Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander to be key figure during Grey Cup week

Davis Alexander will be in the Gray Cup spotlight this week in Winnipeg.

The Montreal quarterback posted a perfect 13-0 career record as a CFL starter in the Alouettes' Gray Cup showdown with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Nov. 16.

But all eyes will be on the charismatic American ahead of the big game after he injured his left hamstring in the Alouettes' 19-16 win over Hamilton in Saturday's East Division final.

Alexander was placed on the injured list twice with an injury that limited him to just seven games in his first full season as Montreal's starter. The Alouettes went 7-0 under Alexander, but were 3-8 in games he didn't start.

“Davis played a few games with this injury, he spent most of our training camp with it,” Montreal head coach Jason Maas said. “I know he knows how to deal with it, but it remains to be seen how bad it is.

“If he doesn’t leave, we’ll still have the same expectations for our team: to go out and win.”

Alexander has no doubt that he will play. When he tweaked his hamstring in the fourth quarter against the Tigercats, Maas assigned backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson to start warming up, but Alexander was emphatic that he would not leave the game.

Alexander is 11-0 in the regular season with Montreal: the best start of his CFL career. He won both of his post-season starts.

Montreal and Saskatchewan will meet Sunday for the third time in the Gray Cup. The Alouettes defeated the Riders in 2009 (28-27) and 2010 (21-18).

Davis: “I don't have to be Superman”

Alexander didn't enjoy his best performance against Hamilton, completing 19 of 26 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception and rushing seven times for a team-high 64 yards. But he stayed out of Montreal's main seven-play, 36-yard drive, completing two of three passes for 28 yards.

“That’s a really good question, I can’t answer it for you,” Alexander said when asked if he could have fled along the road. “I didn’t have the cleanest game, but I don’t have to be Superman for this team to win.

“Whether people believe it or not, I hope they do now. This is a whole unit, this is one heartbeat. We talk about it all the time, we are as resilient as we can be.”

Maas said if Alexander's mobility is limited against Saskatchewan, Montreal will adjust the offense accordingly.

“When you have a handicap like that, you have to trust the offense, and the offense is built on responses,” said Maas, a former CFL defensive end. “We'll have to come up with a game plan that fits what he's capable of.

“I don’t care if the other team knows about it or not, it will depend on our performance. I know that he [Alexander] very capable of playing in that pocket, making good decisions and getting the ball to a group of guys that I think can play in our offense.”

Maas will be making his second Gray Cup appearance as head coach. He won twice as a player with Edmonton (2003, 2005) and as an assistant with Toronto (2012).

Saskatchewan's Corey Mace will make his Gray Cup debut as head coach. He won a championship as a defensive lineman with Calgary (2014) and twice as an assistant with the Stampeders (defensive line coach in 2018) and Toronto (defensive coordinator in 2022).

If Alexander takes the field on Sunday, he will face Saskatchewan for the first time this season. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, each winning on the road as Bethel-Thompson started both for Montreal.

Saskatchewan won the first meeting 34-6 in Montreal on August 2, but the Alouettes prevailed in a shootout 48-31 in Regina on September 13. Bethel-Thompson threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns, with two going to Canadian Tyson Philpot, who had nine catches for 238 yards.

Stevie Scott III rushed for 125 yards on 19 carries (6.6-yard average).

The Riders' long-awaited return to the Gray Cup

Saskatchewan makes its first Gray Cup appearance since 2013, defeating Hamilton 45-23 in Regina. On Saturday, Trevor Harris' 3-yard pass to Tommy Neild with 11 seconds left rallied the Riders over the BC Lions 24-21 in the Western Division final.

Harris finished 26 of 38 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Running back AJ Ouellette, who won the Gray Cup with Toronto in 2022, ran 17 times for 113 yards.

Harris, 39, is seeking a third Gray Cup title after earning rings with Toronto (2012) and Ottawa (2016). Harris also started for the Redblacks in their 27-16 loss to Calgary in the '18 CFL title game.

27-year-old Alexander will make his first appearance at the Gray Cup tournament. This is Montreal's second time in the game since 2023, when it defeated Winnipeg 28-24.

Montreal will be seeking its ninth Gray Cup title overall. Saskatchewan has won four titles.