Alouettes topple REDBLACKS to keep division title hopes alive

MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes are still in contention for the East Division’s top spot after taking down the Ottawa REDBLACKS at home on Monday afternoon. The Als rounded out WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend with a 30-10 victory in the first half of their home-and-home series with their capital city counterpart.

Marc-Antoine Dequoy blocked a punt for a scoop and score on Ottawa’s first possession, setting the tone early for his team. Montreal would bring a 21-9 lead into halftime and their defence held strong in the second half, holding Ottawa to just a single point after the break.

Davis Alexander moved to double digit wins as Montreal’s starter with the victory on Thanksgiving after clinching the CFL record in the Als’ Week 17 result over Calgary. With the victory at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal has now claimed four straight wins and have recorded 10 straight over the REDBLACKS dating back to 2022.

Alexander and the Montreal offence only had one touchdown but combined with Dequoy’s special teams score, and five field goals by Jose Maltos Diaz, it would be enough for the hosts to get over the line. Alexander was 23-30 with 240 passing yards and a score through the air. Austin Mack brought down that touchdown with a 47-yard catch over the middle before halftime. He finished as Montreal’s leading receiver with 87 receiving yards.

With Dru Brown shut down for the rest of the season, Dustin Crum was given the nod for Ottawa as they dropped their fourth straight. Crum finished 19-29 with 162 yards passing and took four sacks. William Stanback had the only touchdown for the visitors on the afternoon with a 15-yard run early in the second quarter.

WESTJET THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

» 3 stats that defined Montreal’s WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend win over Ottawa

» Ottawa, Montreal by the numbers

» Depth Charts: OTT | MTL

» Game Notes: REDBLACKS at Alouettes

After Montreal registered a rouge on their opening offensive possession, the Als’ special teams unit brought an already roaring home crowd up a decibel level or two after a punt block for a touchdown. Dequoy got his hands up to deny Richie Leone and then scooped up the loose football, running it back 20 yards to the end zone.

Jose Maltos Diaz put three more on the board for the home team with a 53-yard make before Ottawa got into their groove on offence. Stanback found a hole through the middle to give the REDBLACKS a gain of 17. The offence stayed on the field facing third-and-goal but Dequoy continued his hot start by swatting down Crum’s attempt to Bralon Addison.

The REDBLACKS put together another positive drive on offence, this time finishing it off with a touchdown. A pass interference call against Montreal’s Lorenzo Burns helped draw Ottawa closer to scoring range after already starting the series in Montreal territory. Stanback made a tough run and stretched for the pylon for a 15-yard score to make it 15-6.

In the second quarter, Maltos Diaz delivered from 48 yards out for Montreal after Tyler Snead came up short of making diving grab in the end zone. Lewis Ward responded with a field goal of his own for Ottawa to keep it a five-point game.

With under three minutes to go in the first half, Montreal opened up a 21-9 lead, a scoreline they would bring into halftime. Alexander sent a play-action pass over the middle to Austin Mack for a 47-yard score. Falling down as he made the grab, Mack made a heads-up play by outstretching the football across the plane for his first touchdown of the season.

Maltos Diaz’s kickoff at the start of the second half was recovered by the hosts after he drilled the kick off of Ottawa’s Zach Philion. Montreal could not come up with any points off of the extra possession however.

After Ottawa punted it away, Alexander got back to work with a 28-yard completion across the middle to Cole Spieker. Later, he delivered an 11-yard pass to Snead, with his receiver eclipsing the 1000-yard mark for the first time in his career. The Als would eventually have to settle for a field goal, as Maltos Diaz made a 47-yard field goal to put the home team up 24-9 late in the third quarter.

The two teams traded punts before the end of the third quarter and then early in the fourth, Ward put Ottawa into double digits points scored. Unfortunately for the visitors his field goal try only resulted in a rouge as it flew wide left and Eno Benjamin elected to take a knee in the end zone, making it 24-10.

Maltos Diaz kicked through his fourth field goal with a chip shot midway through the final quarter to put his team up 27-10. Down three possessions on the ensuing drive, Crum and the REDBLACKS went for it on third down from Montreal’s 28. Tyrice Beverette got to Ottawa’s quarterback with a sack for a loss of 20 yards, giving Montreal possession right before the three-minute warning. Maltos Diaz stayed perfect with his fifth kick of the afternoon as the Als would hold on for a 30-10 win to claim their fourth straight.

The REDBLACKS will get another crack at the Alouettes next week. The two teams will go at it once again during the penultimate week of the regular season in the nation’s capital on Saturday, October 18.

Click here to read article