The Saskatchewan Roughriders claimed their fifth Grey Cup title Sunday night, defeating the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 at Princess Auto Stadium in a game that saw veteran quarterback Trevor Harris earn his first championship as a starter. Harris, previously a two-time Grey Cup champion in a backup role with Toronto and Ottawa, was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player after completing a Grey Cup record 85.2 percent of his passes for 302 yards. The victory marks a triumphant end to the CFL season and caps a remarkable career for the 39-year-old signal caller.
Trevor Harris is finally a Grey Cup champion as a starting quarterback, leading the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a thrilling 25-17 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday at Princess Auto Stadium.
The 39-year-old veteran signal caller threw for 302 yards, completing 23 of 27 passes for a Grey Cup record 85.2 percent, and was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. The win caps a remarkable career for Harris, who had previously won Grey Cups with Toronto in 2012 and Ottawa in 2016, but in a backup role.
“Listen, the first meeting I ever had with a player was Trevor Harris and I told him that this was going to happen,” said Riders head coach Corey Mace. “I understood what everybody said about him and he’s never been… You can’t say (expletive) no more other than Grey Cup champion, starting quarterback, MVP. And you better put Hall of Fame next to that name, too. Love that guy.”
Harris remained coy about his future following the win, deflecting questions about whether he’ll return for a 14th season in the CFL. “I think that’s for you guys to talk about,” Harris said. “I’m just grateful for my teammates, I’m so thankful for my teammates. We did it. It wasn’t the prettiest game but it never is.”
Sam Emilus led the Roughriders’ receiving corps with 10 catches for 108 yards, earning him the nod as the game’s top Canadian player. A.J. Ouellette powered the Saskatchewan ground game with a game-high 83 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Roughriders are scheduled to return home on Monday, with a victory parade planned for Tuesday in Regina to celebrate their fifth Grey Cup title – and first since 2013. The championship run marks the first time any CFL team has defeated Montreal starter Davis Alexander.
Alexander entered the contest with a remarkable 13-game winning streak (11 regular season wins over two years, plus playoff victories over Winnipeg and Hamilton in 2025). His impressive start to his CFL career will carry over into the 2026 season.
Alexander had been dealing with a hamstring injury, tweaking it in the East Division final against Hamilton. Despite receiving treatment throughout the week and playing on Sunday, the Saskatchewan defense forced three interceptions from the Alouettes quarterback. Alexander finished the game 22-of-34 for 284 yards, adding 14 yards on two rushes.
“I thought he ran around pretty good,” said Riders defensive lineman Micah Johnson. “I thought we did a good job of taking stuff away from him. In my opinion he was running around decently… he was healthy.”
The game wasn’t without its tense moments. A missed 39-yard field goal attempt by Saskatchewan’s Brett Lauther with 6:36 remaining kept the Alouettes within striking distance. Montreal then drove to the Riders’ three-yard line, but Saskatchewan cornerback Marcus Sayles recovered a Shea Patterson fumble in the end zone, giving the West Division champions possession with 2:53 left on the clock.
Montreal regained possession at their own 23-yard line with 58 seconds remaining, but Alexander was visibly hampered by his injury, limping after a four-yard run. Despite the clear discomfort, Alexander remained in the game.
“I didn’t play well enough to win this game for us,” Alexander admitted. “I did a couple things that I didn’t do during the year, you know, turn the ball over three times. When you get outplayed in the quarterback position, you put your team at a deficit right away.”
Mace secured his first Grey Cup victory as a head coach, but also praised his defensive unit’s performance. “We just didn’t want to give up chunk plays,” Mace said. “We gave up a few but they put the ball up and these guys (Riders defenders), they capitalize. We’ve got ball hawks back there. Incredibly proud of all those guys. Ultimately at the end of the game they had to put the ball up and I’ll trust my front four and our back end with anybody in the league.”
A 23-yard field goal by Jose Maltos Diaz at 7:08 of the fourth quarter brought Montreal within eight points, making the score 25-17.
“We had some big second-down conversions,” Harris said. “I didn’t throw any touchdowns but we had some big-time second down conversions through the air. We ran the ball well, we were able to stay on the field and that last drive we were able to get some first downs and bleed some clock to really put the pressure on them.”
The Princess Auto Stadium crowd of 32,343 was firmly behind the Roughriders, marking the 15th consecutive sellout at the venue dating back to August 2024, including the West Division final.
This was the third Grey Cup matchup between Montreal and Saskatchewan. The Alouettes had won the previous two meetings, in 2009 and 2010.
Tommy Stevens scored Saskatchewan’s two touchdowns. Brett Lauther added three converts, a field goal, and a single, while Jesse Mirco contributed a single point.
Shea Patterson and Stevie Scott III each scored touchdowns for Montreal. Jose Maltos Diaz kicked the converts and a field goal.
Scott’s 11-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter pulled Montreal within 25-14. Lauther’s 48-yard field goal earlier in the quarter had extended Saskatchewan’s lead to 25-7.
Saskatchewan opened the second half with Stevens capping a 48-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run at 2:48 of the third, increasing their lead to 22-7. The drive was set up by a 38-yard kickoff return from Mario Alford.
Saskatchewan dominated the second quarter, outscoring Montreal 14-0 to take a 15-7 lead into halftime.
A.J. Ouellette’s five-yard touchdown run at 12:22 extended Saskatchewan’s lead to 15-7. The 92-yard drive took over six minutes and included a 32-yard reception by Ouellette.
Stevens’ one-yard run at 3:52 put Saskatchewan ahead 8-7. The score came after a successful challenge for pass interference against Montreal’s Kabion Ento, who had broken up Harris’s third-down pass to Dohnte Meyers.
Harris was efficient in the first half, completing 13 of 16 passes for 155 yards. Ouellette ran for 54 yards on nine carries and added a 32-yard reception.
Alexander completed nine of 14 passes for 97 yards but was intercepted twice. He rushed once for 10 yards in the opening half.
Patterson’s one-yard touchdown run at 13:48 of the first quarter gave Montreal an early 7-1 lead, capping a 54-yard drive. Mirco’s 69-yard punt single opened the scoring at 4:55.
