MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – This just in: Anthony Calvillo is alive and well in Montreal.
Fresh off willingly shouldering much of the flak for his team’s ho-hum performance in Week 1, Calvillo came out with a vengeance against the Blue Bombers and his teammates followed.
After throwing for a scant and un-Calvillo-like 174 yards in a season-opening loss in Calgary, Calvillo easily shattered that total by halftime with 248 on his way to exploding for 443 yards. The wily veteran also flashed his trademark pinpoint accuracy, making good on 31-of-39 of passes including touchdown throws to Patrick Lavoie and a pair to Brandon Whitaker.
Jittery Alouettes fans concerned their team would again struggle haven’t been paying attention to Calvillo’s pedigree in home openers with the Als. The star quarterback’s record to start the season on homefield is now an astounding 12-1, with his only defeat coming back in 2003 against the Lions.
On a night when the temperature in downtown Montreal reached up to 30 C to match a red-hot Calvillo, nothing could slow down the Alouettes as they handed Winnipeg their second loss of the season.
Calvillo and the Alouettes will try to build on their new-found momentum on Thursday right back at Percival Molson Stadium in a Week 1 rematch against Calgary.
NOTES: The Alouette’s first round pick in the 2012 CFL draft, Pat Lavoie left his stamp on the game after making his first CFL grab a touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Calvillo to put the Als ahead to stay. The rookie fullback, who was a seven-year-old when Calvillo began his CFL career, ended up with 2 catches for 35 yards … LB Rod Davis, who was an offseason signing by the Als, had big home debut of his own with an interception and a forced fumble … Whitaker’s three touchdowns set a new career-best as the Als running back racked up 235 combined yards with 98 yards on the ground and a career-high 137 through the air.
