By Darin November 29th is a date etched deeply into football history, marking decades of dramatic finishes and groundbreaking moments across the NFL, CFL, and college ranks. From the intense rivalry of the Iron Bowl—showcasing Alabama and Auburn’s timeless clashes—to record-setting performances by legends like Joe Montana, and thrilling Grey Cup championships decided by last-second field goals, this single day has delivered some of the sport’s most memorable clashes. Dive into the archives to relive the historic Thanksgiving showdowns, dynasty-defining victories, and the day a Heisman Trophy winner was crowned.
On This Day in Football History: November 29 Gridiron Headlines
November 29, 1894 – Montgomery, Alabama – The 3rd Iron Bowl ever played took place, with Alabama whitewashing Auburn 18-0.
November 29, 1913 – AAA Grounds, Hamilton – The 5th Grey Cup game was played, with the Hamilton Tigers thwarting the Toronto Parkdale team 44-2, the second-largest margin of victory in a Grey Cup final, according to the Onthisday.com webpage story.
November 29, 1924 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – Queen’s University wins 3rd straight Grey Cup Championship, defeating the Toronto Balmy Beach squad in just their first season by the tune of 11-3, per cflapedia.com.
November 29, 1934 – In what was a game of firsts, the Bears traveled to the Motor City for this memorable contest. According to the worthpoint.com story, it was the first time that an NFL game was played in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, as well as the First National Broadcast of an NFL game, as NBC Radio put it in every living room in the country. The game itself was a dandy between these two rivals, as the Chicago Bears squeaked by the Detroit Lions 19-16, with the legend Bronko Nagurski scoring the winning TD in a thriller.
November 29, 1941 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers edged out the Ottawa Rough Riders, 18-16, for their 3rd Championship in the 29th edition of the Grey Cup. The Riders missed a crucial field goal attempt with just 4 minutes remaining that may have changed the outcome, per the Blue Bombers’ website.
November 29, 1947 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The Toronto Argonauts took home their 3rd straight and 8th overall title, escaping the stadium with a close 10-9 victory over the Calgary Stampeders, per the cflhof.ca site.
November 29, 1952 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – It was the Toronto Argonauts who showed their mettle with their record 10th Championship as they squashed the Edmonton Eskimos, 21-11 in the 40th playing of the Grey Cup according to thestar.com.
November 29, 1952 – Legion Field, Birmingham – The 17th Iron Bowl, held, saw Alabama crush the hopes of the Auburn Tigers with a 21-0 victory per onthisday.com.
November 29, 1958 – Empire Stadium, Vancouver – The 46th Grey Cup final was played, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took home their 4th title, beating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 35-28, for the CFL Championship. You can find more details about the matchup of these teams at NinetynineYards.com.
November 29, 1958 – Legion Field, Birmingham – The 23rd meeting of the Auburn Tigers and the Crimson Tide of Alabama took place in the Iron Bowl. Auburn held off the Alabama eleven in a tight one, 14-8, per AL.com’s story.
November 29, 1960 – Navy Halfback Joe Bellino takes home the hardware as he is awarded the 26th Heisman Trophy. Heisman.com reports that Joe was the first winner of the prestigious trophy, as he ran for 834 yards and 15 touchdowns. Bellino crossed the goal line stripe 3 additional times by catching the ball. All in all, an outstanding season for the Midshipman running back.
November 29, 1969 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Auburn beats Alabama 49-26 in the 34th Iron Bowl game.
November 29, 1974 – Legion Field – The 39th playing of the Iron Bowl had the Crimson Tide come out on top, 17-13, over the Tigers.
On November 29, 1975, the 40th Iron Bowl featured Alabama dominating, as they blanked Auburn 28-0 in Birmingham.
November 29, 1980 – Legion Field – The Crimson Tide outmatched the Tigers of Auburn once again in a 34-18 final score in this edition of the Iron Bowl Game.
November 29, 1986 – Legion Field – The 51st Iron Bowl proved that the better team that season was the Auburn Tigers as they knocked off their SEC rivals, the Alabama Crimson Tide, by the score of 21-17.
November 29, 1986: Notre Dame kicker John Carney‘s walk-off field goal propelled the Irish to a 38-37 win over USC, per the Irish Legends website.
November 29, 1987 – BC Place, Vancouver – in the 75th playing of the CFL Grey Cup, it was the Edmonton Eskimos who hung up their 10th Championship banner as they got past the tough Toronto Argonauts team for a 38-36 as kicker Jerry Kauric‘s last-second field-goal in this white knuckle contest.
November 29, 1987 – San Francisco Quarterback Joe Montana completes 22 consecutive passes to set an NFL record. Montana did it against a pretty tough Cleveland Browns defense, too, making it all the more remarkable, though the West Coast offense he ran was based on the dink and dunk throws underneath the coverage. The LA Times covers all the action in its day-after-the-game article, where the Niners defeated the Browns 38-24.
November 29, 1987 – The New Orleans Saints’ 20-14 victory over the Steelers in Pittsburgh assured the long-suffering that their 1st winning NFL season was on the horizon. The game came down to a goal-line stand with less than 4 minutes to play, as seen in this YouTube clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKLzRE06bCs
November 29, 1992 – SkyDome, Toronto – The Calgary Stampeders got past the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 24-10, with the help of an impressive performance by MVP Quarterback Doug Flutie, who went 33 of 49 for 480 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 80th Grey Cup final for the CFL Championship per amp.dater.pp.ua.
November 29, 2008 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – In the 73rd Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide of Alabama dominated the Tigers of Auburn 36-0. Per Onthisday.com, it was Alabama’s first win in the series in seven years.
November 29, 2009 – McMahon Stadium, Calgary – The 97th Grey Cup saw the Montreal Alouettes come from behind to beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 28–27, on a 33-yard Damon Duval field goal as time ran out. Our friends can find the full coverage of the story at the Ninety-nine Yards website.
November 29, 2014 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – In a high-scoring affair per onthisday.com, at the 79th version of the Iron Bowl, Alabama beat Auburn 55-44, a game that had folks asking, “Where is the defense?” (source)
November 29, 2015 – Investors Group Field, Winnipeg – Our friends at NinetynineYards.com once again have the game coverage for the 103rd playing of the CFL Grey Cup as it was the Edmonton Eskimos who outlasted the Ottawa Redblacks, 26-20, for their 14th Championship banner.
November 29 Football Hall of Fame Birthday
- Dale Van Sickel
Conclusion
From the deep south rivalries of Alabama and Auburn to the cold-weather championships of the Canadian Football League, November 29th truly encapsulates the global passion and diverse history of football. This day has consistently brought high-stakes drama, proving that whether it’s a record-breaking pass streak, a game-winning field goal, or a classic collegiate shutout, the end of November is always primed for unforgettable football history.
