The 72nd Grey Cup was the

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

Canadian Football League championship game, played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

. The Blue Bombers dominated the Tiger-Cats in a 47–17 victory.

Game summary

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (47) - TDs,

Willard Reaves Willard Sheldon Reaves (born August 17, 1959) is an American-Canadian former professional gridiron football running back who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Canadian Football League, and for the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Redskins ...

(2),

Joe Poplawski Joe Poplawski (born August 2, 1957) is a former professional Canadian football receiver who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1978 to 1986. Professional career Poplawski was originally a territorial ex ...

Stan Mikawos Stan Mikawos (born May 11, 1958) is a former Canadian football player. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Mikawos played college football at North Dakota. He played professional football in the Canadian Football League as a defensive tackle for the ...

Jeff Boyd Jeff Boyd (born April 17, 1958 in Riverside, California) was a Canadian Football League receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Toronto Argonauts who, in a 9-year career from 1983–1991, caught 69 touchdown passes. He won two Grey Cup ...

; FGs,

Trevor Kennerd Trevor Kennerd (born December 23, 1955) was a kicker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1980-1991. He was a three-time CFL All-Star (1981, 1985 Football Reporters of Canada All-Star and 1983 Coaches All-Star) ...

(4); cons., Kennerd (5). Hamilton Tiger-Cats (17) - TDs,

Dieter Brock Ralph Dieter Brock (born February 12, 1951) is a former Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) player and coach. He is best remembered as the quarterback for the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers where he led the league in pas ...

, Rocky DiPietro; FGs, Bernie Ruoff; cons., Ruoff (2). Most experts believed the contest was a mismatch, with the Blue Bombers heavily favoured. They turned out to be correct, but not before the

stunned the Bombers by jumping out to an early 17–3 lead. Winnipeg quarterback

Tom Clements Thomas Albert Clements (born June 18, 1953) is an American football coach and a former Canadian Football League (CFL) quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He also served as a ...

was ineffective in the opening 15 minutes, getting picked off twice by

Felix Wright Felix Carl Wright (born June 22, 1959), is a former professional American football player who played defensive back from 1985–1992 for the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. Undrafted out of Drake Universit ...

and

Mark Streeter Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

. Both interceptions led to Hamilton scores. Former Bomber pivot

scored on a 15-yard scamper, and completed a seven-yard pass to Rocky DiPietro for the other major. But the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would soon dominate and take over the game. Their initial points came on a 25-yard field goal by

to close out the opening quarter. In the second quarter, after Bernie Ruoff booted a 20-yard field goal to give the Ticats a 17–3 lead, the Bombers responded with a 27-point explosion to close out the half. Clements, who played the entire contest with a rib injury, improved as the game wore on, completing a 12-yard touchdown pass to

to give Winnipeg the lead for good. The turning point came at 2:26 before halftime, when Brock was levelled by Winnipeg linebacker

Tyrone Jones Tyrone Jones (August 3, 1961 – June 10, 2008) was a gridiron football all-star and Grey Cup champion linebacker in the Canadian Football League. Born in St. Mary's, Georgia, Ty's football career began at Camden County High School, Camden Count ...

. The ball was jarred loose and nose tackle

recovered the fumble and ran 22 yards for a touchdown. This put the Bombers in front 27-17.

, the

CFL Most Outstanding Player The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Terry Evanshen Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy winner from ...

, scored a pair of touchdowns on three-yard carries. His action was limited due to an injured shoulder, but he did rush for 64 yards. Bomber cornerback David Shaw intercepted a Brock pass in the second quarter, returning the ball 26 yards to the Hamilton 28 to help set up one of Reaves' TD runs. Winnipeg's backup quarterback

John Hufnagel John Coleman Hufnagel (born September 13, 1951) is the president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was previously the Stampeders' head coach and played quarterback for fifteen professional seasons ...

tossed a four-yard touchdown pass to

in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.

Trivia

* Winnipeg scored the final 44 points of the game. * The game featured two all-star quarterbacks, Brock and Clements, (winners of the

CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Terry Evanshen Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy winner from ...

), who had been traded for each other late in the previous season. * The 1984 game, the first

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

held in Edmonton, Alberta, was played in chilly -10 °C (14 °F) weather. * Winnipeg's 27 second-quarter points was a new

record for most points in a quarter. However, the Blue Bombers would break their own record in the

1990 Grey Cup The 78th Grey Cup was the 1990 CFL season, 1990 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Blue Bombers defeated the Eskimos, ...

by scoring 28 in the third quarter of that contest. * The win was the first Grey Cup victory for the Bombers since 1962, and their last Grey Cup title and appearance as a West Division team until 2019 (also against Hamilton). During the period between 1987 and 2013, the Blue Bombers made seven Grey Cup appearances and won two titles as an East Division team. They were also the first non-Edmonton Eskimo Western Division team to win the Grey Cup since the Calgary Stampeders won it in 1971. * 1984 marked the first Grey Cup played on natural grass since the 1970 game at Toronto's CNE Stadium. Since then, there have been three Grey Cup games played on natural grass: at Commonwealth Stadium in 1997 and 2002 (it switched to FieldTurf in 2010), and Toronto's BMO Field in 2016.

1984 CFL Playoffs

West Division

* Semi-final (November 4 @ Winnipeg, Manitoba) Winnipeg Blue Bombers 55–20

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...

* Final (November 11 @ Vancouver, British Columbia) Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31–14 BC Lions

East Division

* Semi-final (November 4 @ Hamilton, Ontario)

17–11

Montreal Concordes The Montreal Alouettes ( French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Cana ...

* Final (November 11 @ Toronto, Ontario)

14–13 Toronto Argonauts OT

External links

* {{1984 CFL season by team Grey Cup 1984 in Canadian football Grey Cups hosted in Edmonton Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1984 in Alberta Hamilton Tiger-Cats 1980s in Edmonton 1984 in Canadian television November 1984 sports events in Canada