It was a beautiful summer evening in Toronto as the Argonauts raised the curtain on their 1997 season playing host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both teams enter the ’97 season with high hopes, the Argonauts in search of back-to-back Grey Cup championships, while the Bombers look to new headman, Jeff Reinebold, to lead them back to the big game. Toronto’s offence, who had put 40 points on the board in their final pre-season test against Montreal, picked up right where they left off as QB Doug Flutie hooked up with FB Robert Drummond for a 16-yard TD at 5:03 into the opening frame. Argonaut hoofer, Mike Vanderjagt, would add the first of his four successful converts. Vanderjagt rounded out the first quarter scoring making good on a 12-yard FG attempt. The Bombers’ Troy Westwood opened up the second quarter scoring by booting a 23-yard FG to cut the Boatmen’s lead to 7. However, Flutie found WR Derrell Mitchell alone in the end zone for a 12-yard TD at 5:56. Westwood then added his second FG of the quarter, this one a 12-yard boot. The Argonaut offensive machine continued to roll as RB/SB, Mike “Pinball” Clemons, hauled in a 3-yard pass from Flutie. Westwood would add a 48-yard FG with no time on the clock to make the score 24-9 in favour of Toronto after one half of play. Vanderjagt’s 10-yard FG broke the seal on the third quarter scoring increasing Toronto’s lead to 27-9. 10:51 into the third frame the Bombers offence finally got rolling when RB Ronald Williams took it across the goal line from 3 yards out. The Westwood convert made the score 27-16 in favour of Toronto. Following a Vanderjagt 60-yard punting single, the Argos increased their lead as Canadian WR, Paul Masotti, snuck in behind the Bomber defenders and caught a 6-yard strike from Flutie. However, the Bombers answered back with a TD of their own as WR Milt Stegall found the seam and ran under a QB Chris Vargas throw for a 59-yard major. However, this was as close as Winnipeg would come as Vanderjagt rounded out the scoring with his third FG of the game, this one from 44 yards out to make the final from SkyDome, Toronto 38, Winnipeg 23.
1996 | Week 3 | TOR 35 @ WPG 14 | |
Week 15 | WPG 12 @ TOR 28 | ||
1997 | Week 1 | WPG 23 @ TOR 38 | |
Week 11 | TOR 66 @ WPG 25 | ||
Week 14 | TOR 41 @ WPG 9 |
1.
TOR: Touchdown DRUMMOND
(16 yard pass from FLUTIE)
5:03
TOR: Convert Kick VANDERJAGT
2.
TOR: Field Goal
VANDERJAGT
(12 yards)
14:31
3.
WPG: Field Goal
WESTWOOD
(24 yards)
2:51
4.
TOR: Touchdown MITCHELL
(12 yard pass from FLUTIE)
5:50
TOR: Convert Kick VANDERJAGT
5.
WPG: Field Goal
WESTWOOD
(12 yards)
12:55
6.
TOR: Touchdown CLEMONS
(3 yard pass from FLUTIE)
14:30
TOR: Convert Kick VANDERJAGT
14:30
7.
WPG: Field Goal
WESTWOOD
(48 yards)
15:00
8.
TOR: Field Goal
VANDERJAGT
(10 yards)
6:00
9.
WPG: Touchdown
WILLIAMS
(3 yards)
10:51
WPG: Convert Kick WESTWOOD
10.
TOR: Single VANDERJAGT
(60 yards off a Punt)
1:08
11.
TOR: Touchdown MASOTTI
(6 yard pass from FLUTIE)
6:01
TOR: Convert Kick VANDERJAGT
12.
WPG: Touchdown STEGALL
(59 yard pass from VARGAS)
6:47
WPG: Convert Kick WESTWOOD
13.
TOR: Field Goal
VANDERJAGT
(44 yards)
9:50
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue Bombers | 0 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
Argonauts | 10 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 38 |
WPG | TOR | |
---|---|---|
First Downs | 16 | 31 |
Rushing | 127 | 174 |
Passing | 117 | 438 |
Total Offence | 244 | 612 |
Team Losses | 7 | 13 |
Net Offence | 237 | 599 |
Pass Comp-Att | 9-26 | 29-39 |
Interceptions by-yards | 1-47 | 0-0 |
Fumbles-Lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
Punts-Net Avg. | 8-5.6 | 4-11.8 |
Penalties-Yards | 10-80 | 19-115 |
Time of Possession | 26:31 | 33:29 |
WPG – VARGAS: 9/26, 117 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT; TOR – FLUTIE: 29/39, 438 YDS, 4 TD, 1 INT;
WPG – WILLIAMS: 13/106 YDS, 1 TD; STEGALL: 2/15 YDS, 0 TD; VARGAS: 2/6 YDS, 0 TD; TOR – FLUTIE: 9/116 YDS, 0 TD; DRUMMOND: 6/37 YDS, 0 TD; CLEMONS: 2/21 YDS, 0 TD;
WPG – STEGALL: 3/74 YDS, 1 TD; WILLIAMS: 2/21 YDS, 0 TD; ALFORD: 1/9 YDS, 0 TD; BOYKO: 2/8 YDS, 0 TD; BAKER: 1/5 YDS, 0 TD; TOR – CLEMONS: 10/137 YDS, 1 TD; MASOTTI: 6/106 YDS, 1 TD; MITCHELL: 5/103 YDS, 1 TD; MALVEAUX: 2/52 YDS, 0 TD; DRUMMOND: 4/30 YDS, 1 TD; DMYTRYSHYN: 1/13 YDS, 0 TD; KISELAK: 1/-3 YDS, 0 TD;
Blue Bombers coach: Jeff Reinebold (L)
Argonauts coach: Don Matthews (W)
Blue Bombers (0-1-0) Next vs Alouettes Jul 04
Argonauts (1-0-0) Next @ Tiger-Cats Jul 06
WPG | TOR | ||
---|---|---|---|
Largest Lead / Deficit | None / -19 | +19 / None | |
Final | -15 | +15 | |
WPG | Tied | TOR | |
Time in Lead | 00:00 | 09:57 | 50:03 |
Site | Local Time | Condition | Temp. | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toronto Island A | 7:00 PM | Clear | 19.8°C | NNE (190°) at 6 km/h | 79% | 100.91 kPa |
Toronto Island A | 8:00 PM | Clear | 18.8°C | NNE (240°) at 4 km/h | 86% | 100.91 kPa |
Toronto Island A | 9:00 PM | Clear | 18.4°C | NNE (230°) at 11 km/h | 83% | 100.94 kPa |
Toronto Island A | 10:00 PM | Clear | 17.7°C | NNE (150°) at 0 km/h | 85% | 100.94 kPa |
Toronto Island A | 11:00 PM | Clear | 17.0°C | NNE (170°) at 0 km/h | 88% | 100.98 kPa |
Conditions at Toronto Island A (1.52 km away). Weather courtesy of Environment Canada Data.
Data from Dark Sky. Contains supplemental data (Conditions, Cloud cover) from Dark Sky estimated conditions.
Data from Dark Sky. Contains supplemental data (Conditions, Wind direction, Cloud cover) from Dark Sky estimated conditions.