The Winnipeg Blue Bombers ended a 29-year drought by winning the 107th Grey Cup final Sunday night, beating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
Hamilton was the CFL’s top team during the regular season with a 15-3 record. Winnipeg was third in the West at 11-7.
Winnipeg’s running back Andrew Harris made Canadian Football League history as he ended the Bombers’ championship drought Sunday night.
The 32-year-old Winnipeg native had a rushing and a receiving touchdown as the Blue Bombers stunned the Tiger-Cats.
Harris rushed for 134 yards and caught six passes for 35 yards to become the first player ever to be named the game’s top player and best Canadian.
He is the first Canadian to be named the Grey Cup’s most valuable player since the legendary Russ Jackson of the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1969.
Harris’s awards are not without controversy. He served a two-game suspension for a positive drug test earlier in the season. That led to his being snubbed in voting for the league’s individual honours despite leading the CFL in rushing for a third straight season.
In the post-game conference, Mike O’Shea — head coach for the Winnipeg Bombers — said the win “feels good.”
“It felt like a home game out there for us,” he said.
The Blue Bombers defence also helped in the victory, forcing seven turnovers and earning six sacks.
Winnipeg had not won a Grey Cup title since 1990. The second longest drought belongs to the Tiger-Cats, whose last title came in 1999.
Hamilton suffered its 16th straight loss at McMahon Stadium, the previous 15 coming against the hometown Calgary Stampeders.
The Tiger-Cats came in as the solid favourite after a dominant 2019 season. The Ticats posted a CFL-best 15-3 regular-season mark, a single-season franchise record, to take first in the East Division.
Wide receiver Brandon Banks had been a critical part of Hamilton’s offence all season. He was named the CFL’s most outstanding player on Thursday at the league’s annual awards ceremony.
Unfortunately for the Tiger-Cats, Banks saw only one play in the second half. He was injured when Blue Bombers defensive back Mike Jones landed a big hit on the 31-year-old receiver early in the third quarter. The league’s leading receiver left the game with a lower-body injury and wouldn’t return.
Harris and Co. earned $16,000 apiece while Hamilton players — who wore their home black uniforms and were 10-0 this season at Tim Hortons Field — received $8,000.
Country superstar Keith Urban played the Cup’s halftime show. More than 35,000 people attended the game, according to officials.
— With files by Kaylen Small, Maryam Shah, and The Canadian Press’ Dan Ralph