In 1951, Canadian Pro Football consisted of three separate leagues: The Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU), the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), and the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU). The top two teams from each league qualify for the post-season, and the right to compete for the 39th Grey Cup. In an extremely competitive season, the top three teams in the WIFU and the IRFU were all tied for the league lead. As a result, all six teams qualified for the post season. Saskatchewan and Ottawa both won their respective leagues and would earn first round byes. In the WIFU Semi-Finals, it was the Edmonton Eskimos over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 4-1. In the IRFU Semi-Finals, it was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats winning a two game point total over the Toronto Argonauts 24-7 and 7-21 for a two-game total of 31-28. In the WIFU Finals, it was the
Saskatchewan Roughriders winning a 3-game series with the Edmonton Eskimos 11-15, 12-5, and 19-18. In the ORFU Finals, it was the Sarnia Imperials winning the two-game point total over the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 15-23 and 41-30, for a two-game point total of 56-53. In the IRFU Finals, it was the Ottawa Rough Riders sweeping the best of three series 17-7 and 11-9. In Eastern Finals, it was the Ottawa Rough Riders rolling past the Sarnia Imperials 43-17, setting up the match-up for the 39th Grey Cup Championship. The 39th Grey Cup was played on November 24, 1951, at Toronto's Varsity Stadium before a crowd of 27,341 fans. After a 17-year absence, the Saskatchewan Roughriders returned to the Grey Cup final. Their losing streak in the big game continued, however, as it was the other Rough Riders that took home the prize. Ottawa outmatched Saskatchewan for three quarters before the Westerners made it interesting in the final 15 minutes. It took a last minute single to preserve the victory for the nation's capital. With the wind at his back in the first quarter, Glenn Dobbs booted an 87-yard single followed by a 75-yard kick to give Saskatchewan a 2-0 lead. Ottawa then struck for three touchdowns. A 68-yard gain by Howie Turner set the Easterners up at the three-yard line, and Benny MacDonnell smashed over centre for the major. A fumble by Saskatchewan's Mickey Maguire at his own 29-yard line set up Ottawa's second touchdown. Tom O'Malley fired to Alton Baldwin at the two-yard
line, who then crossed over the goal line for the score. In the third quarter O'Malley hit Pete Karpuk with a 40-yard pass that was caught on the Saskatchewan 25. Karpuk beat Del Wardien to the goal line, giving Ottawa its third touchdown. With Ottawa leading 19-2 in the final quarter, Bruce Cummings banged home a single point, putting the East Riders up by 18. But Saskatchewan forged itself back into the contest. MacDonnell fumbled the ball which Roy Wright recovered at the Ottawa 30. Dobbs completed a pass to Jack Nix on the three-yard line, and Nix struggled across the goal line for the major. Two minutes later, another Ottawa miscue gave Saskatchewan the ball again. Turner went under a swarm of Western tacklers, and lost his handle on the ball. Red Ettinger recovered the ball deep in Ottawa territory, and a few plays later, Dobbs faked out the defense to provide Sully Glasser a huge opening for a touchdown. The game was lost for Saskatchewan in the final two minutes. Mickey Maguire, trying to make a running catch on a punt, fumbled on his own nine-yard line which was recovered by Bob Gain. After two failed pass attempts, Cummings put it out of reach with a single. Freshman head coach Clem Crowe matched Frank Clair's feat of
a year ago, winning the Grey Cup in his first year in Canadian football.