MONTREAL — Cody Fajardo was wanting to have a robust begin after the Montreal Alouettes waited three weeks to lift their Gray Cup banner.
The Gray Cup MVP and the Alouettes did that after which some on Thursday evening.
Fajardo threw three touchdowns and rushed for one more whereas Montreal dominated on defence, and the defending champions crushed the Ottawa Redblacks 47-21 earlier than a sellout crowd of 23,035 followers at Molson Stadium.
“Working out of the tunnel, seeing the group and seeing how packed it was, the electrical energy within the constructing, we needed to make an enormous play early,” Fajardo stated. “We went up 14 factors actual fast, proper? After which by no means actually appeared again.”
Moments after two fighter jets flew over the venue as part of a celebratory ceremony, Fajardo ran in a landing on the sport’s opening drive.
On the following possession, Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette picked off Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown on his first passing try and ran the ball to the Redblacks’ 10-yard line.
The interception led to a one-yard TD for backup QB Caleb Evans and a 14-point lead 5 minutes into the sport. By halftime, the Alouettes had compelled three turnovers and led by a jaw-dropping 30-1.
“We had a pair issues that did not go our manner early within the sport, and that form of shook us all through the sport,” Redblacks defensive again Adarius Pickett stated. “That was form of the story the sport, for actual.
“It was exhausting.”
Fajardo accomplished an environment friendly 28-of-35 passes for 393 yards as Montreal began the season 3-0 for the primary time since 2011 after street wins in Winnipeg and Edmonton.
A pair of Canadian receivers have been his most important targets. Kaion Julien-Grant had a game-high 139 receiving yards whereas Tyson Philpot added 127 yards and one landing.
Reggie White Jr. additionally caught two TDs and had 61 yards in his first sport in 619 days as a result of knee surgical procedure.
“We’re making an attempt to be the most effective receiving corps within the league,” Philpot stated. “I feel we made a press release tonight.”
On the opposite facet of the ball, the Alouettes smothered Brown.
Beverette led the defensive unit with a whole effort of 1 interception, one compelled fumble, one recovered fumble, one sack and 6 defensive tackles.
“They create turnovers and I will say this, they create alternatives,” Alouettes head coach Jason Maas stated of the defence. “Each single time — we have talked about as a staff, when the ball is in another person’s fingers, we count on that is a chance for us.”
“We hustled to the ball, and if you hustle to the ball and you’ve got unhealthy intentions if you’re getting there, good issues typically occur,” he added. “I am not shocked after we get turnovers. I am not shocked after we hit individuals exhausting, and issues occur nicely for us. That is how we play.”
Brown went 21-of-35 for 263 yards with one TD cross and one decide in his second begin for Ottawa (1-1), which beat Winnipeg 23-19 at residence final Thursday. DeVonte Dedmon accomplished a 101-yard kick return for a landing within the fourth quarter.
Montreal kicker David Cote was an ideal 4-for-4 on subject targets, together with a 41-yarder. Ottawa’s Lewis Ward went 2-for-3.
Brown’s solely accomplished cross of the primary quarter was tipped by Beverette earlier than a Jake Harty reception.
Beverette added to Brown’s nightmare early within the second, poking the ball from the QB’s fingers for a fumble recovered by Darnell Sankey.
The 29-year-old Beverette caught one other sufferer when he recovered a fumble by operating again Ryquell Armstead.
On the following play, Fajardo despatched a 51-yard landing cross to Philpot to offer the Alouettes a 27-1 lead with 7:40 remaining within the second quarter, highlighting a lopsided first half the place punter Richie Leone scored Ottawa’s solely level.
“They’re the most effective defence within the league, I do know that for positive dealing with them every single day,” Fajardo stated of his defensive unit. “That previous saying iron sharpens iron. That is precisely it. I am grateful we get to go towards them in a follow ambiance and never a real-life sport scenario.”
Brown accomplished a 25-yard TD cross to Jaelon Acklin at 11:23 of the third quarter.
Fajardo related with White for a 16-yard landing at 13:47 of the fourth quarter earlier than Dedmon returned Cote’s kickoff for a rating. White then hauled in his second TD of the sport on a 19-yard cross with 10:03 remaining within the sport.
“Clearly I gotta do a greater job of getting these guys prepared to come back out and begin sooner,” Ottawa head coach Bob Dyce stated. “It is powerful to win any sport when you have got three turnovers within the first half, and we did.”
UP NEXT
Alouettes: Go to the Toronto Argonauts on June 28.
Redblacks: Host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on June 30.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed June 20, 2024.