MONTREAL –The Montreal Alouettes kicked off the Davis Alexander era with a 28-10 win over the Toronto Argonauts at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium on Friday.
211 days since the Argos’ 30-28 win over the Als in the 2024 Eastern Final, Montreal got their revenge with a season-opening statement over their East Division rivals and defending Grey Cup champions.
Alexander – who earned the Week 1 starting role after winning all four of his starts in 2024 – completed 19 of his 26 passes for 205 yards, a touchdown and an interception, adding 50 rushing yards on four attempts for good measure.
Tyson Philpot – whose excellent 2024 season was derailed after a foot injury ended his campaign on August 10 – had instant chemistry with the first-year starter, reeling in four of his eight targets for 48 yards and a touchdown – making it four straight meetings against the Argos with a major. Receiver Austin Mack was also efficient for the Alouettes, securing all five of his targets for a team-high 51 yards.
The Alouettes’ defence was dominant, holding the Argos to 276 total yards on offence, forcing two interceptions and a fumble, with Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund returning the coughed-up ball for a touchdown.
Als linebacker Alexandre Gagné tied a CFL record with seven special teams plays.
Nick Arbuckle got the start for Toronto with Chad Kelly still sidelined with the fractured tibia and fibula he suffered in last year’s Eastern Final. Arbuckle went 19 for 31 passing, amassing 271 yards with an interception and a fumble.
Damonte Coxie was in a lead receiving role with the Argos’ 2024 receiving leader Makai Polk at NFL training camp. The 28-year-old American caught five of his 10 targets for a game-high 99 yards.
The Alexander Era in Montreal started strong, with the Als pivot connecting on his first four passes to march the offence from their eight-yard line to the opposing 25. Alexander tried to cap the opening drive in style but just missed Tyson Philpot in the end zone before a second-down sack from Anthony Lanier II ended the advance. José Carlos Maltos missed the 38-yard field goal attempt wide left, and the kick sailed out to give Montreal the first point of the game.
The first-time starting quarterback was not shy against the defending Grey Cup champs, testing the secondary early with a pair of deep shots that fell harmlessly incomplete, as well as moving the chains on a 15-yard scramble on second-and-10 to keep the Als’ second drive alive. Alexander made up for his miss on the first drive, hitting Philpot with a high-arching, 26-yard completion for the major. Maltos hit the conversion to make it 8-0.
Penalties plagued the Argos early, much to the 2023 CFL Coach of the Year, Ryan Dinwiddie’s chagrin. The Double Blue drew five flags for 30 yards in the first quarter. Yards were hard to come by in general against Montreal’s imposing front, as Toronto was outgained 58-134 in the first frame.
Arbuckle started to gain momentum with a 21-yard completion to Coxie on second down, but the Als’ defence answered as Lorenzo Burns stepped in front of the next pass zipped to Coxie and picked it off. On the ensuing drive, Alexander connected with Philpot again and scurried for a daring, 13-yard run on second and long, but ultimately couldn’t turn the turnover into points.
With five minutes left in the first half and the Argos backed up, Arbuckle started to warm up. The 31-year-old dimed up Coxie on a 35-yard scoop then hit DaVaris Daniels for another 20-yard chunk before All-CFL kicker Lirim Hajrullahu punched in a 45-yard field goal to make it 8-3.
The Boatmen got another chance to put up points before the end of the half, but the Als’ defensive line – including former Argo Shawn Oakman – converged quickly on Arbuckle, causing him to lose control of the football while getting rid of it. With many on the field believing the throw-away to be an incompletion, an opportunistic Adeyemi-Berglund pounced and brought it back 18 yards to the house. Maltos added the extra point to make it 15-3 going into halftime.
The second half opened with more of the same for Montreal, with return man James Letcher Jr. streaking behind excellent blocking for a 67-yard kickoff return. After an unlikely pass break-up from linebacker Wynton McManis on Philpot, Montreal sent out the jumbo package on the one-yard line and Caleb Evans snuck in for the score. Maltos once again converted to expand the Als’ lead to 18 points.
Later in the third, Alexander wanted Philpot downfield again but, defensive back Tarvarus McFadden was in perfect coverage to break up the near-40-yard toss and deflect it to teammate Derek Slywka, who picked it off in the end zone to set up Arbuckle on the 30. Montreal’s defence held strong to keep the Argos without a major after the turnover, forcing two incompletions and adding a sack in the Argos’ two drives to close out the quarter.
In the fourth, Montreal mostly played it safe as they nursed the 18-point lead to the finish. However, not content with one deep connection, Alexander loaded up to Philpot again, and again missed by just inches.
The Argo’s offence woke up in the fourth, as Arbuckle found David Ungerer III for a 47-yard strike, and Daniels took it the rest of the way with an 11-yard catch and run – the veteran using all of his six-foot frame to stretch across the goal line for his side’s first and only touchdown of the game.
With five minutes remaining in the game, Arbuckle found an open Daniels downfield for what would’ve been a crucial gain but, Daniels could not hold on and the Argos would eventually surrender possession. Maltos added a 30-yard field goal in the late stages to cement the result for Montreal.
The Als head to the nation’s capital in Week 2 to take on the Ottawa REDBLACKS on June 13 while the Argos host the Calgary Stampeders in their home opener on June 14.