Riders beat Als 25-17 to give MVP Trevor Harris his first Grey Cup as a starter

By Canadian Press on November 16, 2025.

WINNIPEG — Trevor Harris has his first Grey Cup victory as a starting quarterback.

Shea Patterson, with two, and A.J. Ouellette ran for touchdowns to power the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 25-17 Grey Cup win over the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday. That gave the 39-year-old Harris his third CFL championship but first as a starter. He was named MVP in Sunday’s showdown.

Now the question remains whether Harris will retire on top or return for a 14th CFL season? He completed 23-of-27 passes for 302 yards.

In registering their fifth Grey Cup title — and first since winning in 2013 in Regina — the Riders did something no other CFL team had done before: hand Montreal starter Davis Alexander a loss.

Alexander came into the contest having won 13 straight starts (11-0 over two years during the regular season, then playoff wins over Winnipeg and Hamilton in 2025.) Alexander’s regular-season record — the best start to a career in league history — will carry over to 2026.

Alexander was a big story this week after tweaking his left hamstring in the East Division final win over Hamilton. Alexander received treatment all week and played Sunday but the Riders defence intercepted him three times in the contest.

Alexander was limited to just seven regular-season starts this year as the hamstring ailment twice landed him on the injured list. Alexander started and finished Sunday’s game but his lack of mobility was noticeable as he was 22-of-34 passing for 284 yards with two rushes for 14 yards.

Saskatchewan made it interesting with Brett Lauther’s missed 39-yard boot with 6:36 remaining. Montreal drove to the Riders’ three-yard line before cornerback Marcus Sayles recovered Shea Patterson’s fumble in the end zone, giving the West Division champs possession at their 30-yard line with 2:53 remaining.

Montreal took possession at its 23-yard line with 58 seconds left when Alexander took off on a three-yard run but was limping noticeably heading to the huddle. Alexander remained in the game but was again relegated to being a pocket passer.

Jose Maltos Diaz’s 23-yard field goal at 7:08 of the fourth cut Montreal’s deficit to 25-17.

Saskatchewan was the decided favourite of the enthusiastic Princess Auto Stadium sellout of 32,343. This marked the 15th straight sellout at the facility dating back to August 2024 and including the West Division final.

This marked the third Montreal-Saskatchewan Grey Cup matchup. The Alouettes won both previous meetings in 2009 and 2010.

Lauther booted three converts and a field goal while Jesse Mirco added a single.

Patterson and Stevie Scott III scored Montreal’s touchdowns. Maltos Diaz kicked the converts and a field goal.

Scott ended the third quarter with an 11-yard TD run to pull Montreal to within 25-14. Lauther’s 48-yard kick at 11:01 put the Riders ahead 25-7.

Saskatchewan opened the second half with Stevens culminating a four-play 48-yard drive with a one-yard TD run at 2:48 of the third for a 22-7 advantage. It followed Mario Alford’s 38-yard kickoff return.

Saskatchewan outscored Montreal 14-0 in the second quarter to take a 15-7 lead into halftime.

Ouellette scored on a five-yard run at 12:22 to boost Saskatchewan’s lead to 15-7. The 11-play, 92-yard drive took more than six minutes off the clock and included Ouellette’s 32-yard reception.

Stevens’ one-yard run at 3:52 put Saskatchewan back ahead 8-7. It followed a successful challenge for pass interference by the Riders after Montreal’s Kabion Ento knocked away Harris’s third-down pass to Dohnte Meyers.

Harris was a solid 13-of-16 passing in the opening half — registering 10 straight completions at one point — for 155 yards. Ouellette ran for 54 yards on nine carries with the 32-yard catch.

Alexander completed nine-of-14 passes for 97 yards but was intercepted twice. He ran once in the opening half — that coming late in the second — for 10 yards.

Patterson put Montreal ahead 7-1 with a one-yard TD run at 13:48 of the first, capping a six-play 54-yard march. Mirco’s 69-yard punt single opened the scoring at 4:55.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2025.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press