The Saskatchewan Roughriders rallied to defeat the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in the 112th Gray Cup.
Below are my thoughts and analysis of the 2025 CFL Championship Game.
Trevor Harris finally wins a major
Harris painted a Gray Cup masterpiece for the Riders, but it had just one major flaw.
After Marcus Sales intercepted Davis Alexander on the first offensive possession, the 39-year-old nearly gave the ball back and then some. He rotated his hips to the left side in the pocket and threw a high pass to AJ Ouellette. Alouette Defender Cabion Essence read and responded perfectly, but dropped a potential interception.
“Do you think it was a fall or do you think he fought it off?” Harris asked 3DownNation after the game with a wry smile on his face.
The number seven took time to get comfortable with Noel Thorpe's defence. Montreal disguised and mixed up reports – Harris admitted that the Als kept him guessing. Defenders played low on the side of blitz plays when recruited, with spot drops down low on low routes and depth on intermediate routes—a staple against Saskatchewan's passing attack all year.
“You saw me turning over the sides of the field that I was trying to read, trying to cancel concepts and come back. They did a really good job of lining those things up and then going from top to bottom,” Harris said. “It took us a while to find our rhythm, and once we did, I knew it was a matter of time before we started blowing the lid off, but we left some things open. (Offensive coordinator) Mark Mueller is the best guy.”
On the last play of the first quarter, Harris found Donte Meyers, who beat Ento, racing down the post between the hashes for a 29-yard gain. That set up an eight-play, 73-yard touchdown drive. Corey Mays successfully cleared pass interference on third-and-2 from Montreal's four-yard line, and the Roughriders took an 8-7 lead until green and white confetti fell onto the turf a few hours later.
Harris set a Gray Cup record by completing 85 percent of his passes, finishing 23 of 27 for 302 yards. He hit Samuel Emilus for 24 and 31 yards, Ouellette for 32 yards on a flat route, Tommy Neeld for 34 yards and Meyers for 23 yards, a critical gain. Those airstrikes led to the veteran QB winning his first Gray Cup as a starter and earning the game's MVP award.
During the postgame press conference, Harris made sure to give credit to his offensive line, something that went unnoticed because the team was playing at such a high level. Payton Collins, Trevon Tate, Logan Ferland, Jacob Brammer and Jermarcus Hardrick protected Harris so well that he said he didn't need to wear shoulder pads.
Helpers for life
Trevor Harris and AJ Ouellette are now forever linked in Riders history.
Since the two stars made the 23-hour drive from Ohio to training camp in Saskatoon to prepare for the 2024 season, the pair have become best soccer friends — so much so that Ouellette and his girlfriend moved into Harris' basement in the fall when cold weather cut off the water at his Regina campground for a year.
The housemates' attack led Saskatchewan to the championship. Ouellette was named the game's MVP, especially after the first half. He rushed nine times for 54 yards — with one catchy jumping touchdown that forced former Riders linebacker Darnell Sankey to miss the hole — in the first 30 minutes, while rushing for 32 yards on one run. He carried the ball eight times for 29 yards in the second half as Harris took over.
Let's not forget that the 30-year-old ball carrier was instrumental in the 10-play, 92-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. He gained 56 yards on five touches, including four carries for 24 yards, and his physical downhill style helped Saskatchewan build a 15-7 lead.
Marcus Sales earned defensive MVP honors
Veteran cornerback Marcus Sales made a splash for the Roughriders with an early interception that changed the game.
Tyson Philpot streaked down the right side of the field and hit the post before Sales reduced the gap and intercepted Alexander's poor pass. He made a move and removed possible points from the board.
The 31-year-old defenseman may have made the biggest mistake in franchise history after… Shea Patterson coughed up a football with help from Canadian defenseman Tevon Campbell at the goal line, ending Montreal's comeback bid.
The two-time CFL All-Star added an exclamation point to his performance by breaking up Alexander's Hail Mary pass on the game's final play in the end zone. He jumped over Tyson Philpot and Alexander Hollins to seal Saskatchewan's fifth Gray Cup victory.
CJ Reavis shows off his range
The 29-year-old defenseman, who transitioned from strongside linebacker to fullback in Week 18, produced a discreet defensive best in the 112th Gray Cup.
Midway through the third quarter, Tyler Snead was flying down the left side on a corner route, separated from Roland Milligan Jr. Reavis saw it from his safety and hurriedly covered a mile of green to try to knock down the ball after Alexander's successful throw.
At that point the score was 22-7 in Saskatchewan. If Sneed pulls the ball for a long gain or a touchdown, the entire tide of the game could change. Instead, Reavis showed off his impressive range and ball skills.
Relationship Destroyer
Tevon Campbell returned after five seasons in the NFL to become an elite cover man in the CFL. He respected the level of talent coming north of the border and was tied for the league lead with six interceptions in the regular season.
Campbell has had his ups and downs in the Gray Cup. He appeared to be part of a coverage breakdown in the first quarter after Tyson Philpot gained 37 yards with a wide open seam, but recovered to make a touchdown-saving tackle.
In the third quarter, he jumped a pass intended for Philpot, leading to a field goal. A series later, he attempted the football, but Philpot won the battle on the slant route and went 22 yards. Two plays later, Campbell was called for interfering with Snead's pass when he grazed his shoulder while the diminutive pass catcher was running downhill.
The 32-year-old's efforts came to fruition as he forced a fumble from Patterson at the one-yard line with less than three minutes left in the game.
Workshop mace
Corey Mays put his defensive game plan into action and it worked for the Green and White.
Mays essentially challenged Davis Alexander to consistently beat defenses from the pocket. He used a controlled burst, knowing that the No. 10 left hamstring was an issue coming into the game, and looked to the zone behind many times, allowing his defenders to see the elusive Alexander.
However, the QB, who entered with a 13-0 win-loss record, did not leave the pocket until the final minute of the second quarter. There were two glaring failures in coverage that led to Philpot's 37-yard gain in the first quarter and Sneed's 51-yard gain in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough to amount to a loss.
Even though Saskatchewan didn't record a single sack, Mace's vaunted front four put constant pressure on Alexander and helped force two interceptions. Habakkuk Baldonado was right in front of him, leading to a short throw and an interception by Sayles in the first quarter. Baldonado stayed behind him in the third quarter to facilitate Campbell's pick.
Rider Nation fans regularly called into the Rider Broadcast Network's 620 CKRM postgame show all year long wanting Mays to play in a smaller zone, but it was ultimately a major part of the game plan that helped the Roughriders hoist the big silverware.
Spectacular Samuel
Emilus was perfect in the 112th Gray Cup: 10 targets, 10 receptions. The 28-year-old put his speed, route running, blocking and athleticism on full display.
The 6-foot, 200-pound pass catcher made timely catches to help hitters move their sticks and score runs. He converted two second downs on first down, which was crucial as CFL regular season leader KeeSean Johnson remained out of the lineup with a knee injury.
His 24-yard catch and run, accelerated by Robert Kennedy III on a left-to-right crossing route, gave Saskatchewan its first touchdown of the game. He punctuated his performance with a 31-yard grab down the sideline with less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Emilus fell two receptions short of the Gray Cup single-game record, but was a very deserving Canadian MVP.
Super Mario still has some power
Some in Rider Nation may have greatly exaggerated the demise of Mario Alford.
The 34-year-old returned a kickoff 38 yards out to start the second half and set up the drive with excellent position at Montreal's 48-yard line. Four players later, Tommy Stevens made his way into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the Gray Cup.
That Alford comeback helped Saskatchewan jump out to a 22-7 lead and hit the Alouettes with an uppercut early in the third quarter.
Gray Cup in the off-season
General manager Jeremy O'Day has a lot of work to do.. The Riders have about 40 pending agents who were key and played a role in Saskatchewan winning its fifth Gray Cup. The best among them: Trevor Harris.
Harris will approach his football future the same way he has in recent years: talking to the coaching staff, front office, family and friends before making his final decision.
