MontrealAlouettes.com
CALGARY – Quarterback Anthony Calvillo was held to a single touchdown pass as the Alouettes (0-1) dropped their season opener 38-10 to the Calgary Stampeders on Canada Day at McMahon Stadium.
Montreal’s lone TD of the night came in the second quarter after Calvillo located receiver Brian Bratton with a 37-yard strike to cut the Stamps’ early lead to 18-7. Canadian kicker Sean Whyte added the convert and connected on a 31-yard field goal for the Alouettes’ only points in the opener.
Making his 254th CFL start, Calvillo’s first completion of the 2012 season was a seven-yard pass to Brandon London. The 39-year-old veteran pivot completed 16 of his 31 passes for 174 yards and two interceptions.
Calgary kicker and former Concordia Stinger Rene Paredes opened the scoring with a 38-yard field goal on the Stampeders’ opening drive after an Alouettes two-and-out to start the game. Rookie safety Keenan MacDougall padded the Stamps’ lead shortly thereafter, returning a usually sure-handed Jamel Richardson fumble 63 yards for the major.
With just over four minutes left in the first quarter, Stamps’ running back Jon Cornish capped a seven-play, 66-yard drive, with a four-yard rushing touchdown to put Calgary ahead 17-0. Cornish finished the night with 86 rushing yards on 18 attempts and two majors, finding the end zone on a penalty-extended drive midway in the second quarter.
Nik Lewis scored the other touchdown for Calgary (1-0) as he went over 100 yards receiving, while Paredes added two more field goals to bring his total to three for three on the night.
Alouettes Billy Parker and Dwight Anderson recorded a pair of consecutive interceptions — with a Brandon Smith pick in between — as the teams exchanged a trio of interceptions in under three minutes early in the third. Calgary’s QB, earning the starting gig in 2012, went 25-35 for 299 yards with one score and the two picks.
Backup quarterback Kevin Glenn came in relief for Tate late in the fourth quarter to close out the game, as did QB Adrian McPherson for Montreal once the game was out of reach.
Linebacker Chip Cox was the silver lining for the Alouettes’ defensive unit, as the 29-year-old recorded a team-high 13 tackles on the night. Newcomers Rod Davis and Kyries Hebert also showed flashes of promise, batting down a pair of passes, while the latter also racked up five defensive tackles, good for second among his Alouettes teammates.
Last year’s league-leading rusher, Brandon Whitaker, carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards.
The Alouettes are faced with a short week, opening their season at home this Friday, July 6 opposite the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before getting the chance to undo tonight’s loss in a Week 3 rematch against Calgary.
