The Montreal Alouettes (10-8) hosted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-8) on Saturday afternoon from Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in the Eastern Semi-Final. For the first time in franchise history, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were the crossover team. The last time a West Division team crossed over to the East Division was the Edmonton Eskimos in 2019.
The Blue Bombers came into this game without their receiver Nic Demski, who was out with a hamstring injury. Montreal did not have running back Travis Theis (Ankle), fullback David Dallaire (Knee), and offensive lineman Jamar McGloster (Wrist).
First Quarter:
Montreal’s offense got the ball to start the game on the 30-yard line. Running back Stevie Scott III started the drive with a five-yard run to the 35-yard line. Quarterback Davis Alexander completed two passes for 48 yards, including a 41-yarder to Charleston Rambo to the 27-yard line. The drive stalled, and kicker Jose Maltos Diaz made a 35-yard field goal to give the Alouettes a 3-0 lead with 12:01 left.
Winnipeg went two-and-out, and Montreal got the ball again on the 21-yard line. Davis Alexander threw a nine-yard pass to Tyson Philpot, followed by Shea Patterson’s nine-yard run, and Stevie Scott III rushed for five yards to the 44-yard line.
Three plays later, Davis Alexander attempted a pass to Tyler Snead, but the pass was incomplete. However, a defensive pass interference penalty on Winnipeg defensive back Dexter Lawson Jr. moved the ball to the 21-yard line. The Alouettes would reach the one-yard line before Tyson Philpot scored the touchdown. Montreal extended its lead to 10-0 with 3:59 left to cap off a 10-play drive for 89 yards.
Late in the first quarter, Montreal had the ball on the 30-yard line. Stevie Scott III rushed for five yards to the 35-yard line. Next, Davis Alexander threw a 30-yard pass to Charleston Rambo to the 45-yard line. Then, with great protection from his linemen, Alexander threw the ball to Tyson Philpot, who extended his arms to make the catch for a touchdown. The Alouettes led 17-0 with 32 seconds left.
Winnipeg’s offense had the ball on the 41-yard line. Running back Brady Oliveira rushed for 22 yards to the 45-yard line. Then, Zach Collaros threw a 29-yard pass to Keric Wheatfall to the 36-yard line. The Blue Bombers trailed the Alouettes 17-0.
Montreal’s offense had 183 yards (148 yards passing, 35 yards rushing), and Winnipeg’s offense had 65 yards (37 yards passing, 28 yards rushing).
Second Quarter:
In the second quarter, Winnipeg’s offense stalled, and kicker Sergio Castillo made a 44-yard field goal. The Blue Bombers trailed the Alouettes 17-3 with 13:47 left.
Later, Montreal had the ball on the 53-yard line. Davis Alexander began the drive by throwing two passes for 18 yards to the 39-yard line. Two plays later, he threw a 37-yard pass to Austin Mack to the three-yard line. Then, Alexander faked a handoff to Stevie Scott III. Scott III’s distraction allowed Alexander to walk into the end zone for a 24-3 lead with 6:19 left to cap off a five-play drive for 57 yards.
Montreal’s offense quickly got Winnipeg off the field. After Zach Collaros threw two passes for 15 yards, the defense brought pressure on the next play. Collaros took off running, but defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund forced the ball out and recovered it on the 43-yard line.
Montreal’s offense moved the ball to the 24-yard line before the drive stalled. Kicker Jose Maltos Diaz attempted a 33-yard field goal. He missed it wide right, and the ball went out of bounds for a single point. It was now 25-3 with 1:26 left.
Late, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros threw four consecutive passes for 46 yards to the 24-yard line. Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette sacked Collaros for a nine-yard loss. Collaros would throw a 14-yard pass to Keric Wheatfall before kicker Sergio Castillo made a 37-yard field goal. The Alouettes led the Blue Bombers 25-6 at halftime.
First Half Stats:
Montreal’s offense had 305 yards (246 yards passing, 61 yards rushing, 2 yards lost), 17 first downs, 2 for 2 in the red zone, and the team had no penalties. Quarterback Davis Alexander completed 14 of 19 passes (73.6%) for 246 yards, one touchdown, one carry for three yards, and one rushing touchdown.
Running back Stevie Scott III had eight carries for 47 yards. Wide receiver Charleston Rambo made five catches for 95 yards, while Tyson Philpot made six catches for 88 yards and one touchdown. The defense made two sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Winnipeg’s offense had 111 yards (112 yards passing, 18 yards rushing, 19 yards lost), five first downs, no red zone opportunities, and the team was penalized three times for 54 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 10 of 12 passes (83%) for 112 yards and one carry for three yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira had four carries for 15 yards. Wide receiver Keric Wheatfall made three catches for 45 yards, while Jerreth Sterns made three catches for 44 yards. The defense made one tackle for loss.
Third Quarter:
Winnipeg got the ball to start the third quarter on the 49-yard line. Quarterback Zach Collaros began the drive by throwing a 27-yard pass to Gavin Cobb to the 34-yard line. Next, Collaros’s pass intended for Jerreth Sterns was incomplete, but a defensive pass interference penalty on Montreal moved the ball to the one-yard line. Three plays later, third-string quarterback Terry Wilson scored the touchdown. The Blue Bombers trailed the Alouettes 25-13 with 12:33 left.
Two plays later, Winnipeg’s defense pressured Davis Alexander, forcing him to scramble to his right side. He attempted to throw the ball to Austin Mack, but it was intercepted by Cam Allen on the 54-yard line. Then, Zach Collaros threw the ball to Ontaria Wilson, who made the catch with Lorenzo Burns on him to score a 54-yard touchdown. Winnipeg trailed Montreal 25-20 with 11:12 left.
Montreal’s offense had the ball on the 36-yard line. Quarterback Davis Alexander threw a 26-yard pass to Tyson Philpot. Winnipeg defensive back Jamal Parker hit the ball out of Philpot’s arm, and it was recovered by Evan Holm. He returned it for 36 yards to the 26-yard line.
Zach Collaros threw a 19-yard pass to Brady Oliveira to the seven-yard line. Two plays later, Collaros’s pass intended for Keric Wheatfall was incomplete, but a defensive pass interference penalty on Montreal defensive back Lorenzo Burns moved the ball to the one-yard line. Then, Terry Wilson came in and scored the touchdown. The Blue Bombers took a 27-25 lead with 8:44 left. They scored 21 points in three minutes and thirty-seven seconds.
Montreal needed to respond. Davis Alexander threw two passes for 62 yards, including a 50-yarder to Austin Mack to the 13-yard line. Then, Alexander handed the ball off to Stevie Scott III, who got a great block from Charleston Rambo, allowing him to score the touchdown. The Alouettes took a 32-27 lead with 6:15 left to cap off a four-play drive for 75 yards.
Late in the third quarter, Winnipeg had the ball on the 26-yard line. Zach Collaros threw an 11-yard pass to Joey Corcoran to the 37-yard line. Running back Brady Oliveira rushed for 16 yards to the 53-yard line to end the third quarter. The Blue Bombers trailed the Alouettes 32-27.
Fourth Quarter:
In the fourth quarter, Zach Collaros threw two more passes for 21 yards to the 36-yard line. After the drive stalled, kicker Sergio Castillo made a 44-yard field goal. The Blue Bombers trailed the Alouettes 32-30 with 12:57 left.
After Montreal went two-and-out, their defense got the ball back. Montreal linebacker Kori Roberson knocked the ball loose off of Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira’s arm, and it was recovered by defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy on the 27-yard line.
Davis Alexander threw a pass to Stevie Scott III for a one-yard loss and was sacked by Willie Jefferson on the next play for a 12-yard loss. However, Jefferson was given a roughing the passer penalty, and Montreal had a first down on the 13-yard line. Stevie Scott III rushed for six yards to the seven-yard line. Then, Scott III got the ball again. He kept moving his legs and got help from his linemen to score the touchdown. Montreal led 39-30 with 8:49 left.
Winnipeg’s offense had the ball on the 45-yard line. Zach Collaros threw a 53-yard pass to Keric Wheatfall, and Brady Oliveira rushed for one yard to the 11-yard line. The drive stalled, and kicker Sergio Castillo made a 16-yard field goal. The Blue Bombers trailed the Alouettes 39-33 with 6:59 left.
Late in the game, Montreal’s offense had the ball on the 18-yard line. Davis Alexander threw two passes for 23 yards and rushed for 18 yards to the 51-yard line. Running back Stevie Scott III had three carries for 47 yards, including a 39-yard run to the four-yard line. On third down, kicker Jose Maltos Diaz made a 12-yard field goal for a 42-33 lead with 32 seconds left.
Winnipeg’s offense had the ball on the 45-yard line. Montreal’s defense sealed the game when Darnell Sankey intercepted Zach Collaros on the 46-yard line. The Alouettes defeated the Blue Bombers 42-33. For the first time since 2018, the Blue Bombers will not be in the Grey Cup.
Final Stats:
Montreal’s offense had 556 yards (384 yards passing, 176 yards rushing, 4 yards lost), 29 first downs, 4 for 5 in the red zone, and the team was penalized four times for 64 yards. Quarterback Davis Alexander completed 24 of 34 passes (70.5%) for 384 yards, one touchdown, one interception, three carries for 32 yards, and one rushing touchdown.
Running back Stevie Scott III had 18 carries for 133 yards, one rushing touchdown, and three catches for 29 yards. Wide receiver Tyson Philpot made 10 catches for 135 yards and one touchdown, while Austin Mack made three catches for 98 yards. The defense made 31 tackles, two sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
Winnipeg’s offense had 330 yards (306 yards passing, 43 yards rushing, 19 yards lost), 16 first downs, 2 for 3 in the red zone, and the team was penalized five times for 84 yards. Quarterback Zach Collaros completed 19 of 26 passes (73%) for 306 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and two carries for three yards.
Running back Brady Oliveira had eight carries for 38 yards. Wide receiver Keric Wheatfall made five catches for 104 yards, while Ontaria Wilson made three catches for 66 yards and one touchdown. The defense made 44 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
The Montreal Alouettes will play the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Final next Saturday at 3 pm on CTV, TSN, and CFL+.
