Key Takeaways
- Edmonton beat BC 28–16 and Montreal beat Winnipeg 33–23 in the division finals on Nov. 7.
- The 113th Grey Cup is Elks vs. Alouettes on Sunday, Nov. 15 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
- It is the 12th Grey Cup meeting between the two clubs; Edmonton leads the series 8–3.
Edmonton and Montreal Are Headed to Calgary
The 113th Grey Cup is set. The Edmonton Elks beat the BC Lions 28–16 in the Western Final, and the Montreal Alouettes beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 33–23 in the Eastern Final on Saturday — and on Sunday, November 15, the two winners meet at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
In Edmonton, the West Final was a kicker's game until it wasn't. Vincent Blanchard hit five field goals for the Elks, Cody Fajardo threw for 274 yards and ran for 84 more — the game's leading rusher — and his 23-yard touchdown pass to Austin Mack in the fourth quarter broke open a 19–16 game. BC's last real chance died on a forced fumble with the Lions driving late.
In Montreal, Davis Alexander threw for 373 yards and two touchdowns as the Alouettes built a 23–10 halftime lead and held off a Winnipeg rally. Zach Collaros, cleared to play through a rib injury, was held to 228 yards and no touchdowns, and a late Tyrice Beverette strip of Collaros killed the Bombers' final comeback hope.
The Grey Cup subplot writes itself: Fajardo won the Cup with Montreal in 2023, when Alexander was his backup. Now they start against each other. It is the 12th Grey Cup meeting between the clubs — Edmonton leads 8–3 — and Montreal's third trip to the final in four seasons.
The Twikup Take
Two quarterbacks who shared a locker room, two defences that just forced turnovers when it mattered, and a November night in Calgary: this is the matchup the league would have picked. Edmonton has won its last three Grey Cup appearances — Montreal's job is to end that run.
Image: The 99th Grey Cup game between the BC Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers at BC Place in Vancouver, 2011 by Cmm3, CC BY-SA 3.0.