2014 CFL.ca Game Notes: The 102nd Grey Cup

CFL.ca Staff
With files from Steve Daniel, Head Statistician

VANCOUVER — The 102nd Grey Cup Championship has finally arrived. After 81 hard-fought regular season games and four playoff battles to the (figurative) death, only two teams remain. On Sunday, the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats will put everything on the line in hopes of hoisting that coveted trophy high above head.

It’s a battle between teams that are quite different but also the same. Both won their division. Both have been here before and look to overcome their ghosts of Grey Cup’s past. Both have young quarterbacks who, until these playoffs, had never started a playoff game.

Their differences, however, are what will make Sunday’s game fascinating and unpredictable. One team is the best at running the ball; the other the best at stopping the run. One team is the most experienced in the league; the other the least experienced. One team has been at the top of the league all season, while the other is hitting peak performance at the absolute perfect time. 

Most of all, Sunday’s game will be between two teams that are hungry to win.  Both the Stampeders and Ticats played for the Grey Cup Championship within the last two years, but came away empty. One of these teams will get to erase the memory of Grey Cup disappointment. The other . . .

For everything you need to go heading into the 102nd Grey Cup, here is your final edition of the 2014 CFL.ca Game Notes.

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Playoff Trends:

Winning Margins: Calgary and Hamilton dominated their Division title games, winning by 25 and 16 points respectively. It was the first time in 26 years that BOTH Grey Cup-bound winners won their Division championship game by at least 16 points. In 1988, BC beat Edmonton by 18 (37-19), and Winnipeg defeated Toronto by 16 points (27-11).

Greatest recovery to win the Cup: The Tiger-Cats are looking to become just the second team to ever win the Grey Cup having been FIVE games under .500 during the season. The BC Lions started off 1-6 in 2011 (as Hamilton has done in 2014), and went on to defeat Winnipeg 34-23 at B.C. Place Stadium.

Post-Season experience: Players included on the Stampeders’ 46-man roster from last week’s Division Final game hold a total of 27 previous Grey Cup games played. Hamilton’s roster from last week has 25, so the teams are very close in that statistic. That only tells part of the story however, as overall, Calgary players have 197 post-season games to Hamilton’s 145 — a significant gap.

Scoring on the rise: In 2014, league-wide scoring dropped from 52.4 points to just 45.5 per game. In the 2014 Grey Cup playoffs, however, that has rebounded strongly to an average of 55.0 per game in the Semi-Finals and Finals – 21% higher. Scoring on offence was up 30 per cent to 49.0 points per game despite a 37% increase in turnovers to 6.0 per game.

Canadian Content: Of the 43 Nationals included on the Hamilton and Calgary rosters last week, 84% of the players were original draft picks in the annual CFL Canadian Draft. However, Calgary has strengthened its roster even more as four of its Canadians from last week were signed as undrafted free agents.

Stamps’ post-season streak: Prior to last week’s win over Edmonton, Calgary had lost its last two post-season games — the 2012 Grey Cup in Toronto and the 2013 Western Final. The 25-point win in the Western Final was the Stamps’ largest post-season victory in 19 years, since a 37-3 win over Edmonton in 1995.

Sacks allowed: If there is a single disparity that most favours Calgary it is in sacks allowed in 2014. Calgary ranked first in the CFL in giving up only 26 all season (but three last week in the playoffs). Hamilton ranked eighth, allowing 65 in 2014.

Road Discrepancy: The Stampeders are 12-2 in their last 14 games away from McMahon Stadium. While the Ticats were a perfect 7-0 in their brand new Hamilton stadium, they were 2-7 in road games in 2014. The last time that Hamilton defeated a .500 or better team away from home was Oct. 4, 2013 against a 9-4 Toronto team.

Punt return leader: The Ticats led the CFL in 2014 with an 11.0 yard average on punt returns. They also took the fewest penalties on punt returns with only 16. This proved to be a key asset as two of their four TDs vs Montreal in the Division Final came on punt returns.

The Ticats in the Eastern Final: Scored 40-plus points in a playoff game for only the second time since 1986 (52 in 2011). Of those 40 points, 14 came from two
kick return TDs by Brandon Banks and made up the offensive gap as Montreal scored three times on offence.

Bucking the trend: The Ticats bucked the odds by winning when outgained (383 yards to 345), with less time of possession but at only 27:54, and a 50% mark in the Red Zone. They won with discipline (seven penalties to the Als’ 11), four “big plays” to Montreal’s one, only one two-and-out, and a 4-2 turnover edge.

Brandon Banks Records: In the Eastern Final, Banks set or tied three all-time CFL playoff records: 1) Two punt return TDs in one game (tied); 2) Most combined yards with 294; and, 3) Most punt return yards with 226. He returned five punts for gains of 13, 26, 6, 93 (TD) and 88 (TD) yards. He had his 79-yard return for a third TD cut short to 26 yards due to a holding call.

Luke Tasker: Ended the regular season with a 12-game reception streak (55 catches for 729 yards, the equivalent of an 83-catch, 1,094 yard season). He made the 2014 All-Star Team in the East and ranked second in the CFL with 30 2nd down conversion catches. In the Eastern Final, Tasker led the team again with 80 yards and with two more 2nd down conversion grabs.

+10 T/O Ratio last four games: The Ticats’ turnover ratio in their last three regular season games was plus-eight, turning an early season minus-six into plus-five overall. In the playoff win over the Alouettes they were plus-two, forcing four Montreal giveaways for 17 points.

A Battle on the Sidelines: 

All Kent Austin does is win: With their win over Montreal in the Division title game, Coach Austin’s teams have now gone 5-0 in playoff games not including the Grey Cup. That puts him second only to Hugh Campbell’s mark of six playoff games without a single defeat. He is now 31-23 in regular season games and 1-1 in the Grey Cup. Last year’s Grey Cup loss was his first post-season defeat.

John Hufnagel, too: With a 15-3 record in 2014, John Hufnagel improved his career head coaching record to 88-37-1 in regular season play. His .702 winning percentage ranks fourth all-time among head coaches with 50+ games. He trails only Frank Ivy (.781), Hugh Campbell (.755) and Ralph Sazio (.707). He has a 5-4 record in nine playoff games and 1-1 in the Grey Cup. Hufnagel becomes the second Calgary head coach to guide his team to three or more Grey Cup games.

Behind Centre: 

Quarterback Inexperience: Bo Levi Mitchell and Zach Collaros will be making their first career Grey Cup starts, and that has been relatively rare. Over the last 25 years (1990-2014), this will be the SIXTH time that neither QB had started a previous Grey Cup:

2011: Travis Lulay (BC) vs Buck Pierce (WPG)
2007: Kerry Joseph (SSK) vs Ryan Dinwiddie (WPG)
2001: Marcus Crandell (CGY) vs Khari Jones (WPG)
1993: Damon Allen (EDM) vs Sammy Garza (WPG)
1990: Tom Burgess (WPG) vs Tracy Ham (EDM)

Only Mitchell has any previous on-field passing action in a Grey Cup game, as in 2012 he took at over at QB for Calgary’s final possession to lead the Stamps to a touchdown and two-point convert to close the gap to 35-22.

Air Attack: Calgary’s offensive focus was on the pass during the win over Edmonton, after gaining 336 passing yards vs only 70 rushing. Bo Levi Mitchell completed five passes of 30+ yards for four touchdowns. The 336 passing yards was the Stamps’ second straight game over 300, including 414 in the regular season finale at B.C. Place vs. the Lions.

Calgary’s #1 ground game limited: Edmonton held Calgary to just 70 rushing yards on 21 carries for a 3.3 yard average. The Stamps have averaged just 3.3 yards per
carry over their last two games but completed 41-of-60 passes for 750 yards and six TDs (a passer rating of 137.5).

Bo Levi Mitchell: The loss in Week #19 to Winnipeg snapped an eight-game winning streak with Mitchell as Calgary’s starting QB. Having come off the bench in Week #20 at BC, he is now 15-2 for his career, the same record set by Jackie Parker in his first 17 starts across 1954-1955. He recorded his first playoff win last week and overall is 16-2 in 18 career starts.

Mitchell getting more involved: The Stampeders passing game continues to grow and vs. Edmonton last week they had four players gain 58 yards or more. Of Calgary’s 14 completions last week, six were for second down conversions, and five went for 30-plus yards. They gained 83% of their total yards via the pass (336 of 406) compared to 62% in the regular season (4,212 of 6,802 yards).

Zach Collaros, a winner: Hamilton has gone 9-5 when Collaros started in 2014 including the playoff victory over Montreal, and 1-4 when he was out of the lineup. With Collaros at QB, Hamilton was 4-2 in close games (decided by 5 pts or less). Without him, Hamilton went 0-4 in close games.

The Ground Game: 

Jon Cornish: Cornish is the league’s premier running back, but last week he found another way to reach 100 yards — this time through the air with four catches. He gained 120 receiving yards, including a 78-yard screen pass for Calgary’s third touchdown. It was Calgary’s longest post-season TD pass play in their history.

Cornish the focal point: While the Stamps’ passing game has sparked, Cornish remains the focal point for the Ticats in this game. He set a CFL record for leading the league in rushing in the fewest number of games, rushing for 1,082 yards in just nine starts. His 7.8 yards per carry average is unfathomable, and over the span of a full season is game-by-game production would have given him the all-time single-season rushing record ahead of Mike Pringle.

Number one run D: Hamilton allowed a team record low 76.8 rushing yards per game in 2014, tops in the CFL. It was the fifth lowest rushing yardage per game allowed by any CFL club since 1995; and 19 less yards per game than number two Edmonton. The Ticats held Montreal to only 73 rushing yards last week.

Grigsby’s 93 yards: The Ticats picked up Nic Grigsby for their final three games and he built up to his best in the 1st place showdown. In the clinching win over Montreal, he was the dominant offensive player in the game with 19 carries for 93 yards and two catches for 13. Last week, he gained exactly 93 yards again, this time on 18 carries including two TDs and a 24-yard gain.

Different Paths:

Below .500 for 17 weeks: The Ticats spent 17 of their 18 weeks in 2014 with a record under .500 and only regained level ground in the final week of the season to take first place. Only one team in CFL history has ever spent more weeks under .500 and gone on to win the Grey Cup -– that was Calgary in 2001, who started 0-3 and did not manage to reach .500 before getting hot and beating BC, Edmonton and Winnipeg to win the 89th Grey Cup in 2001.

Stamps shoot for 17: The Stampeders tied their club record with a 15-3 mark and won the Division Title last week for their 16th win of the year. A victory in the 2014 Grey Cup would make that 17 wins –- matching the most they have ever had in one year (1995). They would also join Toronto in 1996-97, and Montreal in 2009, becoming just one win behind the all-time leader -– Baltimore with 18 wins in 1995.

Grey Cup Game Notes:

Five years, five winners: With Calgary and Hamilton getting to the Grey Cup, it ensured that the game will be won by a fifth different team in the last five years.

Third Grey Cup meeting: Calgary and Hamilton will be meeting for the third time in Grey Cup history. The Stampeders met the Tiger-Cats in 1998, winning 26-24 on the game’s final play. Hamilton then captured the Cup 1999 with a 32-21 win.

Stamps Grey Cup #14: The Stampeders have a chance to even their all-time record in the Grey Cup at 7-7. They have been in the Grey Cup three times in the 2000’s and have won two of their last three appearances.

Ticats back-to-back: The Tiger-Cats will be making their 20th appearance in the Grey Cup for the second season in a row. That makes it the 10th time that Hamilton has appeared in a Grey Cup game having done so the previous year (1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1985, 1986, 1999 & 2014). That is just one short of Edmonton’s all-time record of 11 back-to-back sets of Grey Cup appearances.

The Turnover Battle: The last time that a Grey Cup was won by a team that made MORE turnovers than its opponent was Edmonton in 1987. NO team making equal or more turnovers has won any of the last 26 Grey Cup games. Since 1952, teams that have made FEWER turnovers are 44-5.

Time of Possession equally vital: The last time that a Grey Cup was won by a team that did not win the time of possession battle (below 30:00 in the game) was back in 2004 (BC lost with 30:43 of possession). The TOP winner has won the last nine Grey Cups.

Recent Calgary scoring: After a two-game stretch (Sept. 21-27, 2014) where the Stamps scored only 29 total points (14.5 per game), Calgary finished 2014 averaging 30.0 points per game over their its final five contests. That included 16 TDs on offence in 71 drives (23%). The Stamps added to that with six more offensive touchdowns last week on 17 drives in rolling up 43 points.

The Stamps when leading after three: Calgary’s record was 11-2 in 2014 when leading after the third quarter, and 75-9-1 since 2008.

Against Calgary of late: The Stampeders have beaten Hamilton six straight times and in seven of their last eight meetings. Calgary swept the 2014 season series, outscoring the Ti-Cats 40-27 and now has 19 wins in their last 25 meetings back to October 2002. The last time that Tiger-Cats defeated Calgary anywhere other than in Hamilton was over 10 years ago – July 4, 2004 at McMahon Stadium. Hamilton has lost its last 10 away games against Calgary.