Montreal (4-1-0) hosts Toronto (2-3-)
Media notes
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By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – After their brief flirtation with perfection was brought to a halt last week by Ricky Ray and the Edmonton Eskimos, the Alouettes (4-1-0) will welcome former league MVP Kerry Joseph and the Argonauts (2-3-0) to Percival Molson Stadium this Friday night for the first Montreal-Toronto battle of 2009.
Prior to last week’s matchup at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, the Als and their perfect 4-0-0 record were the talk of the CFL. Despite what the old adage may say, however, practice doesn’t always make perfect.
As prepared as they were, the Als were unable to generate any big-time plays on the offensive side of the ball, producing just 331 yards of total offence – compared to 472, 427, 461 and 431 throughout their first four weeks of play. Those expecting a repeat of Montreal’s Week 2 drubbing of the Eskimos were surely disappointed, but as disappointing as Week 5 was, Week 6 promises to a good one.
It’s Friday night, it’s football and it’s one of sports’ greatest cross-city rivalries: Montreal vs. Toronto.
Last season saw the Als go 3-0-0 against the Boatmen, outscoring them 120 – 67 in the process. Their most notable matchup of 2008 was a 43-34 Alouette victory at the Rogers Centre in mid-October, and if Friday night’s meeting proves to be as exciting as their last, fans at Percival Molson Stadium are sure to be in for a true battle of the quarterbacks.
Montreal pivot Anthony Calvillo totalled 336 yards and four touchdown passes in that game last year, while Joseph kept Toronto in it with three touchdown passes of his own and 400 yards.
So far this season, both pivots have done their part for their clubs. Calvillo leads the league in passing with 1,519 yards and a 75.6 per cent completion percentage, while Joseph sits third behind Ray with 1,243 yards. This game will also feature two of the CFL’s premiere running backs in Montreal’s Avon Cobourne and Toronto’s Jamal Robertson.
Cobourne and Robertson sit 1-2 in rushing yards with Montreal’s other “A.C.” holding a four-yard edge over Robertson with 431. Cobourne also leads all tailbacks with five rushing majors.
CFL fans beware… this one may leave you wanting more.
Notes
Ben Cahoon needs just 68 yards for 12,000 in his career… He also needs just 82 yards to tie Derrell Mitchell for seventh place in CFL history with 12,014… The Alouettes will honour Anthony Calvillo for becoming the second quarterback in league history to reach 60,000 career passing yards.
The Alouettes will host the Toronto Argonauts this Friday, Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. (RDS HD, TSN HD, CKAC SPORTS, CJAD 800 AM).
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