The rain and cool weather didn’t slow down the Alouettes, who picked up a third straight win on Monday afternoon, their second in a row against the Ottawa Rouge et Noir, winning their four-game series against the Federal Capital team.
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The 20,664 brave spectators who braved these autumn temperatures – just four days ago it was 30 degrees Celsius in the metropolis of Quebec – witnessed a 29-3 victory for the “Moineaux”. It was the first time fans could celebrate at Percival Molson Stadium since August 11th.
With this win, the Alouettes (9-7) maintained their narrow lead in second place in the East over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-8).
However, it is still not guaranteed that Montreal will play the Eastern semifinals at home. Everything could be decided in the final game of the regular schedule, Saturday, Oct. 28, when the Tiger-Cats visit Quebec.
For the red-blacks (4-12) the story is completely different. This defeat means the undisciplined club is officially out of the playoff race.
Slow start
Jason Maas’ team quickly took a 1-0 lead after allowing a single to Brandin Dandridge, who fell to one knee after intercepting a Fajardo throw in the end zone.
The Alouettes’ quarterback rebounded from a slow start by hitting Tyson Philpot 38 yards for the first touchdown of this traditional Thanksgiving game. Philpot easily got rid of his decker, who had started the offensive sequence by catching a 12-yard pass.
After halftime, the atmosphere heated up a bit when Fajardo orchestrated an 11-play drive, to which running back Walter Fletcher, who replaced the ailing William Stanback, made a major contribution.
Caleb Evans capped things off with a quarterback sneak in the pay zone.
No need to worry, David Côté
In his first game in the blue, white and red jersey, Mexican precision kicker Jose Maltos extended his team’s lead with a 45-yard field goal in the absence of David Côté, who had a hip injury.
But during the game, Malto’s shots from 48 and 49 yards missed, no cause for concern, Côté.
Defense in the spotlight
Once again, the Alouettes defense was outstanding. After watching Quebecer Marc-Antoine Dequoy shine in Ottawa last week, it was defensive end Shawn Lemon who shined on Monday.
The 35-year-old American recorded a quarterback sack at the expense of Dustin Crum, his 100th career in the Canadian Football League. Lemon is the 13th player in tour history to reach this mark.
Then in the fourth quarter, Reggie Stubblefield caused a fumble by hitting center Nick Arbuckle, and Tyrice Beverette recovered the ball and ran 34 yards, good for a major.
The defensive unit almost gave the Als their first shutout in 14 years, but Ottawa managed a field goal at the end of the day.
Duvernay-Tardif honored
If Dequoy was the player who applauded the most when the Alouettes took the field before the game, it was an athlete who had never worn a Sparrow uniform who received the warmest reception.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, freshly retired from professional football, was introduced to the crowd at the start of the final quarter on the field of his alma mater, McGill University.
After the game, Alouettes players and coaches were scheduled to serve Thanksgiving meals for the Welcome Hall Mission, which specifically helps the homeless.
Montreal plays its penultimate game of the regular season against the Elks next Saturday in Edmonton.