No. 10 is now 11-0 as a CFL starter.
Quarterback Davis Alexander led the Montreal Alouettes to another victory, this time over the Ottawa REDBLACKS in a 39–28 win at TD Place Stadium on Saturday.
The pivot threw for over 300 yards and two touchdown passes in yet another terrific performance. Receivers Austin Mack and Tyler Snead both went over 100 yards, with the latter catching one of the two touchdown passes from Alexander. Charleston Rambo caught the other major, while Stevie Scott III and Shea Patterson added scores on the ground.
The defence also stepped up once more, forcing four turnovers, including two interceptions by defensive back Najee Murray and one by Tyrice Beverette.
REDBLACKS quarterback Tyrie Adams started his first game of the season for Ottawa, throwing for three touchdowns and four interceptions in the losing effort.
Rookie Keelan White and veterans Daniel Adeboboye and Eugene Lewis each caught a touchdown for the home team.
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After an injury scare on the first drive of the game, Alexander and the Alouettes calmed fans down with their second possession. The pivot found Snead for 22 yards to get things going before connecting under pressure with Rambo for another big gain. Alexander was hit on the throw, showing pain in his right arm but staying in the game. The pivot toughed it out, connected with Scott III on a short pass. The running back finished the job in the following play with a 10-yard touchdown rush.
Alexander’s arm seemed just fine the next time the Alouettes took the field, highlighted by a deep shot to Mack that gained 44 yards and made it first-and-goal from the two-yard line. Patterson quickly turned the situation into six points with a sneak to extend Montreal’s lead to 13–0. José Maltos Díaz’s extra-point attempt was unsuccessful due to a botched snap.
A DeVonte Dedmon return set up the REDBLACKS in Alouettes territory on the ensuing possession, but the team was unable to capitalize after a fumble by Adams, recovered by the offence, set up a second-and-long that they failed to convert.
Ottawa’s special teams made a great play on the next possession. The Alouettes’ drive stalled near midfield, but the team ran a fake punt on third down that was almost successful before REDBLACKS running back Daniel Adeboboye flew through the coverage to knock down Rambo short of the sticks for a turnover on downs.
This time the offence made the most of it, with Adams connecting with fullback Anthony Gosselin and receiver Eugene Lewis for a pair of first downs. After a short completion to William Stanback made it second-and-goal from the four, Adams threw a jump ball to Lewis in the end zone to score the home team’s first points of the afternoon.
The Als quickly responded with a scoring drive of their own. Alexander threw underneath to Scott III, who broke a couple of tackles for a 25-yard gain. Another first-down pass to Mack moved the Alouettes into REDBLACKS territory, but a sack by linebacker Jonathan Jones pushed them back and forced Montreal to settle for a field goal by Maltos Díaz that made it 16–7 with 3:33 left in the second quarter.
Adams and the REDBLACKS started their next possession with a bang. The pivot found a streaking Bralon Addison near the left sideline for a 43-yard gain that placed Ottawa inside the red zone. When it looked like the home team would score again, defensive back Murray undercut a pass from Adams to Lewis to keep the visitors up by nine.
Lewis Ward’s 45-yard field goal made it 16–10 heading into halftime.
The second half started with a defensive play by Montreal. Defensive back Kabion Ento tipped a pass, and Murray caught his second interception of the game to give the offence great field position. It didn’t lead to a touchdown, but Maltos Díaz extended the lead to 19–10.
A blocked punt by the Alouettes gave Alexander and the offence great field position to begin their next drive. The pivot almost turned it into six on a deep shot to Mack, but Ottawa defensive back Mark Milton batted the pass down to force yet another attempt by Maltos Díaz. The veteran kicker split the uprights to make it 22–10 late in the third quarter.
An interception by Beverette gave the Als another chance to score, and Alexander quickly turned it into six with a pass to Mack.
Ward cut into the lead once more with a 46-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Alexander’s afternoon wasn’t done. The pivot led his team to yet another touchdown drive, this time capped off by a touchdown pass to Rambo after a scramble.
Adams connected with White on a nine-yard touchdown pass and converted on the following two-point play to make it 36-21 with 5:35 left in the fourth.
Ottawa went for the onside kick and recovered it to get the offence quickly back on the field. The team made the most of it, driving 58 yards for a touchdown to make it a one-score game. Ward’s second onside kick attempt was unsuccessful though, giving the Als a chance to finish the game, which is exactly what they did by driving into Maltos Díaz’s range to extend the lead to 39-28.
Montreal now travels to Winnipeg to face the Bombers in Week 21 looking to take first place in the East Division away from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The REDBLACKS close out their season against the Ticats in Week 21 in Hamilton.