REDBLACKS BACK FROM THE DEAD WITH WIN STREAK
Ottawa surges to the top of the division after Thursday’s romp over Alouettes
It was a huge statement in a season in which the Ottawa Redblacks have had many more question marks than exclamation points.
On a chilly Thursday summer night, the Redblacks gave themselves some breathing room and didn’t sputter down the stretch in a 32-4 win over the Alouettes at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. Suddenly, a team that was given up for dead by some less than a month ago has three straight wins and sits in first place in the CFL East at 4-6-1, a point ahead of the Toronto Argonauts (4-6-0), who play host to the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Monday.
After winning the coin toss and rather than deferring to the second half, the Redblacks chose to receive the ball. Good move. They established momentum and kept it. While the offence, with Trevor Harris throwing the passes, flexed its muscles at times, the stifling defence came up with its most complete effort of the season.
Penalties kept killing the Als. In the first half alone, they were flagged eight times for 98 yards. Time of possession was another factor. In the first half, Ottawa had the ball for 19:48, compared to Montreal’s 10:12.
The Redblacks moved the ball downfield on their opening drive, keyed by a 35-yard pass and run to Mossis Madu Jr., who then rushed for another 13-yard gain. After a failed Ottawa challenge for pass interference (a play was allowed to run before the officials realized Redblacks coach Rick Campbell had thrown the flag), the ball was swatted away from Harris and the fumble was recovered by Ivan McLennan, giving Montreal the ball on its own 28.
Following a 26-yard punt return by Diontae Spencer, the Redblacks took a 1-0 lead on a 67-yard punt single by Brett Maher.
After another nice Spencer return for 19 yards and a facemasking penalty against Montreal, the Redblacks got a 30-yard Maher field goal.
Following Als penalties for pass interference and objectionable conduct on the same play, Ottawa got the ball inside the Montreal two-yard line and scored on the next play with a fake handoff and a toss to Spencer for the touchdown. Madu ran into the end zone for the two-point convert and a 12-0 Ottawa lead.
Boris Bede booted a 54-yard punt single for Montreal. But a missed 37-yard field goal by Maher with 2:19 left in the first half made it 13-1 Ottawa.
Ottawa threatened to score again, but an underthrown Harris pass to Joshua Stangby was intercepted.
On Montreal’s next play, Darian Durant found B.J. Cunningham for a 56-yard pass connection. A Jonathan Newsome sack stopped the Als and a 42-yard Bede field goal drifted wide right.
After Montreal did nothing on its first drive of the second half, the Redblacks, facing second down and less than a yard to go, got a big 28-yard run by Spencer on a terrific play call. Harris then found Stangby for a 17-yard touchdown pass and Jake Harty caught a pass for the two-point convert.
The Als got great field position after a 21-yard punt return by Stefan Logan. But the drive was wiped out by a terrific read by Antoine Pruneau, who picked off a Durant pass and took the ball to the Ottawa 36.
The Redblacks got a 30-yard Maher field goal and it was 24-1.
The Als took out Durant and replaced him with Drew Willy late in the third quarter. He sparked a bit of a drive and Bede cleared the uprights with a 54-yard field goal on the final play of the quarter.
When Ottawa got the ball back, though, Harris found Greg Ellingson with a 42-yard touchdown pass.
Maher missed on a 41-yard field goal attempt with Ottawa getting a single. SECOND AND LONG: The Alouettes had bad news even before the game. All-star left tackle Jovan Olafioye was a game-time scratch ... According to TSN’s Derek Taylor, going into Thursday, Ellingson had zero drops with 60 catches. Not sure how they scored it, but there may have been a drop versus the Als ... The Als collected 4,000 school items and $400 to provide to the Salvation Army. Nice work.