On a crisp championship Saturday in Regina, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies simply ran out of miracles.
A season defined by grit, adversity, and flat-out stubborn belief came to an end as the Montreal Carabins claimed the 60th Vanier Cup with a 30-16 victory, Montreal’s third national crown and Quebec’s fourth consecutive national title. And for a Huskies team that has weathered more storms than most programs face in a decade, the final blow stung all the more.
Montreal, led by U Sports rookie of the year Pepe Gonzalez, was clinical. The 20-year-old freshman quarterback put on an aerial showcase, throwing for 344 yards and touchdown strikes to Brandon Gourgon, Hassane Dosso, and Simon Larose. Gonzalez admits that he was able to take advantage of what he saw on film from the Huskies' defence.
“They were playing cover three; they’ve been playing that the whole season. We had a good game plan, we followed it, and it went very well.”
For Saskatchewan, the story of 2025 will always be about what they overcame.
The Huskies have been riding with backup quarterback Jake Farrell since mid-season, after starter and Canada West passing leader Anton Amundrud fell ill and was later diagnosed with lymphoma. That moment changed the season. Changed the team. It galvanized them. And yet, eventually, even belief and willpower hit their limits.
The offence ran out of gas at the worst possible time. Farrell was intercepted twice, sacked three times, and held without a touchdown despite throwing for 229 yards on 20-of-31 passing.
“It sucks. We worked so hard to get here, and losing on the biggest stage stings. But massive credit to them, they got a great team and great players.”
Farrell continued about the reality of the Huskies' season:
“We’ve dealt with a lot this season, a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries. I’m thankful to be here, thankful to share the field with my guys one last time.”
Fifth-year linebacker and Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL Draft pick Seth Hundeby couldn’t hide the heartbreak.
“Winning a ring would be really cool, but I got to play with a lot of these guys. We had a lot of fun, we love each other — I’m really grateful. I wouldn’t change anything for the world.”
Hundeby described the grind of this season:
“Getting through CanWest alone, that’s tough. Injuries, one play after another, I’m super proud of the fellas. We knew Gonzalez was gonna sling the rock. That’s football, they scored more points than us, that’s the main thing.”
Head coach Scott Flory faced perhaps the most challenging task in speaking after the dream ends.
“My immediate thoughts go to the fifth-year athletes, that’s the hard part. Those guys don’t get to play college football again.”
Flory emphasized the adversity his group faced.
“Outside of our quarterback, we had six or seven season-ending knee injuries, totally random situations. Losing guys, and the situation with our quarterback. These guys kept playing, I’m so proud of them.”
He confirmed that Amundrud couldn’t attend, though the two exchanged messages late Friday night.
“It’s hard, we couldn’t pull it out for them and for the fifth-years. My heart breaks for those guys, I want them to feel what it feels like.”
Flory was already looking ahead.
“This program has 100 years of pride and history. It sucks, but I’m proud. We’ll take time to reflect and we’ll be back. We’ll be back in 2026.”
Carabins' head coach Marco Iadeluca began his post-game remarks not with celebration, but with praise.
“I want to congratulate the Saskatchewan Huskies. Getting this far with their second quarterback is quite an accomplishment. I have lots of respect for coach Flory and that whole organization.”
Iadeluca also revealed the quiet confidence Montreal carried into the game.
“A lot of people counted us out because we lost our quarterback, but we knew what we had in the locker room. These guys had a chip on their shoulder, they wanted to prove we were a team, not just a few individuals.”
And with a rookie QB leading the way?
“We were hoping he’d have his best game of the season today, and I think he did. The kid’s been outstanding.”
Universite Laval will host the 2026 Vanier Cup.
