell
Derrell Mitchell
Derrell Lavoice "Mookie" Mitchell is a former Canadian Football League slotback.-Junior College Career:Mitchell attended Joliet Junior College...
on a deep out pattern to get a first down, and a trio of penalties left the Eskimos first-and-goal at the Alouettes' one yard line. Ricky Ray punched it in for his second touchdown of the night, and hooked up with Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker is a former American and Canadian football slotback.-High school career:Tucker attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas where he excelled in football, and track and field, particularly long jumping where he was a state finalist his junior and senior years...
on the two-point conversation for a 28-25 Edmonton lead with only a minute left.
The Alouettes struck back with a Duval field goal as time expired, tying the game at 28-28.
Montreal went first in the overtime shootout, and Calvillo passed to Dave Stala
Dave Stala
Dave Stala is a professional Canadian football slotback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the 6th round, 50th overall by the Montreal Alouettes as a placekicker in 2003. He played CIS football for the Saint Mary's Huskies...
in the right corner of the endzone to give Montreal a 35-28 lead. Edmonton replied with Ray hitting Jason Tucker on an 11-yard score.
In the second overtime, the Eskimos were unable to convert on second and four and kicker Fleming converted a field goal to bring the score to 38-35, with Montreal's turn in hand.
The second overtime featured an unusual if illegal play. On first down, Calvillo faced a heavy Edmonton rush and tried to throw the ball away. Edmonton defensive end Joe Montford
Joe Montford
Joe Montford is a Canadian and American football defensive end. Montford was released by the Edmonton Eskimos prior to the 2006 season after playing one year with the team...
knocked the ball down at the line, but Calvillo was able to catch it. Calvillo then illegally threw the ball again into the endzone to wide receiver Kerry Watkins who, without an Eskimo within five yards, dropped the game winning (albeit illegal) pass. The play resulted in a 10 yard penalty against the Alouettes for an illegal forward pass, putting them on the 45 yard line. On 1st and 20, Calvillo was sacked by Charles Alston for a 13 yard loss, which pushed the ball out of Duval's field goal range. An incomplete pass on second down and a long injury break set the stage for third and 33. An Eskimos blitz forced Calvillo to scramble ten yards down the left sideline. Anticipating a tackle, Calvillo kicked the ball forward in order to keep Montreal's Grey Cup hopes alive, but the ball was recovered by Eskimo linebacker A.J. Gass.
Trivia
In the presentation ceremony after the game, the Grey Cup Most Valuable PlayerGrey Cup Most Valuable Player
The Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player award is awarded annually to the player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup Game, the Canadian Football League's championship game.-Grey Cup Most Valuable Player Award winners:...
award was given to Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray, who overcame doubts during previous playoff rounds to complete 35 of 45 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns. The Most Valuable Canadian
Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian
The Dick Suderman Trophy for the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian is awarded annually to the Canadian player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup game, the championship of the Canadian Football League....
was Edmonton backup fullback Mike Maurer
Mike Maurer
Michael "Mike" Maurer is a professional Canadian football fullback with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League and a professional mixed martial artist....
(substituting for the injured Mathieu Bertrand
Mathieu Bertrand
Mathieu Bertrand is a Canadian football fullback playing for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.-External links:* *...
), who despite a dropped pass earlier, picked up 41 receiving yards on four catches.
Montreal and Edmonton have met in 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. The Alouettes prevailed in 1974, the Ice Bowl of 1977, and 2002. The Eskimos have won in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2003 and 2005.
Scotiabank East Semi-Finals
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 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... |
7 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
MONTREAL
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
- The perennial powerhouse Alouettes had boasted four 1,000-yard receivers for the second consecutive season (and second time in CFL history), but had finished a mere second in the East Division behind the defending champion Toronto Argonauts. As a result, they were forced to defend the hard surface at Olympic Stadium against the fourth-place team in the West Division, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who took the third spot in the East Division for playoff purposes after finishing higher than the Ottawa Renegades.
A remarkably low crowd of 31,199 turned out to watch their Alouettes stomp on the Roughriders in the first half, leaping out to a 24-0 lead on three Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
touchdown passes to Terry Vaughn
Terry Vaughn
Terry Vaughn is a former Canadian Football League receiver most recently with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On July 14, 2006 he became the all-time leader in receptions in the Canadian Football League, surpassing Darren Flutie's previous record of 973 receptions...
, Ben Cahoon
Ben Cahoon
Ben Cahoon is a former professional Canadian football slotback in the Canadian Football League who spent his entire career with the Montreal Alouettes...
, and Thyron Anderson and a Damon Duval
Damon Duval
Damon Duval is a professional Kicker and Punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Raised by his mother, Cynthia, Damon attended Central High School in Harrison, Tennessee. At age 13, he played professional soccer in the United States Indoor Soccer League as a Striker for...
field goal. By contrast, Saskatchewan quarterback Marcus Crandell
Marcus Crandell
Marcus Crandell is a Canadian football coach and former quarterback who is the current Offensive Coordinator of the Edmonton Eskimos....
struggled badly in the first half, after getting the start over Nealon Greene
Nealon Greene
Nealon Greene is an American-born Canadian football quarterback.After spending his collegiate career with Clemson, where he became the school's career leader in passing yardage, Greene came to the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts...
, and the Roughriders offense produced three turnovers to help the Alouettes.
After the embarrassing first half, Saskatchewan head coach Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett is a former Canadian Football League quarterback and former quarterbacks coach at the University at Buffalo. He was previously the head coach of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders....
opted to leave Crandell in to start the third quarter, Crandell finally began to get over his struggles as the Alouettes sat back on their big lead, and threw a touchdown pass to Jamel Richardson
Jamel Richardson
Jamel Richardson is a Canadian football slotback for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. Richardson attended Corcoran High School before he was a two year All-Foothill Conference in Basketball and All-American in Football at Victor Valley College where he led the state in receptions and...
early in the third quarter to give Roughriders fans some marginal hope. But another touchdown pass to Jason French
Jason French
Jason French is a former professional Canadian football slotback. He was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the second round of the 2001 CFL Draft. He played college football for the Murray State Racers....
in the fourth quarter was the only other scoring the Roughriders could produce, and Duval hit two more field goals and send Montreal to Toronto for the East Final.
Scotiabank West Semi-Finals
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
0 | 12 | 4 | 17 | 33 |
| 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... |
9 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 26 |
CALGARY
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
- Every advantage seemed to belong to the Calgary Stampeders in their Battle of Alberta
Battle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
playoff date against their fiercest rival, the Edmonton Eskimos. The Stampeders were playing at home and were on a roll, having won seven of their last eight. Moreover, they had humiliated the Eskimos the previous week in a game that could have allowed the Esks to finish first in the West. As if that weren't enough, Edmonton's star quarterback Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray is a Canadian and American football quarterback who has played in the Canadian Football League and af2, as well as spending time on a roster in the National Football League...
was ice cold, having gone six games without a touchdown pass.
Sure enough, in front of a rabid home crowd, Calgary began to beat on Edmonton early. Three field goals by Calgary's leadfooted kicker Sandro Deangelis
Sandro DeAngelis
Sandro DeAngelis is a gridiron football placekicker with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He has also been a member of the Calgary Stampeders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. DeAngelis is the most accurate kicker in CFL history and he won his first Grey Cup championship with the...
put Calgary up 9-0 through the first quarter, while running back Joffrey Reynolds
Joffrey Reynolds
Joffrey Reynolds is a professional Canadian football running back, currently playing for the Calgary Stampeders...
ate the Eskimos defense for lunch. The Eskimos allowed another fourteen points in the second quarter, thanks to a massive 63-yard run by little-used Tony Stallings, who had 93 yards on only four carries in the game. Reynolds scored the touchdown that Stallings set up, and quarterback Henry Burris
Henry Burris
Henry Burris, Jr. is a professional Canadian and former American football player. Burris plays the quarterback position with the Canadian Football League Calgary Stampeders. Burris spent one year as a reserve quarterback for the National Football League's Chicago Bears...
added another on a goal-line plunge before the half.
The Eskimos would have been in deep trouble if not for kicker Sean Fleming, who nailed four field goals in the second quarter to give Edmonton a chance, but it was 23-12 Calgary at the break and things were not looking good. Edmonton quarterback Ray had continued to struggle getting into the end zone, but the deficit was not his doing: his defense had let him down, he had not turned the ball over, and he had been victimized by dropped passes, particularly a would-be touchdown pass dropped by Trevor Gaylor
Trevor Gaylor
Trevor Alexander Gaylor is a former wide receiver in the NFL. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers....
. However, Edmonton coach Danny Maciocia
Danny Maciocia
Danny Maciocia is the head coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins football team. He is also the former general manager & director of football operations of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and former offensive coordinator with the André-Grasset Phénix, a CEGEP team in...
tried to change the momentum by putting backup quarterback, and former starter, Jason Maas
Jason Maas
Jason Maas is a former Canadian football quarterback. He is best known for his career in the Canadian Football League, which was largely spent with the Edmonton Eskimos...
in for the second half (in contrast to Saskatchewan coach Barrett's decision to leave his quarterback in during the previous game).
With Maas under centre, the Eskimos began to claw back into the game. Calgary was held off the scoresheet in the third quarter while Fleming pounded his fifth field goal and added a rouge on a punt into the endzone. In the fourth quarter, the Eskimos completed the comeback. The Eskimos started the fourth quarter with a devastating 93-yard clock-killing drive, finishing it up with a one-yard touchdown from fullback Mathieu Bertrand
Mathieu Bertrand
Mathieu Bertrand is a Canadian football fullback playing for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.-External links:* *...
to tie the game at 23. The Stampeders began to roll on the next drive, but a fumble by Reynolds broke Calgary's back, and a touchdown pass from Maas to Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker is a former American and Canadian football slotback.-High school career:Tucker attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas where he excelled in football, and track and field, particularly long jumping where he was a state finalist his junior and senior years...
gave the Eskimos their first lead. Deangelis and Fleming swapped field goals but Calgary could not come back, and the Eskimos advanced to the Western final.
Scotiabank East Championship
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
0 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 33 |
| Toronto Argonauts Toronto Argonauts The 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... |
14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
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...
- During the 2004 CFL season
2004 CFL season
The 2004 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2004:...
, the Toronto Argonauts stunned Montreal at their own field, taking a 26-18 victory over the favoured Alouettes in the East final. The Argonauts went on to take the Grey Cup, and the Alouettes came into Toronto looking for revenge.
Early on, it looked like they would not get it. Toronto had come to party, as a team which has suffered attendance problems in recent seasons drew a near-sellout crowd of 44,211 through the turnstiles. The unusual fan attention may have motivated the Argonauts early, as their grandfather of a quarterback Damon Allen
Damon Allen
Damon Allen is a former professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts. He is currently second in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal...
started on a roll. First, Allen scored the first points on a game on a one-yard touchdown run. Then, he threw a strike to receiver R. Jay Soward
R. Jay Soward
Rodney Jay Soward is a football player who currently plays for the IFL's Wenatchee Valley Venom as a wide receiver.-College career:...
, who went 43 yards to the endzone (and then went to the stands, grabbed a bag of popcorn, and shared it with teammate Robert Baker
Robert Baker (football player)
Robert Cedrick Baker, III is a former professional gridiron football player, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League from 2004 to 2006 as a slotback and wide receiver...
in a rather novel showboating touchdown celebration).
That would be the high water mark of the game for the Argonauts. In the second quarter, Damon Duval
Damon Duval
Damon Duval is a professional Kicker and Punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Raised by his mother, Cynthia, Damon attended Central High School in Harrison, Tennessee. At age 13, he played professional soccer in the United States Indoor Soccer League as a Striker for...
hit two field goals to make the score 14-6 at the half. More importantly for the Alouettes, starting running back Robert Edwards
Robert Edwards (football player)
Robert Lee Edwards, III is a former NFL and CFL running back. Originally drafted by the New England Patriots, he also played for the Miami Dolphins and Montreal Alouettes before ending his career with the Toronto Argonauts....
went down in the second quarter with a rib injury. In came backup Éric Lapointe
Éric Lapointe (football player)
Éric Lapointe is a retired Canadian football player. He was a running back with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League....
, who would become the key cog of Montreal's offence in the second half.
Montreal's defence began to catch on to Allen, especially in the second half, and the Toronto quarterback began taking hits and throwing ill-advised passes. He ended up with two interceptions and a fumble, while the Argonauts added three other fumbles to make a total of six turnovers. And Lapointe just ran, scoring three second-half touchdowns for Montreal while quarterback Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
put in a solid but unremarkable 190 yards on a team renowned for aerial pyrotechnics. Allen's 273 yards left Calvillo in the dust, but Montreal did not commit a single turnover in the game. Only a single Noel Prefontaine
Noel Prefontaine
Noel Prefontaine is a professional Canadian football punter / kicker with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.- Early years :...
field goal in the third quarter accounted for Toronto scoring after the first half, while Damon Duval hit four field goals to add to Lapointe's three touchdowns and giving Montreal a Grey Cup berth and a 33-17 victory.
Scotiabank West Championship
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| BC Lions BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954... |
3 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 23 |
VANCOUVER
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
- On the heels of his benching against Calgary, it seemed likely that Edmonton head coach Danny Maciocia
Danny Maciocia
Danny Maciocia is the head coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins football team. He is also the former general manager & director of football operations of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and former offensive coordinator with the André-Grasset Phénix, a CEGEP team in...
would leave Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray is a Canadian and American football quarterback who has played in the Canadian Football League and af2, as well as spending time on a roster in the National Football League...
as the backup for the West final against the British Columbia Lions. However, Maciocia said mid-week that Ray would start, leaving Jason Maas
Jason Maas
Jason Maas is a former Canadian football quarterback. He is best known for his career in the Canadian Football League, which was largely spent with the Edmonton Eskimos...
remaining as the backup. In B.C., Dave Dickenson
Dave Dickenson
David Dickenson is a former professional Canadian football player with the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions. Dickenson also played quarterback collegiately at the University of Montana, where he led the Montana Grizzlies to the 1995 NCAA I-AA college football championship.-High school...
unsurprisingly got the start over former Most Outstanding Player Casey Printers
Casey Printers
Casey J. Printers was a professional American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at Texas Christian University from 1999 to 2001, leading his team to three straight bowl games, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior year...
, leading some to joke that four of the CFL's best quarterbacks would be in this game.
In contrast to their previous game against Calgary, Edmonton started out strong against British Columbia, racking up two Sean Fleming field goals, a rouge on a punt through the endzone, and a one-yard touchdown plunge by Ray to notch fourteen first-quarter points against a single Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin
Mark McLoughlin is a former placekicker in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 2003 and the BC Lions in 2005...
field goal for B.C. Another Ray touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Eskimos a 21-3 lead before Casey Printers, sent in on short yardage situations, scored a one-yard touchdown run of his own to send it to the half at 21-10.
Ray had looked good in the first half, but ran into trouble not always of his own making. He threw an interception to Barron Miles
Barron Miles
Barron Miles is a retired professional Canadian football player for the Canadian Football League. He is now a Defensive and Player Personnel Assistant for the BC Lions...
that bounced off Edmonton receiver Trevor Gaylor
Trevor Gaylor
Trevor Alexander Gaylor is a former wide receiver in the NFL. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers....
's shoulder pads and lost a fumble on a bad exchange, two turnovers that produced ten points for the Lions. Meanwhile, Dickenson briefly got in a groove, nailing Geroy Simon
Geroy Simon
Geroy Simon is a professional Canadian football slotback with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League...
with a ninety-yard touchdown toss, the longest in Lions playoff history. After another McLoughlin field goal and a rouge by punter Duncan O'Mahony
Duncan O'Mahony
Duncan O'Mahony [oh-MAH-nee] is a Canadian football punter and placekicker who is currently a free agent.- Early years :...
, all of a sudden the game was tied at 21 after the third quarter.
To start the fourth quarter, Maciocia decided to make a quarterback change for the third consecutive game, sending Jason Maas in to replace Ray, whose 17 of 28 for 207 yards, along with two rushing touchdowns, a fumble, and an interception, were acceptable but not fantastic.
Maas's arrival seemed to spur on the Edmonton defence, as they shut Dickenson down the rest of the way. Dickenson threw an interception directly into the hands of Edmonton linebacker Steven Marsh, only his sixth interception all season and setting up a Maas 15-yard pass to Trevor Gaylor to make it 28-21. The far-from-sellout but boisterous crowd of 37,337 grew restless and British Columbia coach Wally Buono
Wally Buono
Pasquale "Wally" Buono is the head coach, general manager and alternate governor of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, and one of the most successful coaches in league history. He is in his 19th year of coaching, previously as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders and currently with the...
sent in his backup, Printers, to great applause.
However, aside from a dramatic 47-yard pass to Paris Jackson
Paris Jackson
Paris Jackson is a professional Canadian football slotback for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted sixth overall by the Lions in the 2003 CFL Draft and signed with the team on August 30, 2003...
, Printers was ineffective. After the toss to Jackson, Printers promptly threw an interception to Keyou Craver
Keyou Craver
Keyuo Boderek Craver is an American football defensive back currently playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, who signed Craver as a free agent on March 5, 2009....
at the goal line. The Eskimos went two-and-out and opted to have Derrell Mitchell
Derrell Mitchell
Derrell Lavoice "Mookie" Mitchell is a former Canadian Football League slotback.-Junior College Career:Mitchell attended Joliet Junior College...
concede a safety rather than have Sean Fleming punt out of his own endzone, thus pulling the Lions within five. The game ended on a controversial non-call, in which Casey Printers threw the ball up for Geroy Simon, however, he was bumped on his way to the ball, and the pass ended up being incomplete. Some argue that the Edmonton defender was merely exercising his fair right to the ball, others argue that he interfered with Simon, while others suggest that the ball was not catchable. Regardless, the referees did not throw a flag, and Edmonton went on to win the Grey Cup.