The game at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium was a quasi-home date for the Huskies, just a two-and-a-half hour drive from their Saskatoon campus, in the first ever Vanier Cup hosted by Regina and just the second ever played in the province.

The Carabins win marks the third straight national championship for a Quebec-based program. Laval won in 2024 and 2022.

The Montreal win was not without controversy.

With 1:45 remaining in the first half and the Carabins facing 2nd-and-7, Gonzalez appeared to cross the line of scrimmage before making a first-down throw, drawing an illegal pass penalty flag.

After a lengthy discussion by the officials, the flag was picked up and the catch stood, drawing the ire of Saskatchewan head coach Scott Flory, CBC television broadcaster Mark Lee and others.

The drive continued until the final play of the first half when the Carabins added a nine-yard Phillippe Boyer field goal, part of a 2-for-3 day for the Montreal kicker, to widen their lead to 15-11.

From there, a Lukas Scott field goal would be all the Huskie offence could muster as Montreal outscored Saskatchewan 15-5 in the second half.

The Huskie offence has been playing with backup quarterback Jake Farrell since mid-season, when then-Canada West leading passer Anton Amundrud took ill and was later diagnosed with lymphoma.

On Saturday it appeared to be running on fumes. Farrell was intercepted twice and sacked three times while completing 20-of-31 attempts for 229 yards and no touchdowns.

Hec Creighton nominee and Huskie leading receiver Daniel Wiebe was in a walking boot all week and was mostly quiet with four catches for 48 yards.

Montreal head coach Marco Iadeluca enjoyed a Gatorade bath at the final gun, as a small but boisterous contingent of Carabin fans cheered behind the home bench in celebration of their first championship won in Western Canada. Montreal also avenged a 2021 national semifinal loss to Saskatchewan.

It was the Huskies’ seventh straight loss in Vanier Cup appearances since their last championship win in 1998. The loss also denied Saskatchewan of its first ever Canadian football championship trifecta after the Roughriders and Saskatoon Hilltops both won their respective championships earlier this month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2025.

Brendan McGuire, The Canadian Press