Roughriders lose 20-16 to Alouettes after second half collapse
Alouettes backup Davis Alexander stole the show as Montreal scored 17 straight points to beat the Roughriders on Thursday night
Published Jul 25, 2024 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 4 minute read
It was a tale of two halves for the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday night.
After building up a 16-3 lead in the first half against the Montreal Alouettes, the Riders were outscored 17-0 in the second half and ultimately lost 20-16 in their Week 8 matchup.
While Saskatchewan running back Frankie Hickson — who was making his first start of the season for the injured A.J. Ouellette — had 117 rushing yards and a touchdown, it was Alouettes backup quarterback Davis Alexander stealing the show in the victory.
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After Caleb Evans, who was starting for the Alouettes in place of the injured Cody Fajardo, was ineffective for Montreal in the first half, Alexander came into the game in the second half and provided an immediate spark for Montreal as he led the Alouettes on three straight scoring drives.
“We didn’t tackle our best this evening and that was first half and second half,” Riders’ head coach Corey Mace told CKRM postgame. “They make a change at halftime with a backup … we anticipated that but still we couldn’t capitalize on getting off the field when we had the opportunities.”
The Riders, meanwhile, failed to score in the second half as they dropped to 5-2 in the CFL’s West Division standings while the Alouettes improved to 6-1 to remain atop the East Division.
“Montreal’s a great team,” said Hickson, who had 98 rushing yards in the first half. “We’ve got to come back in tomorrow, work harder and get better.”
Saskatchewan’s defence had a strong first half against the Alouettes, as Evans completed just 9-of-17 for 91 yards with a fumble but the second half was a different story as the Roughriders had no answer for Alexander, a third-year CFLer who completed 15-of-18 passes for 178 yards with two touchdowns to Reggie White.
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“I just tried to play within myself,” Alexander told TSN postgame. “We had guys making plays all over the place.
“Really, my job is just to get it in their hands and then they make me look great.”
Shea Patterson — making his fourth start of the season in place of the injured Trevor Harris — completed 21-of-33 passes for 222 yards while the Riders held Montreal running back Walter Fletcher to just 16 yards on five carries.
After the teams traded field goals to open the scoring, the Riders then forced the first turnover as defensive lineman Miles Brown stripped the ball from Evans while Lake Korte-Moore recovered the fumble as Saskatchewan took over on Montreal’s 29-yard line.
A few plays later, Hickson sprinted 20 yards into the end zone as the Riders went up 10-3.
After another field goal by Lauther put the Riders up 13-3, a fumble on a punt return by Saskatchewan’s Mario Alford gave the Alouettes great field position. However a sack by Bryan Cox Jr. followed by a blocked field goal by Anthony Lanier II kept Montreal from adding any points.
Before the half was up, Lauther kicked a 22-yard field goal to give the Riders a 16-3 lead at half.
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In the second half, the 25-year-old Alexander came into the game at quarterback and after connecting with White for a three-yard touchdown pass on their first series to cut the lead to 16-10, Alexander went back to White on the next drive for a 31-yard touchdown pass as the Alouettes took a 17-16 lead.
After hitting the crossbar on a 57-yard field goal attempt in the first half, Lauther then hit the left upright from 53 yards out early in the fourth quarter as the Alouettes continued to hold a one-point lead.
Montreal kicked a 21-yard field goal on their next drive to go up 20-16 before Saskatchewan was forced to punt on their next series with three minutes left.
Following a punt by the Alouettes with 1:28 remaining, Patterson drove down to the Montreal 30-yard line before turning it over on downs to end the game.
“I was proud of the way all the guys played tonight,” said Mace. “It went down to the end as we suspected.
“We were close but that’s only good in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
The Riders — who committed eight penalties for 105 yards in the loss — will now get set to host the Edmonton Elks on Aug. 3 at Mosaic Stadium in Week 9.
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Note: Prior to the game, the CFL announced it has fined Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill for unnecessary roughness after driving Patterson into the ground on the final play of last week’s matchup in Regina. The amount of the fine wasn’t disclosed.
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