All eyes will be on quarterback Nick Arbuckle as the Toronto Argonauts take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 111th Gray Cup at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on Sunday.
Suddenly, Arbuckle is under the CFL’s major league after 2023 player of the year Chad Kelly broke his fibula and tibia in the Argonauts’ 30-28 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division final.
Arbuckle made one start during the regular season, pitching well in a meaningless game for Toronto (10-8). The 31-year-old completed 23 of 32 passes for 378 yards with two touchdowns in a 31-30 loss to the Edmonton Elks on Oct.
Arbuckle’s situation is all too familiar to Argonauts coach Ryan Dinwiddie, back in 2007 he found himself starting the Gray Cup for Winnipeg after linebacker Kevin Glenn broke his arm in the Eastern Conference Finals. Dinwiddie threw three shutouts and the Blue Bombers dropped a 23-19 decision to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the final.
“I trust Nick, I believe in Nick,” Dinwiddie said. “We didn’t change our game plan when he came in, we were aggressive. Fortunately, Nick played big games, unlike me as I was starting it for the first time. I just told him that I will give him the chance that benefits him. so that we can be successful compared to what our coaches asked us to do in 2007.”
Arbuckle can lean on running back Ka’Deem Carey (third in the CFL with 1,060 rushing yards) as Toronto tries to beat Winnipeg (11-7) for the third time this season. The Argonauts won 16-14 in overtime against the Blue Bombers on July 27 in Toronto and 14-11 on October 11 in Winnipeg.
The Blue Bombers also fell to Toronto in the 2022 Gray Cup.
Winnipeg advanced to its fifth straight title game, claiming a 38-22 victory over Saskatchewan in the West Division final.
Zach Collaros, the 2021 and 2022 CFL Most Outstanding Player, threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns, with reliable target Kenny Lawler recording 177 yards and three scores.
Lawler’s return from an eight-game absence from a season-opening injury has fueled Winnipeg, which has won eight in a row.
Collaros had no interest in any winning streak or injury stories related to Kelly — or his team — for that matter.
“Those things don’t matter,” he said. “The most important thing for us is our preparation. I know we haven’t scored a ton against this defense. So our job is on us.”
–Field Level Media
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