View source for 73rd Grey Cup

{{short description|1985 Canadian Football championship game}}
{{Infobox Canadian football game
| number = 73
| type = Grey Cup
| image =
| date = November 24, 1985
| stadium = [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]]
| city = [[Montreal]]
| visitor name = BC Lions
| visitor colour = BC Lions
| home name = Hamilton Tiger-Cats
| home colour = Hamilton Tiger-Cats
| visitor coach = [[Don Matthews]]
| home coach = [[Al Bruno]]
| visitor record = 13–3
| home record = 8–8
| visitor1 = 10
| visitor2 = 13
| visitor3 = 6
| visitor4 = 8
| home1 = 0
| home2 = 14
| home3 = 0
| home4 = 10
| MVP = Offence: [[Roy Dewalt]], QB ([[BC Lions|Lions]])<br>Defence: [[James "Quick" Parker]], DE ([[BC Lions|Lions]])
| MV2 = [[Lui Passaglia]], K/P ([[BC Lions|Lions]])
| anthem = [[Luba (singer)|Luba]]
| referee = [[Jake Ireland]]
| coin toss =
| halftime =
| attendance = 56,723
| network = [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]], [[CTV Television Network|CTV]], [[Télévision de Radio-Canada|SRC]]
| announcers = CBC: [[Don Wittman]], [[Ron Lancaster]], [[Brian Williams (sportscaster)|Brian Williams]], [[Steve Armitage]]
CTV: [[Pat Marsden]], [[Frank Rigney]], [[Leif Pettersen]], Bill Stephenson
| ratings =
}}
The '''73rd Grey Cup''' was the [[1985 CFL season|1985]] [[Canadian Football League]] championship game that was played at [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]] in [[Montreal]], between the [[BC Lions]] and the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]]. The Lions easily handled the Tiger-Cats with a 37–24 victory.

==Game summary==
'''BC Lions''' (37) - TDs, [[Ned Armour]] (2), [[Jim Sandusky]]; FGs, [[Lui Passaglia]] (5); cons., [[Lui Passaglia|Passaglia]] (3); single, [[Lui Passaglia|Passaglia]].

'''Hamilton Tiger-Cats''' (24) - TDs, [[Ron Ingram]], [[Johnny Shepherd]], [[Steve Stapler]]; FGs, [[Bernie Ruoff]]; cons., [[Bernie Ruoff|Ruoff]] (3).

'''First Quarter'''

BC - TD Armour 84 yard pass from Dewalt (Passaglia convert)<br />
BC - FG Passaglia

'''Second Quarter'''

BC - FG Passaglia<br />
HAM - TD Ingram 35 yard pass from Hobart (Ruoff convert)<br />
HAM - TD Shepherd 00 yard pass from Hobart (Ruoff convert)<br />
BC - TD Armour 59 yard pass from Dewalt (Passaglia convert)<br />
BC - FG Passaglia

'''Third Quarter'''<br />
BC - FG Passaglia<br />
BC - FG Passaglia

'''Fourth Quarter'''

HAM - FG Ruoff<br />
BC - TD Sandusky 66 yard pass from Dewalt (Passaglia convert)<br />
HAM - TD Stapler 35 yard pass from Hobart (Ruoff convert)<br />
BC - Single Passaglia

The 1980s proved to be a decade of halting [[Grey Cup]] [[droughts]].

The [[Toronto Argonauts]] ended 30 seasons of futility by recapturing the title in [[71st Grey Cup|1983]]. The [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] ended a 22-year drought without a national title the previous year.

It was the [[BC Lions]] turn in 1985. The Lions hadn't won a Grey Cup since their inaugural championship in 1964. Fittingly, their opponent in 1985 was the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]], the same team they defeated for their first title. It was the second straight trip to the final for the Ticats.

The Lions jumped out to a quick start when five minutes in, quarterback [[Roy Dewalt]] and receiver [[Ned Armour]] combined on an 84-yard passing play for a major. BC added two field goals to take a 13-0 advantage early in the second quarter.

But much like they did the previous season, the Ticats made it interesting. Hamilton recovered a fumble by Lions running back [[Freddie Sims]] at the BC 50. It led to rookie quarterback [[Ken Hobart]]'s 35-yard touchdown strike to [[Ron Ingram]], cutting the margin to six.

Late in the opening half, Hobart broke free from the Hamilton 33 and utilized great blocking to get to the BC 15. Two plays later, [[Johnny Shepherd]] leaped high to snag a touchdown reception, giving the Ticats a 14-13 advantage with 1:35 remaining in the first half.

After failing to get a first down on their next possession, the Lions were forced to punt. Hamilton's [[Mitchell Price]] and [[Grover Covington]] bore down on B.C.'s [[Lui Passaglia]] in an attempt to block the kick and Passaglia, seeing the danger, wisely kept the ball and scrambled to his right, resulting in a first down.

BC then went for the dagger. Dewalt hit Armour again on a 59-yard touchdown play, giving the Lions the lead for good. Shortly after, [[James "Quick" Parker]] forced Hobart into a fumble, setting up a Passaglia 24-yard field goal. Instead of a one-point lead at halftime, Hamilton was in a hole 23-14.

The Lions never looked back. Passaglia booted another two field goals for five in the game, and Dewalt threw another big touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, a 66-yarder to [[Jim Sandusky]].

Hobart would hit [[Steve Stapler]] for a 12-yard touchdown late in the game, but it was too little, too late, and the BC Lions won their second Grey Cup championship.

==Trivia==
* The [[BC Lions]] won despite being without [[Mervyn Fernandez]], the [[CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award]] winner, and all star running back [[Keyvan Jenkins]], both lost to injuries.
* The entire 1985 BC Lions team were inducted into the [[BC Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2000.
* This was the final CFL game overall to be played with the 25-yard long endzone. Incidentally, the Lions' home stadium, [[BC Place]], which introduced the shorter 20-yard long endzones in 1983, would have their shorter endzones be the new CFL standard the following season.

==1985 CFL Playoffs==

===West Division===
* Semi-final (November 10 @ [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]]) [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] 22-15 [[Edmonton Eskimos]]
* Final (November 17 @ [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]) [[BC Lions]] 42-22 [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]]

===East Division===
* Semi-final (November 10 @ [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]]) [[Montreal Concordes]] 30-20 [[Ottawa Rough Riders]]
* Final (November 17 @ [[Hamilton, Ontario]]) [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] 50-26 [[Montreal Concordes]]

==External links==
* {{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/page/his_greycup_recap1985 |title=Grey Cup: 1985 |publisher=Canadian Football League |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622184449/http://www.cfl.ca/page/his_greycup_recap1985 |archive-date=2009-06-22 }}
* [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDCC-1-41-381-2198/sports/grey_cup/ Prime Minister's kickoff]

{{Hamilton Tiger-Cats}}
{{BC Lions}}
{{73rd Grey Cup}}
{{Grey Cup}}
{{1985 CFL season by team}}

[[Category:Grey Cup]]
[[Category:1985 in Canadian football|Grey]]
[[Category:Canadian football competitions in Montreal]]
[[Category:BC Lions postseason]]
[[Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats postseason]]
[[Category:1985 in Montreal|Grey Cup, 1985]]
[[Category:1985 in sports in Quebec|Grey Cup]]
[[Category:1985 in Canadian television|Grey Cup]]
[[Category:November 1985 sports events in Canada|Grey Cup]]