VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle led the Toronto Argonauts to their record-extending 19th Grey Cup title, throwing two second-half touchdown passes in a 41-24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday night at B.C. Place.
Forced into action after starter Chad Kelly broke his ankle in Toronto’s East championship victory over Montreal, Arbuckle completed 26 of 37 passes for 252 yards in Toronto’s second Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg in three seasons.
“You couldn’t script this,” said Arbuckle, selected the outstanding player of the game. “If everybody was to know everything, all the things we overcame as a family, from my whole life and football career to be here, it’s God’s work.
“I’ve been so fortunate to have the support and belief in me from my wife and everybody to just keep chasing it and persevering. Look at it now.”
Toronto has won its last eight appearances in the Grey Cup dating to 1991 and is 8-0 against Winnipeg, also beating the Blue Bombers in 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950 and 2022.
“Nick did that, he won us a dang championship, what else is there to say,” said Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey, who ran for 79 yards and a TD on 15 carries. “I know everybody in this locker room knew who Nick was and knew what he was going to do.”
Winnipeg was appearing in its fifth straight Grey Cup. It won consecutive titles in 2019 and 2021, with the 2000 season canceled.
“It’s still pretty raw,” Blue Bombers coach Mike O’Shea said. “Anytime you don’t win your last game, there’s a tendency to view it as failure and I don’t know about (that). It was a hell of a ride this year, quite a different season. We just didn’t play our best football at the end. ”
Arbuckle threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dejon Brissett to give Toronto a 24-16 lead with 7:31 left. On the first play after the kickoff, DaShaun Amos intercepted Zach Collaros’ pass and returned it to the Winnipeg 16 to set up Brian Hajrullahu’s 14-yard field goal with 5:11 remaining.
Robert Priester iced it with 3:12 left with a 61-yard interception return for a touchdown. Wynton McManis then returned another interception 58 yards to the 4, with Carey scoring on the next play to make it 41-16.
Collaros, the only player to make five straight Grey Cup starts, was 15 of 30 for 202 yards and four interceptions. Brady Oliveira, the league’s outstanding player and top Canadian this year, ran for 84 yards and a TD, scoring on a 1-yard run and adding a 2-point conversion in the final minute.
Toronto — which beat Winnipeg in both regular-season meetings — took a 17-10 lead with 6:13 left in the third quarter on Arbuckle’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Mital — a play after Fraser Sopik recovered Lucky Whitehead’s fumble on a punt return.
Winnipeg cut it to 17-13 on Sergio Castillo’s 40-yard field goal with 2:13 left in the third. The Blue Bombers’ Michael Ayers then blocked John Haggerty’s punt, but Toronto ended up with a first down because Kyrie Wilson interfered with an Argonauts player while the ball was loose.
The Blue Bombers got the ball back two plays later when Willie Jefferson intercepted Arbuckle’s pass and returned it 4 yards to the Toronto 30, setting up Castillo’s 23-yard field goal.
Prince Harry made a pregame appearance. The Duke of Sussex is promoting the Invictus Games that will be held in the area in February.
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