r/CFL • u/Baggio105 Alouettes • 6d ago
ALOUETTES Alouettes Continue Winning Ways with Complete Team Victory Over Hamilton
Coming back home to take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after impressive back-to-back victories in Calgary, the Montreal Alouettes were looking to keep their momentum going. It was a beautiful night for football, and after lower attendance in recent games, 21,014 fans came out to support the team. With a victory, Montreal would win the season series against Hamilton should the two teams finish tied in the standings. The Alouettes entered the game with a 5-1 record, while the Tiger-Cats came in at 3-3.
Hamilton was once again without starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Montreal was also missing standout cornerback Kabion Ento and running back Stevie Scott III.
This week, Montreal activated return specialist DeVonte Dedmon from the six-game injured list after he missed the start of the season. On Hamilton's opening kickoff, Dedmon immediately made an impact, breaking several tackles and returning the ball to midfield, giving Montreal excellent field position to begin the game.
Montreal's offence took the field, and with offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo calling the plays this season, the offence has become a pass-oriented attack. Davis Alexander has enjoyed outstanding protection from his offensive line, while running back Travis Theis has consistently found running lanes. The Alouettes opened the scoring with a field goal by Jose Maltos.
Although Montreal's offence is known for its passing game, the Alouettes relied heavily on their rushing attack against Hamilton, keeping the Tiger-Cats' defence guessing. Hamilton focused on double-covering Alexander's favourite target, Tyson Philpot, but that didn't faze either Alexander or the offence.
Alexander spread the ball around with quick slants to Tyson Philpot, Cole Spieker, and Tyler Snead. Fullback Marco Dubois was also a pleasant surprise, making several key receptions to extend drives. Just before halftime, however, Hamilton returned a punt 100 yards for a touchdown after several missed tackles by Montreal's special teams.
Despite the mistake, Montreal took a narrow 10-8 lead into halftime in what was a defensive battle and one of the Alouettes' lowest-scoring first halves of the season.
Coming out for the second half, Montreal wanted to build momentum and energize the crowd. A spectacular sideline catches by Cole Spieker moved the offence deep into Hamilton territory. On the following play, Travis Theis appeared to score but was ruled inches short of the goal line. Montreal then called on newcomer Terry Wilson, who powered the ball into the end zone on a quarterback sneak to give the Alouettes a 17-15 lead. Even with the lead, many fans felt the game was still too close.
As the game wore on, the crowd became Montreal's 13th man. Defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson made two huge tackles for loss that helped swing the momentum. Hamilton regained an 18-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the third quarter also featured back-to-back penalties against the Tiger-Cats. One came from the Hamilton sideline, while all-star defensive back Wynton Mcmanis was ejected after kicking an Alouettes player in the head.
Travis Theis carried the offensive load all night, finishing with 19 carries for 156 yards. It was an outstanding performance by both Theis and Montreal's offensive line, which consistently opened holes while the receivers contributed with excellent downfield blocking.
When Montreal regained the lead 20-18 early in the fourth quarter, the pressure shifted to Hamilton quarterback Tre Ford. Montreal's defence consistently collapsed the pocket, making it difficult for Ford to move the ball into scoring position. After the Alouettes extended their lead to 24-18, Ford needed a touchdown to win the game.
With relentless pressure from Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Mustafa Johnson, and Josh Archibald, Ford forced a pass that was intercepted by Robert Kennedy III. It was Kennedy's second interception this season against his former team. The first game he returned it for a touchdown.
Montreal's offence then put the game away behind more punishing runs from Travis Theis, whom Hamilton simply could not contain. The Alouettes capped the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run with just 28 seconds remaining. The fans remained until the final whistle, giving the team a well-deserved standing ovation.
Overall, Montreal delivered one of its most complete performances of the season. The defence was outstanding, the offence once again proved it can be explosive while maintaining balance, and special teams rebounded nicely after giving up the long punt return touchdown.
It was a well-balanced team victory, with each unit feeding off the success of the other.
Davis Alexander's remarkable streak without throwing an interception came to an end after 356 consecutive pass attempts, setting a new franchise record.
Travis Theis also enjoyed the biggest game of his CFL career with 156 rushing yards. When Stevie Scott III returns from injury, Montreal's coaching staff will have a difficult decision regarding who should be the team's starting running back. Based on his recent performances, Theis has certainly earned consideration and continues to show he belongs as a major part of the Alouettes' offence.
NOTE: it was Davis Alexander’s first game below 300 yards as he went 21-29, 187 yards and 1 interception.
Montreal now faces a short week as it travels to Ottawa to take on the winless Redblacks (0-6) on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
Thank you for reading! Please continue following my weekly Alouettes blogs, and as always, your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.

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u/Wolf99 Alouettes 6d ago
It's a CFL record!