Alouettes 27 – Roughriders 24 | Gamer deserves his nickname in victory

(Regina) “It’s a gamer ” said general manager Danny Maciocia about quarterback Davis Alexander, following his first outing with the Alouettes. Those who were unaware of the meaning of this label understand it better, after a spectacular 27-24 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Thirty seconds left in the game. Riders lead 24-21. Davis Alexander, 15 yards from the end zone, analyzes his options. They are limited, risky. Too bad, he runs away. Scamps to the right. Three colossi stand before him. He chooses the bypass.

Each of his strides throws him further and further out of the field. So much so that at one point, it would have been almost impossible to place a piece of dental floss between his foot and the white stripe. The white stripe marks the outside of the field, but would also have marked the Alouettes’ defeat.

Alexander breaks free alone in the end zone, scores the touchdown. For his potential final start of the season, he couldn’t have left a better calling card.

Despite his composure, Davis Alexander is likely to be replaced by the team’s regular starter, Cody Fajardo, in the next game. Fajardo has been forced to miss the last four games with a strained hamstring. He was, however, in uniform on the sidelines. Throughout the game, he was seen revisiting video replays on a tablet, teaching Davis Alexander some old tricks of the trade.

Before playing the hero, Alexander had an honest outing, nothing more. His habits seem to be confirmed, in his third start. After a nervous, shaky start to the game, he picked up the beast’s mojo. He finished the game with 22 passes completed in 33 attempts, for a total of 285 yards and a touchdown pass. His hesitation will have cost him four quarterback sacks, however.

Sabotage

No, in the end, the real hero of the game was not Davis Alexander. The person most responsible for the Alouettes’ victory was Brett Lauther. Yes, yes: Brett Lauther, the Roughriders’ precision kicker.

On the final drive of the game, Lauther had a chance to tie the game, making a 48-yard field goal attempt. His attempt failed. A failure that normally wouldn’t have tasted so bitter. But under the circumstances, it did, as Lauther missed three other attempts in the game, all from less than 38 yards.

Had it not been for their repeated failures, the Alouettes would never have been able to hope for this victory, against Riders by far more incisive. The team’s depth has impressed in recent weeks, but against such a well-composed opponent, it has demonstrated its limits.

When the two teams met on July 25, they were fighting on equal terms. Important parts of their respective attacks, and especially their quarterbacks, were missing. The Alouettes had managed to win, courtesy of Davis Alexander, who came out as a hero in the second half.

Twenty-two days later, the Riders could count on the return of their star starter, Trevor Harris. Elite running back, AJ Ouellette, also returned to action.

Both players were key to unraveling the Alouettes’ unwavering defense, probably the best in the league. Harris, not rusty in the least, completed 29 of his 37 pass attempts, for two touchdowns and 339 cumulative yards. Ouellette, for his part, amassed 73 rushing yards.

Montreal was far inferior through the air, and even worse, on the ground, a phase in which the attack was limited to 51 yards on 13 attempts.

The Roughriders and Alouettes will no longer face each other during the regular season. Who knows, one last meeting could still unite them, before the end of the year. A meeting at the end of which a large silver cup, decorated with two handles, will be awarded.