MONTREAL | Ineffective on offense for most of the game, the Alouettes were defeated 35 to 20 by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday night at Percival-Molson Stadium.
The offensive unit scored just one touchdown against the only undefeated team in the Canadian League in 2022 when quarterback Trevor Harris was behind center, the vast majority of the evening. It was already the fifth time that the Alouettes (2-6) have been limited to two offensive majors or less in a game, and this, in eight outings so far this season.
The Sparrows’ attack nevertheless benefited from a multitude of golden opportunities against the Blue Bombers (9-0), courtesy of its defense. This was particularly the case on the first sequence of the match, when Wes Sutton made an interception and gave the ball back to his team at the visitors’ 27th line. The “Als”, however, had to settle for a placement.
“It’s disappointing, because our defense gave us a lot of chances. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do the job on offense when our defense allowed us to have an advantage,” said general manager and interim head coach Danny Maciocia after his team’s loss.
The defense did an excellent job for most of the game, racking up three more turnovers along the way. Coordinator Noel Thorpe’s unit has still allowed the Bombers four majors in the last three quarters.
The second half of the game started like the first, with a field goal by David Côté. The Quebecer placed the ball between the posts over a distance of 49 yards, thus equaling his personal best.
Philpot and Dequoy stand out
The Blue Bombers, however, returned to the end zone on the following sequence. That’s when Tyson Philpot came into his own. The freshman returned the kickoff 60 yards. Three plays later, the wide receiver caught a throw from Harris and scored the Als’ lone touchdown. By virtue of a two-point conversion, the crowd favorites tied the game in the third quarter.
Marc-Antoine Dequoy then demonstrated the extent of his talent by making a magnificent interception deep in his zone. The table was once again set for the Alouettes’ attack, which again failed miserably.
What had to happen happened and the two-time defending Gray Cup champions outrageously dominated the final ten minutes to come away with the win. Harris was also the victim of two thefts during those last fateful minutes. It was Dominique Davis who ended the evening at quarterback, which allowed the locals to score a touchdown of no real importance in the last minute of play.
The Alouettes will have seven days to try to make adjustments and look better against these same Blue Bombers, since the two teams will meet next Thursday in Winnipeg.
“We will watch the video of the match and make decisions afterwards. There are things that need to change”, concluded a Maciocia visibly less patient than before.