1998 - Saskatchewan 24, Concordia 17
The 1998 Vanier Cup was defined by big plays and even bigger mistakes. In the end, it was a late blunder by the Concordia Stingers that gave the Saskatchewan Huskies a 24-17 victory and their third football championship.
Despite expectations to the contrary, the two teams battled their way through a tight, low scoring affair.
Saskatchewan did get the scoring started on its first drive, but settled for a Matt Kellett 27-yard field goal after two sure touchdown passes were dropped. Dave Miller-Johnston tied the score at 3-3 midway through the second quarter after quarterback Jon Kronemeyer hit Sylvain Girard three times for 51 yards, setting up a 35-yard field goal. A 10-yard scoring pass from Ryan Reid to Todd Lynden put the Huskies ahead 10-3 at the half.
Concordia dominated the play coming out of the locker room and slashed the Huskies lead to a single point. After Matt Kellet's single following a missed field goal had bulged Saskatchewan’s lead to eight, the Stingers running game came to life. Evan Davis Jr. burst through the Huskies defence for a 55-yard touchdown run. His effort, the fourth longest scoring run in Vanier Cup history, cut the Huskies lead to 11-10 and shifted the game's momentum in the Stingers' favour. Kellett put the Huskies ahead by four with a short field goal as the third quarter wound down. On Saskatchewan’s next drive Concordia's Greg Casey stepped in front of a Reid pass and ran untouched into the end zone. His 56-yard touchdown return gave the Stingers their first lead at 17-14, with under a minute to play in the third quarter. Another Kellett field goal tied the score at 17-17 entering the final frame.
The score remained unchanged until late in the game. Deep in his own zone, Kronemeyer tried to flip the ball to Davis on an option play similar to the one that had earlier led to a Stingers touchdown. This time however, the pitch went high and over Davis' head, into the Stingers' end zone. Davis managed to recover the miscue, but fumbled near the goal line. Trevor Ludtke fell on the loose ball and Saskatchewan recorded a gift touchdown for a 24-17 lead with two minutes remaining.
Concordia attempted a last minute drive, but Kurtis Albers sealed the Huskies victory with his third interception, a Vanier Cup record, on the final play of the game.
