LIVESTREAM CFL: BC Lions @ Montreal Alouettes, Sept. 5, 01:30 CET (1:30 am, 7:30 pm Sept. 4 ET)
The Montreal Alouettes (9-2) welcome the red-hot BC Lions (6-5) to Percival Molson Stadium Friday night in a heavyweight matchup that kicks off Canadian Football League Labour Day Weekend.
The Alouettes own the league’s best record and have won eight straight at home, but the Lions arrive in Montreal riding a five-game winning streak. BC kept rolling Sunday night with a 45-24 win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS, while Montreal is looking to answer after falling 44-28 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
It is the first of back-to-back meetings between the teams.
Rourke and Alexander finally square off
Nathan Rourke and Davis Alexander have combined for 67 regular-season starts, but Friday will mark the first time the two quarterbacks have faced each other.
Rourke has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of his four games since returning from injury and owns a 3-0 career record against the Alouettes. Alexander, meanwhile, will make his first career start against the Lions and has yet to lose consecutive games.
Watch live. BC Lions @ Montreal Alouettes, Sept. 5, 01:30 CET (1:30 am, 7:30 pm Sept. 4 ET)
Alexander has plenty of weapons around him. Tyson Philpot leads the CFL with 90 receptions and 1,316 yards while hauling in 10 touchdown catches. Tyler Snead has 1,089 receiving yards and leads the league with 11 touchdown catches.
Running back Travis Theis gives the Alouettes another way to attack. He enters the game third in the league with 819 rushing yards.
Lions bring plenty of momentum
The BC offense comes in hot after piling up 45 points against Ottawa, with running back Zander Horvath barreling his way to 164 yards and four touchdowns.
Rourke did throw two first-half interceptions, something the Lions will want to clean up against a Montreal defense capable of making mistakes hurt.
When BC gets close, it has been finishing drives. The Lions went 6-for-6 in the red zone against the REDBLACKS and are 30-for-42 inside the opponent’s 25-yard line this season.
Rourke can also turn to Keon Hatcher Sr., Justin McInnis and Jevon Cottoy. Since returning from injury four games ago, Cottoy has caught 18 of 19 targets for 292 yards, including two 100-yard performances.
Montreal faces a tough defensive test
The Alouettes will have to deal with a BC defense coming off a dominant performance against the run.
The Lions held Ottawa to minus-three rushing yards, the lowest total by a CFL defense since 1994. Linebacker Parker McKenna and the BC front now have to keep Theis from getting rolling while Deontai Williams and the secondary contend with Philpot, Snead and Alexander.
On the other side, Geoffrey Cantin-Arku and Mustafa Johnson will be central to Montreal’s effort to slow Horvath and put Rourke into difficult situations.
Something has to give in Montreal
The numbers surrounding this matchup point in opposite directions.
The Lions have won the last six meetings between the teams and their last three trips to Montreal. Dating back to 2015, BC is 8-2 in its last 10 visits to Percival Molson Stadium and 15-3 overall against the Alouettes during that span.
But Montreal has turned its home field into a fortress with eight consecutive victories at Percival Molson Stadium.
Now the league-leading Alouettes get a chance to defend it against the hottest team in the CFL. With BC chasing a sixth straight victory and Montreal trying to bounce back from only its second loss of the season, Labour Day Weekend gets started with two teams carrying plenty to prove.
Watch live. BC Lions @ Montreal Alouettes, Sept. 5, 01:30 CET (1:30 am, 7:30 pm Sept. 4 ET)
