It was a tale of two halves at Percival Molson Stadium on Thursday night.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders dominated the first 30 minutes, during which the Montreal Alouettes were outscored (16-3) and outgained (238-74), before the home side rallied for a 20-16 CFL victory.
Montreal scored all 14 third-quarter points and added a field goal to improve its league-best record to 6-1. Saskatchewan is 5-2.
Montreal’s Davis Alexander replaced struggling starter Caleb Evans to start the third quarter and completed 15 of 18 passes for 178 yards, including back-to-back touchdown passes to Reggie White Jr.
“(Alexander) came in and we pinned our ears back,” Roughriders defensive lineman Anthony Lanier II told CKRM’s Luc Mullinder. “He did a great job as far as making sure he was comfortable in the pocket. He was very patient and he was getting the ball out quick.
“He came in prepared, ready to do what he was supposed to do.”
As a result, Montreal ran 15 of the 22 plays from scrimmage during a game-changing third quarter.
“We couldn’t capitalize on getting off the field when we had the opportunity,” Saskatchewan Head Coach Corey Mace told CKRM.
Roughriders quarterback Shea Patterson, making his fourth start in place of an injured Trevor Harris, was 21-for-33 for 222 yards.
Over the course of the game, Saskatchewan finished ahead of Montreal in first downs (21-19) and net yardage (325-256).
“We’ve got to do a better job defensively of getting those guys (on offence) the ball,” Mace said. “They were pretty good offensively moving the ball all night.”
The Roughriders were tantalizingly close to six more points. Brett Lauther hit the crossbar on a 57-yard field-goal attempt and an upright on a 53-yarder.
“We took a couple of shots with Brett to put some points on there for us,” Mace said. “The chances of ringing two off the post are pretty slim.
“We’ve got faith in Brett kicking from that distance. The leg’s there. The distance is there. We got unlucky.”
Saskatchewan registered five sacks, including two by Bryan Cox Jr.
HICKSON CLICKING
Frankie Hickson, making his first start since Sept. 29, rushed 16 times for 117 yards on Thursday.
It was the second career 100-yard game for Hickson, who gained 129 yards on 15 rushes against the host B.C. Lions on Aug. 26, 2022.
Also on Thursday, Hickson scored his second CFL touchdown — courtesy of a 20-yard run. He erupted for a 63-yard score against the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS on July 8, 2022.
“I do whatever the team needs me to do at the end of the day,” Hickson told CKRM.
“It’s never about one person. It’s about the whole team.”
MILES AHEAD
Miles Brown set up the Roughriders’ touchdown with a sack that forced a fumble by Montreal’s Caleb Evans on the Alouettes’ 31-yard line.
Hickson handled the rest, rushing for gains of eight, three and, for a touchdown, 20.
Brown’s first sack of the season was also his first forced fumble in 30 CFL games.
The fumble recovery was a career first for second-year Roughriders defensive lineman Lake Korte-Moore.
LAUTHER’S LEAPFROG
Lauther’s 43-yard field goal at 9:27 of the second quarter moved him past George Reed and into fourth on the Roughriders’ All-Time points lead.
Reed amassed 823 points over 13 seasons. Lauther entered the game with 818 points before adding 10 to that total on Thursday.
Lauther is now 35 points shy of third-place Jack Abendschan, who trails Dave Ridgway (2,374) and Paul McCallum (1,615).
BLOCK PARTY
Late in the first half, Lanier II registered the first blocked field-goal attempt by a Roughrider since Sept. 2, 2018, when Zack Evans deflected a 51-yard attempt by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Justin Medlock.
NEXT UP
The Roughriders return to action on Aug. 3 against the Edmonton Elks (5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
Sask — FG Lauther 22 5:56
Hickson gained 47 of Roughriders’ 62 yards during the opening possession
Mtl — FG Maltos 17 9:26
Evans hit Rambo for 20 yards and Fletcher for 14
Sask — TD Hickson 20 run (Lauther convert) 15:00
Brown’s sack forced a fumble on Montreal’s 31-yard line; Korte-Moore recovered for Saskatchewan
SECOND QUARTER
Sask — FG Lauther 43 9:27
Patterson hit Johnson for 22 and Emilus for 14 before Hickson ran for 15
Sask — FG Lauther 22 15:00
Blocked field goal by Lanier II gave Roughriders possession on Montreal’s 49-yard line
THIRD QUARTER
Mtl — TD White Jr. 5 pass from Alexander (Maltos convert) 4:29
Alexander completed a 30-yarder to Philpot on second-and-13
Mtl — TD White Jr. 31 pass from Alexander (Maltos convert) 13:27
Alexander was 12-for-12 after second TD pass to White Jr.
FOURTH QUARTER
Mtl — FG Maltos 21 10:39
Alouettes advanced to Saskatchewan’s six-yard line before Johnson sacked Alexander to force a field-goal attempt
