MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – The Montreal Alouettes (9-6) clinched the East Division title Friday night courtesy of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 44-32 win over the Toronto Argonauts and will now host the East Final at Olympic Stadium on Sunday, November 18 at 1:00 p.m (TICKETS).
With three regular season games left to play however, the Alouettes veterans know better than to let up prior to the post-season, and for now shift their focus to proving they’ve got the depth that it takes to beat a Saskatchewan team in noisy Mosaic Stadium Saturday in Regina.
“Nothing comes easy in this league,” admitted slotback Jamel Richardson who passed legendary Alouette Hal Patterson earlier this month to move into fifth spot on the team’s all-time receiving yards list with 6,178. “It’s still an uphill battle and nothing is guaranteed for us. We need to focus on the task at hand and get some momentum rolling before hitting the playoffs.”
The Alouettes’ offence will have a different look on Saturday, due to injuries to some key playmakers. With receiver Brandon London and Victor Anderson now sidelined with a knee injury and a concussion respectively, the new-look offence will feature tailbacks Noel Devine and Chris Jennings and newly acquired receiver Lavasier Tuinei playing the role of replacements.
“It’s an exciting time for our football club,” marveled head coach Marc Trestman, who is one win away from tying Don Matthews as the second winningest coach in Alouettes history. “We have a lot of new pieces and it’ll be like this the rest of the way. Some players will have to be more productive. We can’t rely on one or two.”
In their previous meeting in Montreal on September 16, the first-place Alouettes defeated the Roughriders 28-17 in the only game Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant failed to start this year.
Here’s a primer for what promises to real battle between the Alouettes and Roughriders.
One more W: While Montreal has it’s playoff date secured, the Riders on the other hand, still need a win in one of their final three games to avoid missing the postseason for a second-straight year.
Pass the Lavasier: After just three weeks on the practice roster, receiver Lavasier Tunei is about to get his big break. With starters Brandon London and S.J. Green both sidelined, the 22-year-old will make his first CFL start on Saturday. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has a similar build to London and will be looking to use his frame to his advantage in his Als debut. A former standout with the University of Oregon Ducks, Lavasier went on to join the Seattle Seahawks. So yes, he knows all about avian teams…
Man of Mystery: When Noel Devine makes his return to the lineup on Sunday, he will as always be listed as a running back. The Als’ resident jack-of-all trades, Devine is so handy to his head coach that Marc Trestman jokingly suggested that if he could he would have left Devine’s position blank on the team’s roster. Look for Devine to line up at slotback, wide receiver and running back and perhaps even return a punt or two.
The streaking continues: Thanks to their big win over the Argos last weekend, the Alouettes clinched a playoff berth for a 17th consecutive season, tying Winnipeg (1980-1996) for the second longest streak in league history and having done so now each year since the franchise’s return to the CFL in 1996.
It’s SASKATCHEWAN not SACK-ATCHEWAN: Getting in the face of Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant may be easier said than done for the Alouettes defence. While Montreal may lead the league with 37 sacks on the season, the Riders have only surrendered one sack over their last three games combined.
