Montreal, July 16, 2011 – The Montreal Alouettes (3-0) are the lone undefeated team in the Eastern Division following a 40-17 win over the Toronto Argonauts (1-2) on Friday night in front of a near-capacity crowd of 24,698 at Percival Molson Stadium.
|
|
|
John Bowman is currently second in the league in terms of sacks recorded, with four. |
While the night surely belonged to Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who became the leading touchdown passer in CFL history after throwing his 395th early in the first quarter, the defense did manage to capture some of the spotlight after a strong outing.
“We played football for four quarters,” said defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar. “We had a short week to prepare for this game, so our guys needed to focus and do a lot of preparation on their own, which they did.”
The Alouettes were physical on both sides of the ball, with 468 yards of net offence to Toronto’s 269.
“The defense stepped it up in the second half. We had a few busted plays in the first two quarters, but we were able to clean it up and execute,” added Tibesar after his defense forced three turnovers against the Argos.
Standout linebacker Chip Cox recorded an interception and ran a fumble recovery back 108 yards for a touchdown, tying a CFL record in the process. Both turnovers led to a combined 10 points.
Saskatchewan’s Omar Morgan is the only other player in league history to have returned a fumble as far, against Winnipeg on Sept. 20, 2009.
Montreal got off to another fast start as the defense made its presence felt early. Defensive end John Bowman recorded an 8-yard quarterback sack on the first play from scrimmage which allowed Montreal to win excellent field position.
“He has been great for many years,” said Tibesar of Bowman who is currently second in the league with four sacks.
“John has emerged as a premier defensive player and is one of the best pass rushers in the league.”
The Alouettes will face the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Percival Molson Stadium this Sunday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m. (RDSHD, TSNHD, CKAC, CJAD and Sirius 157).
Tickets for the game can be purchased by visiting TicketMaster.ca or by calling 514-790-1245. Alternatively, tickets can also be purchased on the day of the game at the Percival Molson Stadium ticket office, located near the stadium’s main entrance along Parc Avenue.
-30-
