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Grey Cup November 12, 2025

3 stats that may loom large in 112th Grey Cup

Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca

The stage is set for the 112th Grey Cup as the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders get ready to battle for CFL supremacy.

Both teams have taken similar paths to reach this point, leaning on opportunistic defences, strong special teams, and timely playmaking.

While there will be plenty of talk about the two dynamic offences taking the field, it may be the defences that ultimately decide Sunday’s championship.

Here are three key stats that could shape the 112th Grey Cup.

112th GREY CUP112th GREY CUP
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80 – COMBINED TURNOVERS FORCED

Few defences in the CFL have been as disruptive as these two. The Alouettes and Roughriders combined for 80 forced turnovers this season, a number that speaks to their ability to create chaos and change games in an instant.

Saskatchewan finished second in the league with 24 interceptions, thanks to a ball-hawking secondary led by Rolan Milligan Jr., Tevaughn Campbell and Marcus Sayles. Up front, veterans Micah Johnson, Mike Rose and Malik Carney have helped generate the kind of pressure that forces hurried throws and bad decisions.

Montreal, meanwhile, finished the regular season tied for first in fumbles recovered with 12. Linebackers Tyrice Beverette and Darnell Sankey have been central to that success, flying to the football and creating opportunities off physical, downhill play.

In a game where momentum can turn on a single snap, whichever defence can steal an extra possession might be the one lifting the Grey Cup.

76.0 – ROUGHRIDERS RUSH YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME
256.9 – ALOUETTES PASSING YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME

If you want to run the ball on Saskatchewan, good luck. The Roughriders have allowed just 76.0 rushing yards per game, making them one of the stingiest teams in the CFL against the run.

Johnson and Rose anchor a physical defensive line that dominates the trenches, while linebackers Jameer Thurman and A.J. Allen seemingly never miss an assignment. That front-seven dominance has forced opponents into predictable passing situations all season long.

For Montreal, the story is in the air. The Alouettes’ defence has held opponents to a league-best 256.9 passing yards per game, with a disciplined secondary that closes windows quickly and rarely gives up easy completions.

Kabion Ento is as good as they come at cornerback, while Marc-Antoine Dequoy patrols the back end as one of the league’s top playmakers. Combine that with Beverette’s range and Sankey’s leadership at linebacker, and you get a defence that’s just as comfortable defending deep as it is attacking the line of scrimmage.

75 – COMBINED BIG PLAYS ALLOWED

The Alouettes (37) and Roughriders (38) were the top two teams in the CFL in limiting big plays this season. That discipline defines both teams’ defensive identities.

Montreal thrives on communication and tackling, with Ento and Dequoy consistently preventing anything from getting behind them. Saskatchewan plays with the same mindset, leaning on veterans like Sayles and Milligan Jr. to keep receivers in front and make plays at the catch point.

That means that, on Sunday, any explosive play — a deep connection, a broken tackle, or a long run — could prove to be the difference between victory and heartbreak.

BONUS STAT: 58 – FIELD GOALS BY MONTREAL

 

Montreal’s special teams have been a difference-maker all season, led by kicker José Maltos-Díaz, who connected on 58 of 65 field goal attempts, the most in the CFL this year.

The veteran has delivered consistency and composure in pressure moments, none bigger than his game-winning walk-off field goal in the Alouettes’ 19-16 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Final.

That clutch kick sent Montreal back to the Grey Cup and showcased the confidence the team has in his leg. In a championship game that could come down to field position and execution, Maltos-Díaz may once again find himself in the spotlight when it matters most.