Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montreal Alouettes head into East final with solid run threats

The spotlight will be firmly fixed on quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell and Davis Alexander, but running backs Stevie Scott III and Greg Bell will both be key figures in the East Division final Saturday.

Scott ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns in Montreal's 42-33 Eastern semifinal win over Winnipeg last weekend. He anchored the Alouettes' 176-yard rushing performance against a Blue Bombers defence that was third against the run (94.1 yards per game) during the regular season.

The two teams meet at Hamilton Stadium, the winner advancing to the Grey Cup on Nov. 16 in Winnipeg.

Bell, 27, ran for 1,038 yards (5.6-yard average, five TDs) this season. In his only start against Montreal, Bell ran for a career-high 156 yards and a TD in a 26-9 road win Sept. 6 as Hamilton rushed for 234 yards overall.

Mitchell, 35, led the CFL in passing yards (5,296) and touchdowns (career-best 36) and was the only quarterback to start all 18 regular-season games. Mitchell was a key reason why Hamilton (11-7) finished atop the standings ahead of Montreal (10-8).

No one in league history has begun a career like Alexander, who's unbeaten in his 12 CFL starts. The 27-year-old is 11-0 over the regular season — a mark that will carry over to '26 — and threw for 384 yards with a TD and interception versus Winnipeg.

Hamilton won the season series with Montreal 2-0 and went 7-1 within the East Division. But Alexander didn't play in either game, limited to just seven regular-season starts due to separate stints on the sidelines with a hamstring ailment.

Montreal was 7-0 with Alexander but 3-8 in games he didn't start.

Mitchell anchors a Hamilton offence that features three 1,000-yard receivers in Kenny Lawler (1,443 yards, CFL-high 14 TDs), Canadian