This time, the magic didn’t work. After two consecutive comeback wins, the Montreal Alouettes came up short against the BC Lions, who ended the local favourites’ five-game winning streak by defeating them 37-23.
The Alouettes (10-2) came up against a Lions (7-6) defensive front in great shape and a solid performance from Nathan Rourke who, despite three interceptions, led the visitors’ attack to four touchdowns, those of David Mackie, Ayden Eberhardt and William Stanback, who had a strong game with more than 100 yards on the ground. Rourke came to nail the Alouettes’ coffin with five minutes left, on a 19-yard run. Sean Whyte added two field goals.
The Alouettes’ response came from Cole Spieker and Dominique Davis. Jose Maltos made three field goals.
Trailing 27-16 early in the fourth quarter, the Alouettes managed to score a touchdown on a Davis sneak to pull within five points of the Lions. The two-point conversion was missed, but the Alouettes (10-2) successfully fielded a short kick to regain the ball at their 48-yard line.
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Ciante Evans tackles Walter Fletcher.
Unfortunately, a missed trick play towards Jose Barbon forced the locals to clear. Joseph Zema missed a little precision, giving his team a single, but allowing the Lions to resume at their 40 line. Stanback and Rourke, on a nice run on his left, came to close the books.
Cannon start
The Lions opened the scoring on their first possession of the game, on a 23-yard play. On second down and one, fullback Mackie was inserted behind the center. Instead of a short gain to get the first down, he ended up with a free pass into the end zone.
While the Lions’ offense had a lot of success, it also committed three turnovers in the first half, while the Alouettes had two interceptions and forced a fumble.
The hometown favorites scored 10 points on those turnovers, including a key touchdown following a Stanback fumble late in the second quarter. Fajardo connected with Spieker on a six-yard play. The receiver made quite the catch in the back of the end zone to allow the Alouettes to head into the locker room trailing only 17-13.
A return from the break, the Alouettes were however the victim of their first turnover, which came to cancel a 28-yard return by James Letcher on the kickoff. On the first play of the offensive sequence, Fajardo was caught far behind his line of scrimmage by Jonah Tavai, who made him lose the ball before recovering it at the Birds’ 35-yard line, which led to Whyte’s second field goal of the game.
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Nathan Rourke, despite three interceptions, allowed the Lions’ offense to score four touchdowns.
But the defense wasn’t done yet. Dionte Ruffin made the Alouettes’ third interception of the night, putting the Alouettes at the visitors’ 19-yard line. Fajardo tried twice to reach his receivers in the end zone, but the Alouettes had to settle for Maltos’ third field goal. The Alouettes scored 13 points on their four turnovers.
Stanback delivered a big blow to the home team on the next drive. The Lions running back made a spectacular 38-yard run, breaking four tackles, to get into the end zone and make it 27-16 with just over five minutes left in the third quarter.
With the score at 34-23, the Alouettes attempted one last push. However, TJ Lee’s interception sounded the death knell for this comeback attempt.
The Alouettes will play their next three games on the road, in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto. They will return to Percival Molson Stadium on Thanksgiving Monday.