Harris throws 3 TDs to lead Redblacks over Alouettes
MONTREAL — Trevor Harris threw touchdown passes to J.C. Beaulieu, Brad Sinopoli and Noel Thomas in the first half and the Ottawa Redblacks held on for a 28-18 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.
Lewis Ward added a pair of field goals for the Redblacks (2-1), who rebounded from a loss last week in Calgary.
Tyrell Sutton scored the first rushing TD of the season and rookie Chris Harper caught his first career TD pass for the Alouettes (1-3), winners last week in Saskatchewan.
The Alouettes have not put together consecutive wins since 2016.
Harris led a six-play drive from the opening kickoff capped by a 46-yard TD catch by Beaulieu, whom the Alouettes traded to Ottawa in the off-season for fullback Patrick Lavoie.
It was Beaulieu’s first receiving TD since June 25, 2015.
The Alouettes answered with a five-play drive that finished with a two-yard TD plunge by Sutton.
Montreal was leading 8-6 before Ottawa took over with a short field goal from Ward 12:51 of the first quarter, a 37-yard TD pass to Sinopoli at 9:59 of the second and a nine-yard scoring pass to Thomas with six seconds left in the half.
Ottawa added a 31-yard Ward field goal to open the second half.
On the opening drive of the fourth quarter, Jeff Mathews, who made his first start for Montreal, found Eugene Lewis for 65 yards and then hit Harper in the end zone with a 14-yard toss at 2:22. Boris Bede added a 43-yard field goal at 5:55.
The Alouettes lost their top receiver, Chris Williams, to a suspected hamstring strain in the first quarter.
Announced attendance was 16,718.