Minus most starters, Ottawa Redblacks fall to Montreal Alouettes in CFL pre-season finale
For much of the Ottawa Redblacks' pre-season finale at TD Place, it looked like the highlight of the night would stand as the lightning storm — which included high winds and toonie-sized hail pellets — that delayed the start of the game by almost an hour.
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The excitement meter spiked a couple of times, but all in all, followers of the CFL in Ottawa have to be happy the regular season kicks off with the Redblacks' visit to Saskatchewan on Thursday for a game against the Roughriders.
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The Redblacks sat most starters to take a look at players on the bubble, and the results were predictable in a sloppy 24-16 loss to the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.
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Former Redblacks quarterback Caleb Evans had an easy time moving the ball against his old team in one quarter's work, completing eight of 11 pass attempts for 111 yards, and running for a touchdown.
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Montreal's 17-7 halftime lead included a scoreless second quarter.
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Ottawa's most prolific offensive player was Tyrie Adams, who is trying to win a backup job behind starting quarterback Dru Brown.
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Adams scored on a nine-yard run with just under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter to pull the Redblacks within eight points.
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Adams orchestrated a last-minute drive that stalled on the Montreal 45.
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The Redblacks created some excitement in the third quarter when Dustin Crum directed a drive that included a 38-yard pass to running back Elijah Collins, who also distinguished himself on the night.
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But the Redblacks drew the ire of the fans when, on a third and goal from the three, they elected to settle for a 10-yard field goal that pulled Ottawa to within one score.
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With Brown not dressed, Matt Shiltz started the game and played one quarter, completing two of two passes for 32 yards — including a 31-yarder to Andre Miller.
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Crum completed eight of 13 pass attempts for 96 yards.
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Former Toronto Argonaut Daniel Adeboboye was effective as the starting running back, carrying the ball four times for 24 yards.
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Returning American linebacker Frankie Griffin was a demon on Redblacks' special teams with three first-half tackles.
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American receiver Ayir Asante didn't do his chances of making the team any favours when he fumbled the Alouettes' first punt of the game, giving the visitors the ball on the Ottawa 34-yard line.
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Ending the touchdown drive with a key pass knockdown was defensive lineman Daniel Okpoko, a Redblacks second-round pick year, but Montreal did manage a 24-yard field goal from Joshua Hutley off the Asante gaffe.
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