{"id":264554,"date":"2025-11-06T01:42:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T01:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/264554\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T01:42:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T01:42:18","slug":"3-x-factors-that-could-impact-the-eastern-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/264554\/","title":{"rendered":"3 X-factors that could impact the Eastern Final"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was no debate during the regular season: the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes were the two best teams in the East Division. In fact, the battle for top spot in the division went right down to Week 21 before it was wrapped up by the former.<\/p>\n

And as it should be, the Als and Ticats will go head-to-head this weekend in the Eastern Final with a trip to the 112th Grey Cup on the line.<\/p>\n

\"20232025 GREY CUP PLAYOFFS
\u00bb\u00a0Buy Eastern Final Tickets: Montreal at Hamilton<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Who has the edge in the Eastern Final?<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a06 stats that may loom large in the Division Finals<\/a>
\u00bb 3 storylines to watch in the Eastern Final<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Weekly Predictor: Who wins the Division Finals?<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates<\/a><\/p>\n

Hamilton won both regular season meetings, with one major caveat: quarterback Davis Alexander<\/a> (more on him shortly) didn\u2019t play in either for Montreal. With McLeod Bethel-Thompson at the helm in Week 4, the Als fell 35-17 to the Tiger-Cats. And then in Week 14, it was James Morgan<\/a> at quarterback for Montreal in a 26-9 win for Hamilton.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt Alexander\u2019s presence this weekend changes things. And that\u2019s just one of three x-factors to keep an eye on Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Stadium.<\/p>\n

DAVIS ALEXANDER\u2019S PULSE<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

With 12 wins without a loss as a CFL starter, it\u2019s sometimes hard to believe Alexander was only handed that role full-time for this season. And one of those wins came in last weekend\u2019s Eastern Semi-Final to the tune of 42-33 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.<\/p>\n

Ice cold in his efficiency and demeanor, Alexander showed absolutely no nerves in his first playoff start. In fact, against one of the league\u2019s best defensive units, Alexander completed 24 of 34 passes for 384 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, plus another 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s no surprise Alexander wasn\u2019t fazed one bit going up against future Hall of Famer Zach Collaros. This weekend it\u2019s another quarterback destined for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on the other side in Bo Levi Mitchell<\/a>, with five Division Final\u00a0starts under his belt.<\/p>\n

If Alexander is as steely and dialed\u00a0in as he was last weekend, and why wouldn\u2019t he be, the Alouettes have a great chance to punch their second Grey Cup ticket in the last three years.<\/p>\n

WHO CAN ESTABLISH THE RUN GAME?<\/p>\n

HAVE YOURSELF A DAY GREG BELL!<\/p>\n

A personal best 146 rushing yards and now a touchdown as well!#CFLGameDay<\/a>
\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f: @Ticats<\/a> vs. Alouettes LIVE NOW
\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6: TSN, RDS
\ud83c\udf0e: CFL+ pic.twitter.com\/kua532xeXT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CFL (@CFL) September 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Hamilton and Montreal were seventh and eighth, respectively, in rushing yards per game during the regular season. Interestingly, both teams also finished in the bottom half in defending the run with the Als sixth and the Ticats at ninth overall. It sets up an interesting matchup, and the team that gets their run game going more effectively could have a real edge.<\/p>\n

Individually, Hamilton\u2019s Greg Bell<\/a> was this matchup\u2019s most prolific tailback during the regular season. Bell finished fifth overall with 1,038 rushing yards to go along with five touchdowns and started to meaningfully establish himself in the second half of 2025.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t sleep on Stevie Scott III in Montreal\u2019s backfield. Popping onto the radar down the stretch, Scott led all Als\u2019 running backs with 418 rushing yards during the regular season and seems to be heating up at the right time. In his CFL playoff debut last weekend, Scott recorded a season-high 133 yards and two touchdowns. When you add in three receptions, Scott finished with 21 touches, also his highest total of the season.<\/p>\n

HAMILTON\u2019S SPECIAL WEAPONS
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

K Marc Liegghio<\/a> converted 52 of his 56 field goal attempts in 2025 (Geoff Robins\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n

The Tiger-Cats may have their biggest edge this weekend on special teams, at least on paper. While Montreal\u2019s Jos\u00e9 Maltos Diaz led the league with 58 field goals during the regular season, it was Hamilton\u2019s Marc Liegghio<\/a> who finished as the league\u2019s second-most accurate kicker. At 92.9 per cent, Liegghio was behind only BC\u2019s Sean Whyte<\/a> in that category and could be a serious difference-maker in what should be a tight battle.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s Isaiah Wooden<\/a> who cemented himself as one of the league\u2019s most explosive returners during the regular season. In 14 appearances, Wooden finished third with 1,105 yards returning kicks to go along with a pair of touchdowns. He added another touchdown and 570 yards on punt returns, and can take one to the house anytime the ball is booted his way.<\/p>\n