The Alouettes may not have had their big guns to take on the Roughriders, but a simple game plan was enough to sink the visitors’ ship.
The Montreal club had to deal with the absence of two tenors on the attack, Friday night against Saskatchewan. Without starting quarterback Cody Fajardo and running back William Stanback, the offense still found ways to score to allow the Alouettes to triumph 41-12.
It’s not that Caleb Evans was excellent in relief as a quarterback, he was at most honest. The yardage of 149 came on just eight passes completed. Admittedly, he completed two quarterback sneaks, but also threw an interception while his team was in the red zone.
However, where Evans excelled was in his game management. Even though he learned only about 30 minutes before kickoff that he would be the starter, he dictated the pace of the offense.
“It was in our interests to have Caleb play and let Cody rest,” Alouettes head coach Jason Maas said after the duel. […]We had the same playbook, but with a few changes to favor Caleb’s strengths. He was excellent at managing the game. »
It was especially Stanback emulator Walter Fletcher who came out on top. He did so with a total of 73 yards rushing and 68 with the aerial game. A good performance, except that given CFL rules, the 26-year-old American has been confined to a substitute role since last year.
“We’ve been trying since the start of the year to get them both on the pitch,” Maas admitted. After Friday’s game, he might have to try a little harder.
Because when the chance presented itself, he answered the call. After the meeting, Evans explained why he and Fletcher exhibited such great chemistry.
“We regularly drill together after practice when the guys are inside,” Evans said. So it feels good to play with him and see him get over 100 yards. He had quite a game. »
Nevertheless, even though Montreal didn’t have much variety in their game, they found a way to score five majors. The five touchdowns that were synonymous with a fifth victory this season and a third in a row. Jason Maas’ men are starting to settle into second place in the Eastern Conference with a 5-3 record, but that’s a far cry from the Toronto Argonauts and their 6-1 record.
The Sparrows defense was excellent. She had a touchdown, a second interception and limited the Riders offense to two vulgar field goals and an insignificant touchdown late in the game. However, it should also be noted that the Prairie club was without its starting quarterback, Trevor Harris.
However, this classic clash between the two backup quarterbacks was ruined when Mason Fine dropped after a run late in the second quarter. It was therefore the third quarter, Jake Dolegala, who came to finish the job.
The Riders’ attack was so poignant that, in the fourth quarter, Montreal fans whipped out their phones, like a ballad at a pop concert. This was followed by the traditional “Olé!” oh! oh! “. If the visitors didn’t want to put on a show worthy of the name, the crowd rose to the challenge.
A nice way to highlight Maas’ first duel against the team that sacked him last year.
