The Alouettes certainly did not look like the league’s worst offence on Friday.
Montreal came into the game dead last in five offensive categories, but it didn’t show on the field as the Als beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 41-3 for their first win since their season opener, snapping a three game-losing skid.
Montreal entered with a league-worst average 15 points per contest, but put up more points against the Riders (41) than in its three previous games combined (37).
“When you win like that, right now in the locker room, you can tell,” said quarterback Kevin Glenn. “We didn’t turn the ball over, we had great first-down production and we dialed up some good plays.”
“It puts us right where we want to be – back in the win column. Our mindset coming into this game was that we weren’t going to have any excuses.”
READ MORE: Montreal Alouettes look to get offence going against the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Glenn threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, running back Brandon Rutley had two touchdowns and Duron Carter made eight catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
“This is a very big win,” said Carter. “We were expecting something big, but I’m not going to say I was expecting something this big. This is the type of game that I’m used to playing – Alouettes football.”
On an evening when former receiver Ben Cahoon saw his No. 86 retired by the team in a halftime ceremony, the Alouettes offence surely reminded the 20,018 fans in attendance of the days of old.
It all started with an impressive seven-play, 75-yard opening drive that got the home side on the board early.
Starting at their own 30, the Als marched down the field with ease. Glenn completed his first six throws of the game, including a 39-yarder to Carter.
His sixth consecutive completion was a six-yard toss to B.J. Cunningham in the end zone – Montreal’s first opening-drive touchdown of the season.
“Any time you can go out and score on your first drive, it’s a momentum builder,” said Glenn. “That was something that we talked about doing all week.”
Looking for his second career win, rookie QB Mitchell Gale went 23 for 41 for 211 yards and an interception for the Riders (1-4).
Saskatchewan’s offence never really got into gear. The team’s only points came at 6:19 of the third quarter with a 38-yard field goal.
“I’m not going to sit here and be negative,” said Riders coach Chris Jones. “We’re not going to throw our hands up and quit, I can assure you that. There’s nothing we can do about this football game now.”
READ MORE: Montreal Alouettes retire Ben Cahoon’s No. 86 jersey
Montreal’s (2-3) opening drive was a sign of things to come for the Riders, as the home side went up 22-0 at halftime rather effortlessly.
Down 8-0, it looked like the Roughriders caught a break when Carter fumbled the ball and it was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Shane Herbert. But a review showed Carter was down on contact, and the call was overturned.
Montreal made the most of that possession four plays later as Samuel Giguere punched the ball into the end zone from the one-yard line to make it 15-0 after a defensive interference penalty on Saskatchewan.
It was more of the same in the second quarter for Montreal.
Brandon Bridge capped off a 94-yard drive with a QB sneak from the one-yard line after yet another costly Roughriders interference penalty in the end zone.
Following the half-time ceremony honouring Cahoon, Glenn found Rutley for a 38-yard score at 13:49 of the third quarter to make things 31-3.
The Als added another touchdown in the game’s dying minutes when Glenn found Carter for a 16-yard catch.
Montreal and Saskatchewan combined for 21 penalties totalling 228 yards.
Notes: Als kicker Boris Bede went 1-for-2 in field goal attempts. He’s now 6-for-14 on the season. … Former teammates Brian Bratton, Bruno Heppell and Scott Flory, as well as Als president Mark Weightman, spoke at Cahoon’s ceremony.