2009 was another very competitive season in the Canadian Football League, as seven of the eight teams won at least 7 games, with the only exception being the Toronto Argonauts who finished the season with an awful 3-15 record. The class of the league was the Montreal Alouettes (15-3), as they won the Eastern Division by a whopping 6 games over Hamilton (9-9). The Western Division saw all four teams make the post-season, as all four teams won at least 8 games. In the first round of the playoffs, it was the BC Lions over the Hamilton
Tiger-Cats 34-27 in overtime, while the Calgary Stampeders would squeak by the Edmonton Eskimos 24-21. In the Division Finals, it was the Montreal Alouettes blowing out the BC Lions 56-18, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders would outlast the Calgary Stampeders 27-17, setting up the match-up for the 97th Grey Cup. The 97th Grey Cup was played on November 29, 2009, at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Montreal Alouettes. The Montreal Alouettes came from behind to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27, on a 33-yard field goal by Damon Duval as time ran out. From the start of the game, Saskatchewan dominated the game and led throughout the first 50 minutes. Throughout the game, Saskatchewan's quarterback, Darian Durant consistently moved the ball by mixing pass and run plays against Montreal's top ranked defense. After a Damon Duval single 1:42 into the fourth quarter reduced the
Saskatchewan lead to 20-11, Saskatchewan added to their lead in a drive that required less than three minutes of game time, completed when Durant rushed 16 yards for a touchdown. A successful single-point convert after the touchdown extended the Saskatchewan lead to 27-11. With the final 10:52 left in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Roughriders would secure their fourth championship as they were effectively running the ball at will against the Montreal defenae. However, the Alouettes led by Anthony Calvillo would battle back to erase Saskatchewan's 16-point lead. With less than eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter, and Montreal trailing 27-11, Anthony
Calvillo threw from the Montreal-43-yard-line on a 2nd-and-10 attempt, and Brian Bratton caught the pass at the Saskatchewan 3-yard line. On the ensuing 1st-and-goal play, Avon Cobourne ran the ball into the endzone for a touchdown. Montreal attempted a two-point-convert, during which Calvillo stepped up in the pocket and successfully completed a pass to fullback Kerry Carter (with Saskatchewan linebacker Sean Lucas in close coverage of the Montreal fullback) to reduce the Saskatchewan lead to 27-19. On a play scrimmaging from the
Saskatchewan 33-yard-line with under six minutes left in the game, Darian Durant attempted a pass for Andy Fantuz that was intercepted by Montreal's Jerald Brown. On the ensuing Montreal possession, on a 2nd-and-10 from the Saskatchewan 32, Anthony Calvillo ran the ball to the Saskatchewan 25-yard-line, three yards short of a first down. This set up a 3rd-and-3 situation with 2:34 left to play. Down by eight points, the Alouettes would gamble on third down. Needing to reach the Saskatchewan 22-yard line for a first down, Calvillo completed a pass to Jamel Richardson in double coverage, and Richardson reached the Saskatchewan 15-yard line for a first down. With under two minutes remaining, on a play starting at the Saskatchewan 11-yard-line Calvillo stepped up in the pocket and threw to an uncovered Ben Cahoon for a touchdown, bringing Montreal to within a converted two-point attempt from tying the game. The two-point attempt was missed when Donovan Alexander's pass interference on a Calvillo throw to Jamel Richardson was not called, and Saskatchewan maintained a 27-25 lead with just 1:45 remaining in the game. After a Roughriders punt, with 0:31 remaining, on a 2nd-and-10 from the Montreal 34-yard-line, Calvillo completed a pass to Jamel Richardson that moved the Montreal offense to the Saskatchewan 53-yard-line with 0:24 left in the game. On the ensuing 1st-and-10 from the Saskatchewan 53-yard-line, Calvillo threw a pass to Montreal receiver Kerry Watkins, which Watkins caught very close to the ground at the Saskatchewan 40-yard-line, that was ruled incomplete. The play was checked with video review and it was judged that there was not sufficient evidence to overturn the incomplete pass ruling, which set up a Montreal 2nd-and-10 attempt from the Saskatchewan 53-yard-line with 0:10 remaining in the game. Calvillo would again throw to receiver Kerry Watkins, with Watkins catching the pass and getting tackled at the Saskatchewan 36-yard-line with 0:05 left in the game. With Montreal trailing 27-25, Montreal kicker Damon Duval missed wide right on a 43-yard field goal attempt that could have given Montreal the victory. Saskatchewan's Jason Armstead returned the missed field goal kick from inside the Saskatchewan endzone to the Saskatchewan 6-yard-line and kneeled to end the play, at which point Saskatchewan players began to celebrate what they thought was a win. However,
Saskatchewan had thirteen players on the field during the Montreal field goal attempt, and referee Glen Johnson made the call of, "Illegal substitution, too many men on the field, Saskatchewan. It's a ten yard penalty, we'll repeat first down". With Saskatchewan's 10-yard penalty for too many men on the field, the Alouettes moved to the Saskatchewan 26-yard-line with 0:00 on the clock (a game cannot end with a defensive penalty) and attempted a 33-yard field goal for the win on the following play. Duval converted the 33-yard field goal to score three points for a 28-27 Montreal victory. Montreal running back Avon Cobourne was named the Most Valuable Player of the game. Alouettes slotback Ben Cahoon received the Dick Suderman Trophy as the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.