By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Edmonton – Though it wasn’t nearly as exciting as their classic Week 1 matchup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, you can be sure that Anthony Calvillo and the Alouettes are very satisfied with the way this one ended.
Thanks to a timely interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Jerald Brown and receiver Kerry Watkins’ third touchdown reception of the season, the Alouettes escaped Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium with a 33-23 win over the Eskimos on Sunday night.
Calvillo followed up a tough first half with very solid third and fourth quarters, passing for 237 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.
The same, however, can’t be said for Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray, as the eight-year veteran was unable to build off a strong first half that saw him attack the Montreal secondary at will, completing several deep passes downfield including a 43-yard touchdown pass to receiver Fred Stamps in the first quarter.
Stamps, along with fellow receiver Kelly Campbell both eclipsed the century-mark, with Stamps bringing in 119 yards while Campbell racked up 170.
Second-half heroics
Trailing by 12 points in the third quarter, and having yet to find the end zone since backup quarterback Ricky Santos punched one in from two yards out early in the second frame, the Als suddenly found their legs and in turn, found the scoreboard as well.
Calvillo connected with receiver Brian Bratton for a 20-yard touchdown to cap off a six-play, 75-yard drive to kick start the comeback for the Alouettes. Just over five minutes later, Brown picked off a Ray pass intended for Kamau Peterson for a 22-yard return giving the Als a three-point lead thanks to a successful two-point conversion by Jamel Richardson.
Less than two minutes after that, AC hooked up with Watkins for a six-yard score, giving the Als their first win of the young CFL season.
The stat sheet…
It was a decent day for Alouettes receivers, as both Richardson and slotback Ben Cahoon each caught five balls, while Watkins and running back Avon Cobourne both brought in three. Cahoon’s catch in the first quarter made the game his 129th in a row with at least one reception. For Cobourne, the tailback improved on his numbers from last week, amassing 55 yards on 13 carries, compared to just 39 yards on 10 carries in Week 1.
On the defensive side of the ball, safety Etienne Boulay’s first interception of the season was the eighth of his career. The Montreal-native had a very strong night, collecting eight tackles to go with his interception.
The win prevented the Alouettes from going 0-2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2007.
The Alouettes next head to Vancouver to take on the Lions this July 16 at 10 p.m. EST on RDSHD, TSNHD, NRJ, CJAD, and CHOM.
Notes
Étienne Boulay’s interception was the eigth of his career & his first of the season… Kerry Watkins’ touchdown catch was the 40th of his career… Ben Cahoon is now just six receptions behind Allen Pitts for third in CFL history & 12 away from Darren Flutie in second with 960… The Alouettes will close out their season-opening three-game road trip in Vancouver on Friday (10 p.m. – RDSHD, TSNHD, NRJ, CJAD, CHOM) before opening the brand new McGill Stadium on July 22 (tickets available).
