MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes were able to hang on at home Sunday night from Percival Molson Stadium, taking down the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 31-18.
The win marked the fourth straight for the Alouettes, who improved to a 6-1 record, tied for the league-best.
Week 8 closed out with a physical battle, as both Montreal and Hamilton were popping pads and flying around from the onset. The very first two plays from scrimmage were all Travis Theis, who brings a physical presence himself, rumbling for 46 yards immediately, and finishing with a career-high 156 yards, to help set up a Jose Maltos Diaz field goal to give Montreal the early lead.
The Alouettes outgained the Tiger-Cats 235-66 in net offence in half No.1, as Hamilton booted away four punts. Hamilton even turned Montreal over twice, including ending Davis Alexander‘s consecutive pass attempts without an interception record at 356, but couldn’t capitalize.
To start the second half, the script flipped, however, as a Tre Ford to Kenny Lawler 33-yard touchdown capped off a drive that saw Hamilton put up more net offence than they did in the entire first half, taking a 15-10 lead in the process.
Montreal answered right back in the offensive second half, as a second Wilson plunge capped off a drive sparked by a nice punt return by the Alouettes-debuting DeVonte Dedmon.
The point-filled third quarter continued as the lead changed once again following a Marc Liegghio field goal, giving the Tiger-Cats the slight 18-17 lead heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter looked a lot like the first half, defensive and physical. No points were scored until the three minute warning, with multiple turnovers and a blocked punt mixed in, before Maltoz Diaz gave the Alouettes the lead back.
Fittingly, Theis and the Alouettes were able to run the game out at the end with the 25-year-old scoring a late major for good measure.
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» Game Notes: Tiger-Cats at Alouettes
» Montreal, Hamilton by the numbers
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SCORING PLAYS
- Jose Maltos Diaz 17-yard field goal (11:43, Q1) | MTL 3, HAM 0
- Isaiah Wooden 100-yard punt return touchdown (05:20, Q1) | HAM 7, MTL 3
- Terry Wilson one-yard touchdown run (11:26, Q2) | MTL 10, HAM 7
- Mitch McCarthy 76-yard punt single (07:55, Q2) | MTL 10, HAM 8
- Tre Ford 33-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Lawler (10:54, Q3) | HAM 15, MTL 10
- Terry Wilson one-yard touchdown run (08:19, Q3) | MTL 17, HAM 15
- Marc Liegghio 46-yard field goal (02:01, Q3) | HAM 18, MTL 17
- Jose Maltos Diaz 35-yard field goal (02:56, Q4) | MTL 20, HAM 18
- Jose Maltos Diaz 46-yard field goal (02:00, Q4) | MTL 23, HAM 18
- Travis Theis eight-yard touchdown run (00:24, Q4) | MTL 31, HAM 18
NEXT UP
Montreal will hit the road for a short trip to the nation’s capital to battle the winless Ottawa REDBLACKS in Week 9, before returning back home in Week 10 to host the CFL’s best Edmonton Elks.
For the Tiger-Cats, they return home in Week 9 to play host to the Calgary Stampeders in a cross-division matchup, before hitting the road once again and travelling all the way to the West Coast to battle the BC Lions in Week 10.
