Alouettes' 2010 Cup win was end of an era
‘Kind of an ugly game,’ but no CFL team has repeated back-to-back triumphs since
Ten years later, they can be excused for forgetting their stats that day. If they remember only particular plays or moments, or the celebration that followed, they can be forgiven.
Ten years ago Saturday, the Alouettes won their second consecutive Grey Cup, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the second successive season. Montreal's 21-18 victory at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium might have lacked the drama from the previous year, when Damon Duval, on his second attempt, kicked the game-winning field goal on the final play following the Riders' infamous too-many-men penalty.
But the historical perspective of the Als' 2010 victory, capping a 12-6 regular-season, can't be overlooked. Not only did it mark Montreal's last Cup victory — and final appearance in the championship game — the Alouettes became the first Canadian Football League team since the Toronto Argonauts, 13 years earlier, to win back-to-back titles. And no team has done it since.
“You would have thought we'd continue to compete and at least get ourselves into position to play for the Grey Cup,” quarterback Anthony Calvillo said this week. “People don't realize how hard it is to have the success we did. People became accustomed to it. This is just what we did, no matter what players we had, what head coach (we had).
“I can go to the top of the hill, speak loudly and be proud of what we accomplished.”
If the Als weren't necessarily a dynasty, they certainly were the league's most dominant team of that era, reaching the Cup eight times in 11 years, but with only three titles.
That final trip marked the end of slotback Ben Cahoon's illustrious career. And the game might have been overshadowed by Calvillo's shocking post-game revelation where he announced doctors had found a nodule on his neck. Surgery to remove his thyroid confirmed he was battling cancer.
“I felt horrible,” Calvillo said. “We had just won the championship, yet people would be talking about this. It definitely wasn't the plan.”
But following the game Calvillo, 38 at the time, was asked about his future and possible retirement. “And it just came out,” he said. “The emotions of holding it in for so many months.
“The question brought it out of me and sparked an emotional buildup.”
As for Cahoon, he had decided before the start of the season it would be his last, but told precious few teammates, other than Calvillo, rush-end Anwar Stewart late that year, and general manager Jim Popp.
Cahoon, who displayed little emotion on the field, had no wistful feelings knowing he was removing his equipment for the final time.
“I tried to make a conscious decision not to let it affect my preparation or psychological state,” Cahoon said from his home in Orem, Utah. “I remember the celebration afterwards and not too many details of the game. I don't know how many catches I had.
“It was kind of an ugly game,” he added. “Maybe my most impactful contribution was (drawing) a pass-interference penalty (on Byron Bullock in the fourth quarter) that extended a drive and nullified an interception.”
While the game was a defensive struggle, several plays and players came to define the outcome.
“We didn't play great, but played well enough to stay in the game,” said former head coach Marc Trestman, who now lives in Naples, Fla. “And our defence played exceptionally well.
“We felt, if we were in the game in the fourth quarter ... and with (Calvillo), we always were going to give ourselves a chance to win. And we didn't turn the ball over.”
Als receiver Jamel Richardson, occasionally overshadowed by S.J. Green, caught eight passes for a game-high 109 yards and was named the Cup's most outstanding player. But the honour could have gone to Green, who also recorded more than 100 yards.
Avon Cobourne scored on a three-yard run less than six minutes into the game. The Als, as usual, started quickly but failed to sustain the momentum and went into halftime trailing, 11-8.
But co-ordinator Tim Burke's defence stole the show in the second half. Not only did the Als limit Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant — the regular-season passing leader — to 215 yards, the Riders at one point were forced to punt on eight consecutive possessions.
There was a pivotal third-quarter play, Trestman calling a faked punt from Montreal's 41, the direct snap going to Eric Deslauriers, who gained 10 yards and a first down. It led to Damon Duval's 22-yard field goal, tying the score, 11-11.
“We needed a spark, something to give our team a lift,” Trestman remembered. “I thought we were playing well enough defensively to take a chance. It arguably was one of the difference-making plays of the game.
“We ran a fake with a backup player,” he added. “It was a bit of a stretch to run a fake with someone who'd had few reps. Credit to Eric. He was ready to play and do it. It was one of the game-defining moments.”
Duval made a 43-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before Cobourne added a second short touchdown. The Riders scored a major with 3:28 remaining, narrowing the deficit to three points, but Billy Parker sealed the win with an interception in the final minute.