Editor's note: The Eskimos and Alouettes will meet in the Grey Cup this Sunday for the 11th time. CFL.ca looks back at their 10 previous meetings.
1975 – Edmonton Eskimos 9, Montreal Alouettes 8
The Grey Cup final was hosted for the first time in Alberta as Calgary's McMahon Stadium set the stage for a rematch between the defending champion Montreal Alouettes and the Edmonton Eskimos.
The game was played under extreme temperatures, as the mercury dipped to minus-15 degrees Celsius with a wind of 25 kilometres per hour. A total of 32,454 braved the elements as the Eskimos won their first Grey Cup title since 1956.
As the final score indicates, this game went down to the wire. For the second straight Grey Cup backup quarterback Sonny Wade came off the Alouettes bench to replace Jimmy Jones with just 3:49 left in regulation. Trailing 9-7 and starting from the Montreal 23, Wade threw a 26-yard dart to Larry Smith. He then faked a reverse to Johnny Rodgers and threw a 46-yard pass to Joe Petty.
This gave the Alouettes an opportunity for a game-winning field goal in the final minute of the game when Jones mishandled the snap from centre. Kicker Don Sweet's 19-yard attempt sailed wide for a single point. The Eskimos then ran out the clock to preserve victory.
Montreal took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, as Sweet booted field goals of 35 and 47 yards. The Eskimos cut the lead in half in the second quarter on a 40-yard field goal by Dave Cutler. The Alouettes made it a 7-3 score before halftime when Sweet's 32-yard field goal attempt sailed wide for a single point.
The Alouettes had a chance for a touchdown in the third quarter. With a third-and-four on the Edmonton four-yard line, Montreal head coach Marv Levy opted to go for the touchdown rather than attempt a field goal into the strong wind. Rodgers swept wide on a run but failed to make the necessary yardage.
Edmonton went on to take the lead by the end of the quarter, as Cutler was successful on field goals from 25 and 52 yards out. The winning kick set a Grey Cup record for longest field goal.
The game featured a number of interesting feats. It was the third Grey Cup final in which a touchdown was not scored, matching the 1933 and 1937 classics. It was the only Grey Cup where one player from each team was responsible for all the points. It was the first time since 1945 that all the points were scored by Canadians.
