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The Grey Cup is heading back to Montreal.
The final game of the 2023 CFL season was played on Sunday at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field in front of a sellout crowd, where the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers by a 28-24 score.
Montreal’s Tyson Philpot scored the winning touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Winnipeg carried a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter, where the only score of the third frame was a 23-yard receiving touchdown from Montreal’s Cole Spieker.
Winnipeg got the scoring started in the first quarter, nailing a 25-yard field goal off the foot of kicker Sergio Castillo to take a 3-0 lead with 8:32 to go in the opening frame. A quick first drive from the Alouettes quickly gave the ball back to Winnipeg just over a minute later on their own 44-yard line. On the ensuing drive, Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira scored the first touchdown of the day, a five-yard run up the middle to give Winnipeg a two-score lead.
Montreal replied with a major score of their own on the next drive, with the Alouettes’ William Stanback breaking open a 35-yard rush touchdown to get his side back within a single score with five seconds left in the opening frame.
The second quarter wasn’t quite as high-scoring, with Winnipeg stopping Montreal at the 1-yard line with eight seconds left in the opening half to keep the score at 17-7.
It’s safe to say this wasn’t quite the match up most were predicting when the CFL playoffs got underway earlier this month.