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Updated 7: 10 p.m., Nov 29
There’s heartbreak in Rider Nation tonight.
A dramatic 33-yard field goal by Damon Duval with time run out on the clock gave the Montreal Alouettes their first Grey Cup win since 2002 and crushed the hopes of the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium Sunday.
It was only Duval’s second of the game, and his longest at 33-yards, but it came at the right time. A few seconds earlier, it looked like the ‘Als were done though as Duval booted the ball wide of the uprights.
Unfortunately for Saskatchewan, they got caught with 13 men on the field, and Duval got his chance at redemption, and he didn’t let his team down twice.
Although the ‘Als scored a touchdown in the last two minutes to make the score 27-25, they blew the ensuing two-point convert attempt and the ‘Riders looked to have it in the bag, but Calvillo and the ‘Als, the favourites coming into the game, were not quite done.
With 7:30 left in the first quarter, Saskatchewan’s Luca Congi booted them onto the board, and they stayed in front for the rest of regulation time, looking to be on their way to their second Grey Cup in three years.
But Montreal refused to go away; it wasn’t until the second half though, when the Alouettes came out of the locker room down 17-3, that they managed to generate much offense against the strong Saskatchewan defense, outscoring them 7-3 in the frame and getting the only TD between the two teams.
But it was the fourth quarter that really made it a ball game, with the ‘Als reaching paydirt twice, including Calvillo’s 11-yard toss to Ben Cahoon with 2:09 left officially, while the Roughriders managed only one major when QB Darian Durant ran it in from 16 yards out.
Avon Cobourne of the Alouettes was given the game MVP award for his one-touchdown performance, gaining 64 yards receiving and 85 yards rushing, while QB Anthony Calvillo completed 26 of 39 passing attempts for 314 yards and two TD’s.
Darian Durant was 17 for 29 and only 201 yards for the Roughriders, whose total offense was 384 yards to Montreal’s 409.
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Updated 6:24 p.m., Nov. 29
The two teams traded fourth quarter touchdowns as the action heated up but with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter the Saskatchewan Roughriders hold onto a lead they’ve had on the Montreal Alouttes since their first score way back in then first quarter. Th ‘Riders Darian Durant has just thrown an interception to turn the ball over to Montreal with just under five minutes remaining.
Updated 6 p.m., Nov. 29
The Roughriders Luca Congi booted a 23-yard field goal to build Saskatchewan’s back to ten points late in the third quarter as they seem to have weathered an early second-half push from the Montreal Alouettes in the 97th Grey Cup. Going into the fourth quarter the ‘Als are going to have to find something more, which has so far proved difficult against the tough’Riders defense.
Updated 5:45 p.m., Nov. 29
The Montreal Alouettes Anthony Calvillo capped a long scoring drive, in which he went 5/5 passing, with a 21-yard bullet of a pass to Jamel Richardson with eight minutes left in the third quarter to make it a football game after all. Richardson took advantage of some weak Saskatchewan Roughriders coverage to get their first TD of the game and draw Montreal within seven points.
Updated 5:10 p.m., Nov. 29
The underdog Saskatchewan Roughriders are leading the Montreal Alouettes 17-3 at halftime in the 97th edition of the Grey Cup being played at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium.
In front of a sea of green-clad prairie football fans, the Rougrhiders defense has largely shut down Anthony Calvillo and the Montreal offense. Saskatchewan jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on the strength of a field goal and an eight-yard TD pass from Darian Durant to Andy Fantuz, before Montreal replied with a second-quarter field goal to get on the board.
The ‘Riders have also added a single point safety and pair of field goals, the last coming with two second left in the half to surprise the Alouettes and give themselves a two-TD cushion going into the dressing room.
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Tags: CFL football, Grey Cup, Montreal alouettes, Saskatchewan Roughriders
