Corey Mace ensured that Jason Maas experienced a two-point landing on Sept. 6, 2010.

With barely five minutes left in a lopsided Labour Day game, the then-Calgary Stampeders defensive tackle propelled Maas ­— the third Edmonton quarterback to enter the game — into the turf at McMahon Stadium.

Maas, who released the ball just before hitting the ground, was penalized for intentional grounding. Because the infraction took place in the end zone, Calgary was awarded a safety touch — and two points that barely mattered in a 52-5 Stampeders victory.

The once-overlooked safety seems much more significant 15 years later, because the two principals from that play are opposing coaches in the 112th Grey Cup game. Mace’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and Maas’s Montreal Alouettes are to collide on Sunday at Princess Auto Stadium.

The Mace-Maas 2010 story angle? Auto-matic! Especially after the CFL posted a photo earlier this week of Mace tackling Maas as the football began its ascent.

“Just looking back on it, it was cool just because that was my first CFL game, ever,” Mace said in response to the first question asked at Tuesday’s head coaches’ media conference.

“This league is such a tight-knit community. I’m sure in Grey Cups past, you could probably dig up pictures of the head coaches doing the same stuff. I think it’s just cool that somebody dug that up.

“He got the ball off, though, so I didn’t do my job.”

Mace was not credited with a sack or a tackle on the play. And it was the team, not the player, who received the two points that enabled Calgary to fatten its lead to 43-5.

“That was toward the end of my career,” Maas said. “It was my last year playing.

“But I concur with Corey. In years past, you could probably do the same thing. It’s obviously a special memory from playing in this league. It’s special coaching in it as well.”

Both of this year’s head coaches arrived in Montreal with a wealth of Grey Cup experience.

Maas was the backup to quarterback Ricky Ray when Edmonton won championships in 2003 (at Taylor Field) and 2005 (in Vancouver). In the latter year, Maas sparkled in back-to-back relief appearances after replacing a struggling Ray in both West Division playoff games.

As well, Maas was the Toronto Argonauts’ quarterbacks coach from 2012 to 2014. One of the Argos’ quarterbacks throughout those three years — including the Grey Cup-winning season of 2012 — was current Saskatchewan signal-caller Trevor Harris.

“The thing that I took away from Jason Maas was that he was never going to be outworked, regardless of what was going on,” Harris said.

“He’s somebody who I’ve admired from Day 1 — and he knows I love him. Every time I see him, I go up to him and tell him how much he has done and continues to do for me as a person and a player.

“He’s somebody that I really, really appreciate. I got the chance to play for him for quite a while and to watch him succeed. I’ve got a lot of respect and admiration for Coach Maas.”

After two seasons (2021 and 2022) as the Roughriders’ offensive co-ordinator, Maas was the victorious head coach when the Alouettes won it all in 2023.

Mace was named the 48th head coach in Roughriders history just 11 days after Maas and the Alouettes captured their most-recent title.

Like Maas, Mace had a championship pedigree when he assumed his current role.

Mace has been part of a Grey Cup winner as a player (with Calgary in 2014), defensive line coach (Calgary, 2018) and defensive co-ordinator (Toronto, 2022). Now he is involved in a national final in a fourth capacity — that of head coach.

“Looking back from a player’s perspective and going up in different positions, truthfully, more and more stuff gets added on your plate.

“This week, it’s a little bit different experience, but just having the understanding of how to navigate it makes it a little bit easier in terms of understanding it.

“As a player, you’re just so locked in on what’s happening with your job and with what’s happening around you. As a position coach, you’ve got a bunch of guys to deal with. As a co-ordinator, there’s even more guys. As a head coach, you’re ultimately responsible for the whole deal.

“I think it changes a little bit but, at the end of the day, it’s about making sure you’re turning over every stone possible and that you’ve got everything covered.”