B.C. tops Montreal to win Grey Cup

Nov 20, 2006, 3:35 GMT

Winnipeg, MB - Paul McCallum tied a title game record, making six field goals, while scoring 19 total points as the B.C. Lions posted a 25-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the 94th Grey Cup at Canad Inns Stadium.

Dave Dickenson completed 18-of-29 passes for 184 yards, also rushing six times for 53 yards. Receivers Paris Jackson and Ryan Thelwell caught five balls apiece for the Lions (15-5), who won their fifth Grey Cup in nine appearances.

Also assisting in the victory were Joe Smith, who rushed 16 times for 72 yards, and Ian Smart, who gained 32 yards on two carries, one for a touchdown.

Anthony Calvillo threw for 234 yards on 20-of-41 completions, and became the all-time passing leader in Grey Cup history. Ben Cahoon recorded game-highs with 11 catches for 137 yards, and Robert Edwards rushed for 85 yards on 15 carries and one touchdown for the Alouettes (11-9), who have lost the last two Grey Cup Finals.

The Lions opened the scoring on a seven-play drive where Dickenson completed four passes and ran for a first down, taking B.C. from their own 23 to Montreal's 26, where McCallum put a 34-yarder through the uprights for a 3-0 advantage.

B.C. upped the lead to 6-0 on another McCallum kick, this time from 35 yards out.

On Montreal's ensuing possession, Calvillo coughed up the ball and it was recovered by the Lions at the Alouettes' 24-yard-line. Two plays later, McCallum was called on again, and he was true from the right hashmarks on a 24-yard attempt to lift B.C. to a 9-0 lead after one quarter.

Things didn't get much better for Jim Popp's team in the second, as the Lions struck again for a 16-0 advantage on a 25-yard pitch-and-run to the corner of the end zone by Smart.

Montreal managed to break through with 1:52 left in the half, ending a four- play, 26-yard drive with a Duval 43-yard kick that was pushed through the goal posts by a strong cross-wind.

The Lions cancelled out that score by marching down the field on their final possession of the half, where McCallum hit from 30 yards with no time left on the clock, giving his team a solid 19-3 lead.

The game evolved into a defensive struggle in the third quarter, but Montreal scored first, gaining two points when McCallum ran out of the end zone for a safety concession on a punt with 6:13 left that made it 19-5.

Calvillo and the Alouette offense were finally able to shake off the rust, and put together their best drive of the game, going 73 yards in eight plays, culminating with an Edwards two-yard plunge through the line which cut the B.C. lead to 19-12.

McCallum then was called upon for a 24-yard attempt, which sailed straight through the goal posts and gave Wally Buono's squad a 22-12 lead.

The lead was 25-12, 6:28 into the fourth, when another Lions drive was halted in Alouettes territory. McCallum was good again, from 47 yards to go a perfect six-for-six in field goal attempts.

On the ensuing drive, Cahoon and Calvillo finally got in sync, connecting twice for 23 yards. The Als were poised to score their second touchdown, but Javier Glatt forced Edwards to fumble at the two-yard line, and Otis Floyd recovered for B.C., ending Montreal's last best chance of the game.

After running five plays, the Lions granted Montreal a brief crack at a comeback when McCallum took his second safety concession with 1:43 left, to bring the score up to 25-14, but the Alouettes couldn't get closer than the B.C. 15-yard line before time ran out.

'We never panicked,' said McCallum. 'We settled down and played our game. We played 60 minutes. Our team came up with big plays when we needed them.'

Game Notes

B.C. also won the teams' previous Grey Cup meeting, a 28-26 win in Calgary back in 2000.

The Lions have beaten Montreal in three of the last four regular season meetings, and nine of eleven overall since 2002.

Montreal is 1-4 in Grey Cups since relocating from Baltimore following the 1995 season.

The attendance was 44,786.

© 2006 The Sports Network