Former Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones nearly sent the Saskatchewan Roughriders to the Grey Cup. But it will be the Toronto Argonauts playing for the Canadian Football League championship next week.

Jones returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown with 2:44 left in the CFL's Eastern Final on Sunday. When former South Alabama quarterback Brandon Bridge completed a 2-point conversion pass after Jones' TD, Saskatchewan held a three-point lead.

Christion Jones has just given the @sskroughriders the lead with less than three minutes to play! Could this be the #Riders ticket to Ottawa? @TorontoArgos trail by 3!#RiderPride #CFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/0qW5Cbt3Z3 — TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 19, 2017

But Toronto answered with a 10-play, 68-yard drive, scoring with 44 seconds to play to rally for a 25-21 victory and a berth in the championship game in Ottawa on Nov. 26. The Edmonton Eskimos and the Calgary Stampeders were playing on Sunday evening in the Western Final for the other spot in the 105th Grey Cup.

Jones had 159 yards on eight punt-returns in the game. The former Minor High School standout had two punt-return touchdowns during the regular season.

Splitting time with veteran Kevin Glenn at quarterback for Saskatchewan, Bridge completed 11-of-21 passes for 141 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also was the Roughriders' leading rusher with 43 yards on two carries. He had runs of 36 and 7 yards.

Former Alabama standout Trent Richardson missed his third straight game for Saskatchewan. Richardson played in four CFL games after signing on Sept. 26. But the running back suffered an ankle injury late in 37-12 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Oct. 27, when he ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns, and hadn't played since.

Toronto's victory sends two players with Alabama football roots to the Grey Cup. Defensive back Qudarius Ford (South Alabama) returned two kickoffs for 46 yards and made three tackles and linebacker Bear Woods (Troy) made two tackles for the Argonauts on Sunday.

Wide receiver Duron Carter, who spent time at Alabama but never played for the Crimson Tide, caught six passes for 99 yards and one touchdown for the Roughriders.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.