Montreal Advances to 112th Grey Cup with Late Heroics at Hamilton Stadium
José Carlos Maltos connected on a 45-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Montreal Alouettes past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 19-16 in the Eastern Final at Hamilton Stadium on November 8, 2025. The Alouettes advance to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg on November 16.
The game remained scoreless through the first quarter before both offenses found their rhythm in a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final seconds.
Maltos Perfect on Four Field Goals
Maltos converted all four field goal attempts in the victory, including kicks from 29, 36, 17, and the game-winning 45-yarder. His 36-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the first half gave Montreal a 6-3 halftime lead.
The kicker added a 17-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to extend Montreal’s lead to 16-10 with 9:17 remaining before Hamilton rallied to tie the game.
Alexander Leads Montreal Offense
Davis Alexander completed 19 of 26 passes for 210 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The quarterback also contributed on the ground with seven carries for a team-high 64 yards, including runs of 19 and 11 yards that moved the chains on key drives.
Alexander connected with Tyler Snead for a 28-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, giving Montreal a 13-3 lead at 10:18 of the frame. Snead finished with three receptions for 57 yards and the score.
Mitchell Nearly Rallies Hamilton
Bo Levi Mitchell completed 29 of 36 passes for 269 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats quarterback went 8-for-8 for 69 yards on a third-quarter touchdown drive that cut Montreal’s lead to 13-10.
Mitchell found Shemar Bridges for a three-yard touchdown pass at 3:41 of the third quarter, capping the eight-play, 77-yard drive. Hamilton tied the game at 16-16 on Marc Liegghio’s 23-yard field goal with 1:46 remaining in regulation.
Defense Makes Key Stops
Montreal linebacker Wesley Sutton intercepted Mitchell in the second quarter, giving the Alouettes possession deep in Hamilton territory. Dylan Wynn recorded a sack for Montreal, taking down Mitchell for a five-yard loss in the second quarter.
Hamilton’s Destin Talbert intercepted Alexander in the third quarter, but Montreal’s defense prevented the Tiger-Cats from capitalizing on the turnover. Julian Howsare recorded a sack for Hamilton, bringing down Alexander for a five-yard loss in the second quarter.
Game-Winning Drive
Alexander moved Montreal into field goal range on the final possession with completions to Travis Theis for 40 yards and Charleston Rambo for 19 yards. The seven-play, 37-yard drive set up Maltos for the game-winner from 45 yards out.
Key Statistics
Montreal outgained Hamilton 340-338 in total yards and controlled possession for 31:30 compared to 28:30 for the Tiger-Cats. The Alouettes converted 13 of 23 second-down attempts (57%) while Hamilton was 12 of 22 (55%).
Both teams were perfect on field goals, with Maltos going 4-for-4 and Liegghio 3-for-3. Hamilton’s longest field goal was 49 yards by Liegghio in the fourth quarter.
Montreal advances to the 112th Grey Cup to face Saskatchewan on November 16 at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg. The Alouettes will seek their third consecutive Grey Cup championship and fifth overall title.
Hamilton’s season ends with an 11-8 record after falling short in their bid to reach the Grey Cup for the first time since 2021.
The game was played under cloudy conditions with a temperature of 7°C at Hamilton Stadium.
Mark PerryEditor
Mark Perry is the founder and editor of CFL News Hub. A dedicated and experienced football analyst, he has been providing comprehensive coverage of the sport since 2018.
