3 STATS THAT DEFINED THE 110TH GREY CUP
HAMILTON — Big players make big plays in big time moments.
The Montreal Alouettes beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to capture the 110th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday, with the passing offence stepping up to complement a dominant defence.
Leading the way was Cody Fajardo with three touchdown passes and 290 passing yards. It was only the second time the pivot threw three majors in a single game in 2023. His season-best efforts earned him the Most Valuable Player of the Grey Cup award and a place in Alouettes history.
Check out three stats that made the difference for the Grey Cup champions Montreal Alouettes.
110th GREY CUP
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8.5 – yards per play
The Montreal Alouettes have not been an explosive offence all year long, but stepped up when it mattered most to gain 8.5 yards per play against only 6.7 for the Bombers. The Toronto Argonauts led the league during the regular season with a 7.34 average.
Fajardo had 11.2 yards per attempt and had four receivers going for over 50 yards in Austin Mack, Tyson Philpot, Cole Spieker and Tyler Snead. William Stanback also added 68 yards on the ground with a 7.6 average as Montreal found different ways to move the ball against one of the best defences in the league.
4 – sacks
Beating the Blue Bombers often times means stopping quarterback Zach Collaros and their passing offence.
The pivot was sacked four times by a dominant defensive front that made the veteran pivot uncomfortable all night long. The Als also kept one of the best receiving groups in the CFL in check, with Kenny Lawler catching four passes for 77 yards as the leader of that group.
31 – passing yards
Fajardo had his team on third-and-five with the season on the line and uncorked a 31-yard completion to Spieker to move the chains and set up his team for the win. The decision to go for the deep pass – followed by the perfect execution – instead of kicking what would have been a long field goal may very well be the difference between losing and winning the 110th Grey Cup.
The play came right after the quarterback scrambled for 13 yards on second-and-18, setting up a shorter third down before the play that Alouettes fans will forever remember.
