Dick Thornton, a great two-way player who had already made a fantastic reception, intercepted a Calgary pass and returned it to the Stampeder 11-yard line. With Theismann back in the game, he handed the ball off to Leon McQuay, the Argonauts' star running back. As McQuay cut left across the field, he promptly slipped on the soggy turf and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Stampeder Reggie Holmes. To this day, there is still some dispute about this play, as McQuay dropped the ball when his elbow hit the ground and he had not been contacted by a Stampeder defender, thus bringing up the football adage that "the ground can't cause a fumble." As well, then-Argo coach Leo Cahill lamented the play long after, quipping, "When Leon (McQuay) slipped, I fell."