Montreal pulls off OT thriller with 40-34 win over Stampeders
CALGARY — Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. didn’t care that the Montreal Alouettes hadn’t won a game in Calgary since 2009. He also didn’t care that his Canadian Football League team was down 11 points late in Saturday’s game against the defending Grey Cup champions.
In a clutch performance, Adams led the Alouettes (4-4) to a thrilling 40-34 overtime win against the host Stampeders (5-4) at McMahon Stadium.
“We believed in ourselves, so I don’t think it was crazy at all,” said Adams, who ran for a pair of one-yard touchdowns in overtime. “We went down and we got it and we earned it.”
Although he threw a pair of interceptions in the first half, Adams regained his composure and wound up completing 32of-50 passes for 389 yards and touchdown passes to Jake Wieneke and Eugene Lewis.
“I’m so proud of him,” said Montreal coach Khari Jones. “Coming back from throwing a couple interceptions in the first half and not having a great start to the game, he just kept battling. He’s a fighter and he made plays when we needed.”
Reggie Begelton started the first overtime by scoring his fourth touchdown of the game for the Stampeders (5-4) when he caught a seven-yard pass in the end zone from quarterback Nick Arbuckle.
“It’s real bittersweet when you don’t come out with the W,” said Begelton, who tied a franchise record for most receiving touchdowns in one game.
After Calgary failed to complete the two-point convert, the Alouettes scored on their possession when Adams plunged one yard into the end zone.
“I felt like we stopped them on third down, and they decided to call it a touchdown, and you can’t overturn it,” said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson, who thought his defence kept Adams short of crossing the line. “It was a mass of humanity. I did not see the ball cross the line, and I don’t think (the officials) did either.”
The Als also didn’t complete the two-point convert, which forced a second overtime.
Adams then ran for another one-yard TD as Montreal went first in the second OT. Although Adams couldn’t find an open receiver in the end zone for a two-point convert, the Alouettes defence stopped the Stamps during their possession to secure Montreal’s first win in Calgary since July 1, 2009.
“We know how hard it is to win in Calgary,” Adams said. “It’s my first time as a starting quarterback winning in Calgary and it feels so awesome.”
Boris Bede booted four field goals for the Alouettes, while Rene Paredes kicked two field goals and added a single for the Stampeders.
Before the game even started, tempers flared during warm-ups at midfield as injured Calgary linebacker Wynton McManis traded punches with former Stampeder and current Montreal cornerback Tommie Campbell before players from both teams joined in the skirmish.
“They had fight before the game unfortunately, but they fought during the game and that’s what I was very proud of,” Jones said of his players. “We’ll get the before-game stuff figured out and make sure that we do the right thing, but I’m really proud of the guys that they kept their heads during the game and didn’t let that bleed into what was going on out there.”