Taylor Shire
Regina Leader-Post
WINNIPEG — The Saskatchewan Roughriders are Grey Cup champions for the fifth time in club history.
On Sunday night at Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium, the Roughriders beat the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 for Saskatchewan’s first Grey Cup title in 12 years.
This 2025 winning squad joins Roughrider championship teams from 2013, 2007, 1989 and 1966.
“I’m just grateful these guys get to experience this,” said Roughriders head coach Corey Mace. “We knew this was exactly who we expected to be.
Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris completed 23 of 27 passes for 302 yards and was named the game’s most valuable player.
“I’m just so happy to bring this trophy back,” said Harris, 39, who won his first Grey Cup as a starter and third in his career. “I don’t want to make this moment about me; this is about this team.
“This is awesome, man. I’m really grateful.”
Receiver Samuel Emilus, who had 10 catches for 108 yards, was named the game’s top Canadian while running back A.J. Ouellette gained 83 yards on 17 carries while also scoring a touchdown.
Defensively, Saskatchewan was able to intercept Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander three times as Marcus Sayles, Rolan Milligan Jr. and Tevaughn Campbell each had picks.
Alexander, who suffered his first loss as a starting quarterback after 13 straight wins, finished 22 of 34 for 284 yards while nursing an injured hamstring. Tyson Philpot was Montreal’s top receiver as he had five catches for 87 yards. Stevie Scott III had 15 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown.
After Montreal built up a 7-1 first-quarter lead, Saskatchewan stormed back in the second quarter as Tommy Stevens and Ouellette each had rushing touchdowns as the Green and White took a 15-8 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Stevens scored his second rushing touchdown of the night before Brett Lauther kicked a field goal to put the Riders up 25-7.
However the Alouettes mounted a bit of a comeback as running back Stevie Scott III scored on an 11-yard touchdown before the Alouettes kicked a pair of field goals to make it 25-17.
Then with three minutes left, after the Alouettes got it down to Saskatchewan’s four-yard line, short-yardage quarterback Shea Patterson, who had a touchdown earlier in the game, fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Sayles in the end zone.
“It’s the first time our offence has turned over the ball in the red zone all year,” said Alouettes head coach Jason Maas. “That’s 23 games we’ve never turned the ball over in the red zone and we do it on second-and-two from the three-yard line.
“I never saw that coming … At the end of the day, you can’t turn over the ball. I know he’ll feel bad about it. We try to tell him to keep your head up because there was still game left.”
The Roughriders would eventually punt the ball away, giving Montreal 58 seconds to score a touchdown and convert the two-point convert.
After moving it to midfield, Alexander was left with six seconds left on the clock to attempt a hail mary, which fell incomplete in the end zone, as the Roughriders secured the win.
Plan the parade
The Roughriders will be returning to Regina on Monday and are set to arrive back at Mosaic Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Fans can greet the team outside Mosaic Stadium’s Gate 3 located in the northeast corner of the stadium.
On Tuesday, the team will then hold their official Grey Cup parade down the Green Mile. The parade begins at 2 p.m. down Albert St. starting on 13th Ave. before going down to 20th Ave and concluding at the Saskatchewan Legislature.
“Their support means the world to us and we do this for them,” said Riders president Craig Reynolds. “I’m just so happy to be bringing the cup back home to Saskatchewan where it belongs.”
Game summary
As for how the 112th Grey Cup played out, the game started off with a turnover on the first series as Alexander had his first pass of the game picked off as Sayles intercepted it on his 13-yard line and returned it 23 yards.
On Saskatchewan’s first offensive series, Harris nearly gave it right back, but Als’ Kabion Ento dropped what would have been a pick-six. Saskatchewan ended up with a rouge on the drive following a 69-yard punt single by Jesse Mirco to go up 1-0.
Later in the first quarter, Alexander connected on a deep pass to Philpot for 37 yards to get the Alouettes into scoring range. A few plays later, Patterson plunged in from one yard out to put Montreal up 7-1 with the convert.
Looking for a response, Harris connected with Dohnte Meyers for a 29-yard gain before finding Emilus for 24 yards on a crossing route to get down to the Als’ 12-yard line.
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After getting down to the four-yard line, the Riders elected to gamble on third-and-two, and Harris had his pass knocked down by Ento as he was looking for Meyers in the end zone.
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However, the Roughriders successfully challenged for pass interference and were awarded the ball on the one-yard line. From there, Stevens surged into the end zone to put Saskatchewan up 8-7 with the convert.
After Saskatchewan’s defence forced a two-and-out, the Roughriders offence went back to work as Ouellette picked up a 12-yard carry along the ground before gaining 32 yards on a hitch pass.
Following a converted third-and-one gamble by Stevens, who picked up five yards on the sneak, Harris handed off to Ouellette who powered his way into the end zone from five yards out to put Saskatchewan up 15-7 with 2:38 left in the first half.
As Montreal looked to cut into the lead before the half, Alexander’s hail mary attempt was intercepted by Milligan as time expired in the first half.
To begin the second half, Roughriders returner Mario Alford brought the kickoff back 38 yards before Harris connected with Tommy Nield for a 34-yard gain down to the one-yard line.
From there, Stevens surged into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, tying a Roughriders Grey Cup record for most touchdowns in the championship game alongside Kory Sheets and Geroy Simon, to put the Riders up 22-7 with the convert.
Later in the third quarter, after Roughriders’ safety C.J. Reavis knocked down a deep pass attempt by Alexander, the quarterback was intercepted by Campbell near midfield.
After Harris hit Emilus for a 17-yard gain on the next play, the drive ended in a field goal as Lauther connected from 48 yards to make it 25-7.
Montreal then quickly engineered a response as Alexander found Tyler Snead for a 13-yard gain before he and Philpot teamed up for a 22-yard pass and catch.
A few plays later, Scott spun into the end zone from 11 yards out to trim the lead to 25-14 with the convert to end the third quarter.
After the Riders punted it away on their next series, the Alouettes drove down to Saskatchewan’s nine-yard line, aided by a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty called by the CFL’s Replay Centre, before kicking a 23-yard field goal to make it 25-17.
Looking to respond, Harris hit Emilus up the sideline for a 31-yard gain, his 10th catch of the night which also put him over 100 yards, to get Saskatchewan into striking distance.
The drive ended with Lauther missing a 39-yard field goal with 6:36 left.
On Montreal’s next drive, Alexander heaved a long throw to Snead for 51 yards down to Saskatchewan’s 24-yard line before Patterson fumbled the ball after being hit by Campbell a few plays later as the Alouettes were looking to punch in into the end zone.
Montreal then quickly engineered a response as Alexander found Tyler Snead for a 13-yard gain before he and Philpot teamed up for a 22-yard pass and catch.
A few plays later, Scott spun into the end zone from 11 yards out to trim the lead to 25-14 with the convert to end the third quarter.
After the Riders punted it away on their next series, the Alouettes drove down to Saskatchewan’s nine-yard line, aided by a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty called by the CFL’s Replay Centre, before kicking a 23-yard field goal to make it 25-17.
Looking to respond, Harris hit Emilus up the sideline for a 31-yard gain, his 10th catch of the night which also put him over 100 yards, to get Saskatchewan into striking distance.
The drive ended with Lauther missing a 39-yard field goal with 6:36 left.
On Montreal’s next drive, Alexander heaved a long throw to Snead for 51 yards down to Saskatchewan’s 24-yard line before Patterson fumbled the ball after being hit by Campbell a few plays later as the Alouettes were looking to punch in into the end zone.
The loose ball was scooped up by Sayles in the end zone as Saskatchewan’s offence got the ball back with 2:58 left up by eight points.
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After a first-down run by Ouellette, Harris hit Meyers for 20 yards, however Ouellette took a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on the play which pushed the Riders back before Saskatchewan punted it away, giving Montreal 58 seconds to put a drive together.
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On the first play of the drive, Alexander scrambled for a three-yard gain before dumping it off to Alexander Hollins, who was short of the first down. On third down, Alexander found Snead for a first down with 32 seconds left to give Montreal hope from their 43-yard line.
After an incompletion while he was pressured on first down, Alexander missed Philpot for what would have been a large gain on second down.
With 16 seconds left, Alexander completed a first down to Scott giving Montreal one final chance for a touchdown from midfield with six seconds left.
Alexander heaved it to the end zone but his pass fell incomplete as the Roughriders secured the win.
