The Montreal Alouettes just defeated the BC Lions last week to become the first CFL team to clinch a playoff berth this season.
Now Montreal will look to take down the Lions again when the teams engage in a rematch on Saturday night at Vancouver.
East Division-leading Montreal (10-2) has won eight of its past nine games and turned its play up a notch in the second half of a 37-30 home win over BC on Sept. 4. The Alouettes erupted for 30 second-half points to end a six-game skid against the Lions.
“It’s about time we check that box,” Montreal coach Jason Maas said of the drought against BC. “We’re sick and tired of that happening.”
Standout quarterback Davis Alexander completed 25 of 34 passes for 297 yards and one touchdown. The passing score was his 25th, second in the league behind Chad Kelly (27) of the Toronto Argonauts.
“We were able to execute some huge short yardages throughout the game after that,” Alexander said. “It speaks to our group. We were able to bounce back. It was beautiful.”
A big play in the contest was when Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette intercepted BC star Nathan Rourke in the third quarter and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.
“Obviously, the turnover was the big moment in the game,” Rourke said. “That’s on me. … We were rolling fine. Like I said, I feel like we got in our own way.”
Rourke, the 2025 CFL Most Outstanding Player, completed 31 of 45 passes for 375 yards, two touchdowns and the costly interception.
The setback ended a five-game winning streak for BC (6-6), which is tied for third place in the West.
“You have to give credit to Montreal,” Lions coach Buck Pierce said. “They made the plays when they had to, and we didn’t execute the way we needed to in critical times.”
The Lions are second in the CFL in total offense at 427.6 points per game but rank just sixth in scoring at 29.1 points per outing.
Rourke has passed for 15 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He has thrown two touchdown passes in five consecutive contests and has topped 300 yards in each of his last seven full game appearances. He exited with a left shoulder injury when sacked during the first series against the Edmonton Elks on July 17.
Still, Rourke knows he hasn’t hit last season’s form, when he passed for 5,290 yards and 31 touchdowns against 16 picks.
“I think there’s room to get better,” Rourke said. “Myself included, most importantly.”
Alexander (3,954 yards) has thrown just two interceptions in 391 attempts and is in the mix for this season’s Most Outstanding Player award. He has thrown for four touchdowns twice and three on two other occasions.
–Field Level Media
