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News August 31, 2017

REDBLACKS pulverize Alouettes 32-4, move into first place

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Carlos Verde | @Carlos77Verde

If last week’s hair-raising win over BC was a building block, the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ 32-4 win in Montreal on Thursday evening was a single-night construction of a luxury high-rise tower.

Rick Campbell’s REDBLACKS (4-6-1) dominated both sides of the football, found big plays at key times and looked every bit the defending Grey Cup champions they are against the Alouettes (3-7).

Quarterback Trevor Harris completed 32 of 41 passes for 343 yards and a trio of touchdowns, while ‘the buds’ — Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopoli — each broke the 80-yard receiving mark in the win.

The REDBLACKS opened the scoring midway through the first quarter, when Brett Maher sailed a 67-yard punt into the Montreal end zone for a single.

Maher made it 4-0 five minutes later, booting a 30-yard field goal through the uprights.

Harris and Diontae Spencer then combined early in the second quarter for the first major of the evening; after some pretty misdirection, Harris found Spencer on a two-yard touchdown pass. Running back Mossis Madu Jr. then dragged a crowd of Alouettes over the goal line for the ensuing two-point convert, giving Ottawa a 12-0 lead.


Montreal got on the board on its ensuing possession via a Boris Bede punt single; a Brett Maher single on the following drive — a missed 37-yard field goal downed in the end zone — sent Ottawa into the half with a 13-1 lead.

The REDBLACKS continued to dominate both sides of the football in the second half, and Harris found Josh Stangby for a highlight-reel 17-yard touchdown. Harris then zipped a two-point convert to Jake Harty, and Ottawa led 21-1.


On Montreal’s first foray inside the Ottawa 40-yard line — midway through the third quarter —linebacker Antoine Pruneau picked off Durant; seven plays later, a 30-yard Maher field goal made it 24-1.

Bede responded for the Als with a field goal from 53 yards out at the end of the third quarter then cut the lead to 24-4.

Harris and company sealed the victory early in the fourth quarter, as the REDBLACKS pivot bombed a 42-yard touchdown pass to a diving Greg Ellingson in the end zone as the league’s leading receiver broke the century mark for the third straight season. Maher’s convert made it 31-4.


Maher would then miss from 41 yards, scoring a conceded single in the process.

Ottawa’s defence dominated down the stretch in the fourth quarter, sacking Montreal replacement pivot Drew Willy three times.

What They’re Saying

“It’s something we’ve been capable of all year. This win was our defence tonight. When we were 1-6, everybody looked at me sideways when I said I liked our team, but we might have some more people in our corner now. We’re 4-6, we know where we’re at (and) that’s not where we want to be, but we can keep climbing out of this hole, we have the guys in the room to do it.” — QB Trevor Harris (to TSN’s John Lu)


“It was good to play a solid 60 minutes of football. It’s an important victory (and) I’m proud of the guys. (Now) the key is to keep working hard, keep getting better every week. This is game two of the four-game set that I mentioned will determine how we hit the stretch run; Hamilton at home next week, and then back here in two weeks.” — HC Rick Campbell (to TSN 1200’s AJ Jakubec)

Game Notes

Montreal’s offence worked inside the Ottawa 40-yard line just once…Linebackers Taylor Reed and Khalil Bass co-led REDBLACKS defenders with five tackles…Receiver Greg Ellingson became the first player to clear the 1,000-yard receiving mark in 2017 and marks the third straight season he’s eclipsed 1,000 yards…The win moved Ottawa into first place in the East Division for the first time this season…Week 11’s matchup was Brad Sinopoli’s 100th career CFL game.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter
OTT — Maher punt single — 7:14
OTT — FG Maher — 2:43


Second Quarter
OTT — TD Harris to Spencer (Madu 2-pt. conv.) — 10:52
MTL — Bede punt single — 7:03
OTT — Maher single (FG miss) — 2:40 

Third Quarter
OTT — TD Harris to Stangby (Harris to Harty 2-pt. conv.) — 12:30
OTT — FG Maher — 4:08
MTL — FG Bede — 0:07

Fourth Quarter
OTT — TD Harris to Ellingson (Maher conv.) — 12:15
OTT — Maher single (FG miss) — 6:23

Attendance
18,325