Davis Alexander surpassed 5,000 passing yards for the season as the Montreal Alouettes dominated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 44-24 in the CFL’s Thanksgiving Day Classic on Monday. Achieving this milestone, Alexander joined Anthony Calvillo as one of the only quarterbacks in Alouettes history to reach the 5,000-yard mark.
The 27-year-old quarterback from Gig Harbor, Washington, showcased an impressive performance, throwing for five touchdowns and 403 passing yards on 26-of-33 completions, with just one interception. Additionally, he rushed for 40 yards on three carries. The Alouettes (13-3) ended the regular season undefeated at home for the third time. Jerreth Sterns contributed significantly with eight receptions for 124 yards, while Charleston Rambo and Tyler Snead each scored two touchdown catches in front of a full crowd of 23,035 at Molson Stadium.
Having secured first place in the East Division last week, Montreal will host the Eastern final on November 7. On the other side, Saskatchewan quarterback Travis Harris also reached the 5,000-yard milestone for the second time in his career. However, the Roughriders (8-8) suffered their fourth consecutive loss amid a tight playoff race in the West Division.
With two weeks left in the regular season, Saskatchewan is tied for third place with Winnipeg (8-8) and Calgary (8-9) at 16 points. Although both the Blue Bombers and Stampeders hold the season-series tiebreaker over the Riders, the CFL’s crossover rule ensures that four West teams will make the playoffs.
Harris completed the game with two touchdowns, 243 passing yards on 23-for-33 attempts, and one interception in the rematch of last year’s Grey Cup game. Kian Schaffer-Baker caught two touchdowns for the Roughriders. Notably, Roughriders kicker Brett Lauther, in his first game after returning from Ottawa, converted all three field goals, including a 51-yard effort, while Montreal’s Jose Maltos Diaz also went 3-for-3.
After an intense first half, Montreal surged ahead with two significant touchdown receptions early in the third quarter. Tyson Philpot, the CFL’s leading receiver in yards, made a remarkable catch to give the Alouettes a 24-16 lead, followed by a 51-yard touchdown pass from Alexander to Rambo, extending their lead to 31-16.
In the fourth quarter, Alexander connected with Snead for another touchdown, and Montreal’s defense stepped up with an interception by Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, setting up a field goal. Despite a late touchdown by Schaffer-Baker for the Roughriders, the Alouettes sealed the win.
The game opened with a dynamic 30-yard run by Alexander, setting the tone for an action-packed match. Despite a Roughriders interception leading to a field goal, Montreal responded with a touchdown, with Snead reaching 1,400 receiving yards for the season. The back-and-forth scoring saw Schaffer-Baker and Rambo adding to the tally for their respective teams.
The Alouettes and Roughriders are set to face off again at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium on Saturday in what promises to be another thrilling encounter.
