A couple of four-game winning streaks are on the line Thursday night when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Montreal Alouettes.
Neither team has lost since the July 14-15 weekend. The Blue Bombers (8-2) have built a one-game lead in the West Division, while the Alouettes (6-3) are comfortably in second place in the East.
Winnipeg won 17-3 at Montreal in the first meeting this season on July 1. Zach Collaros threw touchdown passes to Drew Wolitarsky and Dalton Schoen, and Brady Oliveira rushed for 120 yards to lead the Blue Bombers. Kaion Julien-Grant (129) and Austin Mack (115) both had 100-yard receiving days for the Alouettes, who avoided the shutout with a fourth-quarter field goal.
Both teams are coming off one-point wins last weekend, with Winnipeg holding on for a 19-18 victory at Calgary on Friday and Montreal rallying for a 25-24 triumph at Ottawa on Saturday.
Demerio Houston scored the only touchdown of the game against the Stampeders with a 45-yard pick-six at the end of the third quarter. Sergio Castillo booted four field goals for the Blue Bombers.
“I saw the back flare out and from film study, you know if it’s flat then it’s always going to be a curl coming behind,” Houston, who leads the CFL with seven interceptions, told the Canadian Press. “I just trusted my instincts and jumped in and made a good play and took it to the house.”
Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo returns after missing the past two games with a left shoulder injury. Backup Caleb Evans passed for 333 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and also rushed for the game-winning score against the Redblacks.
The Alouettes outscored Ottawa 22-7 in the second half. Evans’ decisive 2-yard run with 14 seconds left gave Montreal its first lead of the game.
“We didn’t have our best start at the beginning, but we kept pushing and kept driving, kept sticking together,” Evans told the Montreal Gazette. “And you see the result.”
Winnipeg is 4-1 at home this season and Montreal is 3-1 on the road.
Alouettes receiver Jake Harty and offensive lineman Patrick Davis are out with leg injuries. Defensive back Brandon Alexander (not injury related) is doubtful and linebacker Shayne Gauthier (hip) is questionable for the Bombers.
–Field Level Media