Alexander, Alouettes roll past winless Redblacks 34-13

The Montreal Alouettes secured a decisive 34-13 victory over the winless Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night, reinforcing their position as the dominant team in the Eastern Conference of the Canadian Football League. The game took place at Ottawa's stadium, where the Redblacks fell to their worst start in franchise history with a 0-7 record after this loss. Davis Alexander led the Alouettes' offense with a standout performance, completing 22 of 30 passes for 420 yards and throwing three touchdowns. In contrast, Ottawa's Jake Maier completed 34 of 41 passes for 311 yards and one interception, though the Redblacks struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, converting just 1 of 5 times inside the red zone compared to Montreal's perfect 4-for-4 mark. From the outset, the Alouettes displayed their superiority, scoring on both of their initial possessions. Alexander connected with Cole Spieker on a six-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring, followed shortly thereafter by Travis Theis rushing in a three-yard touchdown on a four-play drive. Ottawa responded with a 13-yard field goal on its opening drive, but the momentum quickly shifted in favor of the visitors. Late in the first quarter, a Grade 2 roughing-the-passer penalty against Najee Murray gave Ottawa excellent field position, leading to a touchdown by Daniel Adeboboye on the opening play of the second quarter, trimming Montreal's lead to 14-10. The Alouettes regained control early in the second quarter when Alexander found Spieker again, this time for an 11-yard touchdown that stretched the lead to 21-10. However, a holding penalty on Montreal negated what could have been Alexander's third touchdown of the night, forcing the team to settle for a 35-yard field goal instead. By halftime, Ottawa had managed another field goal, bringing the score to 24-13 in favor of the Alouettes. In the third quarter, Montreal continued its offensive dominance, with Tyler Snead catching a pass and running it in for a 19-yard touchdown, increasing the lead to 31-13. The Alouettes capped off the scoring with a 42-yard field goal by Jose Maltos Diaz in the fourth quarter, sealing their comprehensive victory. The Redblacks attempted to mount a comeback in the second half, including a risky third-and-three gamble that brought them to Montreal's two-yard line. However, Maier faced pressure and was sacked, losing three yards on the play. On the subsequent possession, Ottawa again went for it on third-and-five, but Maier's pass was intercepted by Joshua Archibald, halting any potential rally. Following this loss, the Redblacks will travel to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday, August 7, while the Alouettes will host the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, August 8. With this win, the Alouettes remain undefeated in the East, continuing their campaign as the league's top team.