The64thGrey Cup was played on November 28, 1976, atExhibition Stadium in Toronto. TheOttawa Rough Riders defeated theSaskatchewan Roughriders 23–20 in what is considered one of the most thrillingGrey Cup games, featuring some of the most exciting plays in Grey Cup history.^[1]

The attendance was 53,467—at the time, a Grey Cup record—due to the recently completed stadium reconfiguration to accommodate theToronto Blue Jays, aMajor League Baseball expansion team that commenced playthe following year. Toronto's Grey Cup attendance record would last but one season before being broken by the65th Grey Cup atOlympic Stadium inMontreal.

Ottawa Rough Riders - 23
Touchdowns -Tony Gabriel andBill Hatanaka
Field goals -Gerry Organ (3)
Converts -Gerry Organ (2)

Saskatchewan Roughriders - 20
Touchdowns -Steve Mazurak andBob Richardson
Field goals -Bob Macoritti (2)
Converts -Bob Macoritti (2)

After an early field goal, Ottawa increased their lead in record-setting fashion, withBill Hatanaka (aYork University graduate who would later attendHarvard University) returning a punt for a 79-yard touchdown (then aCFL record). Ottawa led10–0 at the end of the first quarter.

Saskatchewan owned the second quarter. CFL legendRon Lancaster hitSteve Mazurak andBob Richardson with touchdown passes andBob Macoritti added a field goal. On defence, all-starTed Provost intercepted aTom Clements pass to set up a touchdown and middle linebackerCleveland Vann covered the field with his excellent play. Unfortunately, Saskatchewan were without their longtime star running back,George Reed, who had retired after the previous season, and his talented replacement, Molly McGee, left the game with an injury. The halftime score was17–10 in favour of Saskatchewan.

The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, but the quarter also included its share of dramatic moments such asGerry Organ's 52-yard run on a fake punt and the subsequent interception by Saskatchewan'sCleveland Vann.

Ottawa kicked another field goal in the fourth quarter, making the score20–16. A later drive stalled on a goal-line stand by Saskatchewan. With time running out, Ottawa found themselves on the Saskatchewan 24-yard-line with 20 seconds left. Ottawa quarterback (andNotre Dame University grad)Tom Clements waved off the play from the bench.Canadian Football Hall of Fame tight endTony Gabriel headed towards the end zone, faked apost pattern and turned to the corner. Saskatchewan DBTed Provost fell for the fake and Gabriel hauled in Clements' pass, with Provost andRay Odums in vain pursuit. The play was spectacular in its execution, its game-winning importance and in the dramatic manner in which it unfolded, and is often simply referred to as "The Catch."

• All the points in this game were scored by Canadians.
• This was the last Grey Cup championship for the Ottawa Rough Riders (the team folded in 1996) and the last playoff game for the Saskatchewan Roughriders until1988. The 1976 victory was the last major sports championship of any kind for Ottawa until theOttawa Redblacks (the third CFL franchise to play in the city) won the104th Grey Cup in 2016. In total, Ottawa's championship drought would last for 27 seasons of CFL play and 40 years altogether.
• This was the last "Rough Riders vs. Roughriders" Grey Cup match-up.
• The game-winning ball caught by Tony Gabriel ended up in the possession of Bruce Crete, who was 12 at the time. He and the other neighbourhood children played football with it until it wore out six years later.^[2]
• The 1976 game was only Grey Cup game between 1973 and 1982 that the Edmonton Eskimos did not appear in, having been defeated by Saskatchewan in the Western Conference Final game.
• Beginning this year, and up until 1982, the Grey Cup game would be held in alternating years in either Toronto (CNE Stadium) or Montreal (Olympic Stadium). This practice would finally end following the completion ofBC Place in Vancouver in 1983.

• "Grey Cup: 1976". Canadian Football League. Archived fromthe original on 2010-08-23.

• Grey Cup
• 1976 in Canadian football
• Canadian football competitions in Toronto
• Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Ottawa Rough Riders
• 1976 in Toronto
• 1976 in Canadian television
• November 1976 sports events in Canada

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• Short description matches Wikidata