As Ottawa preps for the Montreal Alouettes on August 7, we throwback to when the two teams met more than 36 years ago in the 1978 East Final.
Though the Rough Riders posted the best regular season record (11-5) that year, the Alouettes were a worthy foe as well. The two teams were the only to represent the East Division in the Grey Cup Final from 1973-1979. Ottawa won the Grey Cup twice during that time, including the 1976 championship game, where Rough Riders TE Tony Gabriel made “the Catch”.
Though on November 19, 1978 at Lansdowne Park, the Alouettes would get the better of the Rough Riders. In a hard fought defensive battle, Montreal defeated Ottawa 21-16. The Als would go on to meet Hugh Campbell‘s (Rick Campell’s father) Edmonton Eskimos, who had just started an epic run of five straight Grey Cups.
Check out this video from the 1978 CFL East Division.
Here’s a program from that game as well.
