3rd Grey Cup

The 3rd Grey Cup game was played on November 25, 1911, between the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Toronto Argonauts. The University of Toronto won their third straight championship by defeating the Argonauts, 14-7.

Game Summary

U. of Toronto Varsity Blues (14) - TDs, Allan Ramsey, Frank Knight; cons., Jack Maynard (2); singles, Maynard (2).

Toronto Argonauts (7) - FG, Ross Binkley; singles, Binkley (3), Bill Mallet.

The University of Toronto’s Grey Cup dynasty continued in 1911, when they defeated their cross-town rival the Toronto Argonauts at the new Varsity Stadium. How new was the venue? The final nail was driven into the stadium just 90 minutes before kickoff.

A record of crowd of 13,687 was the largest to see a football game in Canada to date. Six tons of straw was piled onto the field to protect the turf from an expected blizzard, which hit Toronto the day prior to the game. But the straw was no match for Mother Nature as the field was frozen solid, making the footing treacherous.

Both teams had their difficulties holding onto the ball, with the Varsity Blues being the chief offenders, especially when handling punts. But because these errors were made in midfield, they didn’t hurt the students. It was a different story for the Argonauts, however, who gave up two tries as a result of fumbles.

At one point, the Varsity Blues actually faced a deficit for the first time in their three visits to the Grey Cup, when Ross Binkley kicked a rouge for the Argonauts in the opening two minutes of the game. They kept the students off the scoreboard until the second quarter when Billy Mallet fumbled a punt and accidentally kicked the ball into the end zone. Allan Ramsay recovered it for a try, which Jack Maynard converted to give the Varsity Blues a 6-1 lead.

The students scored another try in the third quarter when Binkley fumbled on a punt return along the Argonauts goal line, which Frank Knight recovered and crossed the line for the major. Maynard converted to give the students a 13-3 lead.

However, Binkley kicked a field goal to pull the Argonauts within seven, but the Varsity Blues team put up a stubborn defence for the remainder of the game. Both teams traded rouges, but neither threatened the end zone, giving the students their third straight championship.

Trivia

Varsity Blues' Allan Ramsay had his left eye cut open on the frozen turf in the second quarter, which he got stitched up at halftime.

It was Varsity’s final appearance in the Grey Cup until 1914, although the students kept the trophy for the next three years. They believed they could rightfully hold on to the mug until another team defeated them in the championship game.sequence
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