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CTV News
20 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Alexander, defence lead Alouettes past Argonauts 28-10 to open CFL season
Davis Alexander is off to a winning start as the face of the Montreal Alouettes. Davis Alexander is off to a winning start as the face of the Montreal Alouettes. Alexander threw for one touchdown and 205 yards in a steady outing as Montreal defeated the Toronto Argonauts 28-10 to open its CFL season Friday. 'That's the start of the DA era right now,' receiver Tyson Philpot said. The Alouettes chose a younger Alexander over 2023 Grey Cup MVP Cody Fajardo in a bold move this past off-season. Alexander began last year as a third-stringer but led the Alouettes to five wins — including four as a starter — while Fajardo missed time. Now Fajardo is in Edmonton, and Alexander is still winning. The 26-year-old quarterback, who also threw an interception, completed 19 of 26 passing attempts and totalled 50 yards on four rushes to improve to 5-0 as a starter in the CFL. 'There's no pressure on this,' he said. 'We got the best defence in the league. I got playmakers all around me. Offensive line was amazing. Our run game was amazing. There's no pressure.' Montreal earned its revenge after the visiting Argonauts defeated the Alouettes 30-28 in last year's East Division final en route to their 19th Grey Cup title. Philpot caught one touchdown pass, Issac Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble into the end zone, and Caleb Evans rushed for a major on a warm, hazy night as prairie wildfire smoke drifted into Quebec. The Alouettes' defence held the Argos to just 34 rushing yards, and Alexandre Gagné tied a CFL single-game record with seven special teams tackles before 21,480 at Molson Stadium. 'We talked about setting the tone in all three phases tonight,' Alouettes head coach Jason Maas said. 'I love the way our defence played all night, physical, and they do what they do. 'Gagne had seven special teams tackles, so any time you got a guy doing that, you know you're doing some really good things.' Veteran QB Nick Arbuckle, last year's unexpected Grey Cup MVP, threw for one touchdown, two interceptions and 273 yards on 20-for-32 completions for Toronto (0-1). The Argonauts lineup featured 13 different starters compared to last year's championship game. 'It was a sloppy game, felt like a pre-season game,' Argos coach Ryan Dinwiddie said. 'We made some decent plays, did some decent things, but we didn't execute at a high level.' Toronto also kicked off a second consecutive season without starting QB Chad Kelly, who broke his tibia and fibula late in last year's East final. Montreal kicker Jose Maltos went 2-for-3 with a rouge. Toronto's Lirim Hajrullahu went 1-for-1 on a 45-yard field goal. Montreal took a 15-3 lead heading into halftime when Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble 17 yards into the end zone after Shawn Oakman laid out Arbuckle with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. The play stood after review — instead of being ruled an incomplete pass — despite the fact Arbuckle released the ball before Oakman's hit. The league ruled that Arbuckle did not have a throwing motion before the ball left his hands. 'I don't know how that wasn't an incomplete pass,' Dinwiddie said. Things only got worse for the Argos as James Letcher Jr. returned a kickoff 67 yards to open the second half. Alexander then ran 12 yards and completed three passes to set up Evans' one-yard QB sneak into the end zone as the Alouettes took a 22-3 lead 4:29 into the third quarter. The Alouettes' starter appeared to injure himself when a Toronto defensive lineman fell on his legs. He rolled around on the field, holding his left knee in pain, but ultimately stood up on his own and returned to play on the next drive. 'He did some really good things throwing the ball down the field,' Maas said of Alexander. 'Did a lot of great things with his legs, some toughness, getting a little bit of a knee issue … but getting back up and then leading us.' Toronto finally scored a touchdown with 10:47 remaining when D'Verick Daniels fought his way into the end zone after catching a pass for 11 yards to cut Montreal's lead to 22-10. The Alouettes went ahead 25-10 after Alexander led a drive to Toronto's 23, leading to a Maltos field goal from 31 yards out. Tyrice Beverette, a nominee for defensive player of the year last season, intercepted Arbuckle's throw with 2:33 left to all but seal the result. 'They're real aggressive, and that's their strength,' Argos receiver Damonte Coxie said. 'Those guys played some good ball today. Good thing it was early in the season, so it's a learning moment and we're going back to the drawing board.' UP NEXT Alouettes: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks next Friday. Argonauts: Host the Calgary Stampeders on June 14. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
National Post
a day ago
- Sport
- National Post
Argonauts fall flat against Alouettes in season opener
MONTREAL — Davis Alexander threw for one touchdown and 205 yards as the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Toronto Argonauts 28-10 to open their Canadian Football League season on Friday. Article content Montreal (1-0) earned its revenge after the visiting Argonauts defeated the Alouettes 30-28 in last year's East Division final en route to their 19th Grey Cup title. Article content Article content Alexander — in his first game since the Alouettes traded '23 Grey Cup MVP Cody Fajardo — rushed for 50 yards on four attempts to improve to 5-0 as a starter in the CFL. Article content The 26-year-old quarterback also threw one interception on a warm, hazy night as prairie wildfire smoke drifted into Quebec on Friday. Tyson Philpot caught one touchdown pass, Issac Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble into the end zone, and Caleb Evans rushed for a major before 21,480 at Molson Stadium. Article content The Alouettes' defence held the Argos to just 34 rushing yards, and Alexandre Gagne tied a CFL single-game record with seven special teams tackles. Article content Veteran QB Nick Arbuckle, last year's unexpected Grey Cup MVP, threw for one touchdown, two interceptions and 273 yards on 20-for-32 completions for Toronto (0-1). The Argonauts lineup featured 13 different starters compared to last year's championship game. Article content Toronto also started a second consecutive season without starting QB Chad Kelly, who broke his tibia and fibula late in last year's East final. Montreal kicker Jose Maltos went 2-for-3 with a rouge. Toronto's Lirim Hajrullahu went 1-for-1 on a 45-yard field goal. Article content Montreal took a 15-3 lead heading into halftime when Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble 17 yards into the end zone after Shawn Oakman laid out Arbuckle with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. Article content The play stood after review — instead of being ruled an incomplete pass — despite the fact Arbuckle released the ball before Oakman's hit. The league ruled that Arbuckle did not have a throwing motion before the ball left his hands. Article content Things only got worse for the Argos as James Letcher Jr. returned a kickoff 67 yards to open the second half. Article content Alexander then ran 12 yards and completed three passes to set up Evans' one-yard QB sneak into the end zone as the Alouettes took a 22-3 lead 4:29 into the half. Article content Derek Slywka intercepted Alexander's deep pass with five minutes remaining in the third quarter for his first pick in the CFL. Article content Alexander appeared to injure himself late in the third quarter when a Toronto defensive lineman fell on his legs. He rolled round on the field, holding his left knee in pain, but ultimately stood up on his own and returned to play on the next drive.
National Post
a day ago
- Sport
- National Post
Argonauts fall to Alouettes in season opener
MONTREAL — Davis Alexander threw for one touchdown and 205 yards as the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Toronto Argonauts 28-10 to open their Canadian Football League season on Friday. Article content Montreal (1-0) earned its revenge after the visiting Argonauts defeated the Alouettes 30-28 in last year's East Division final en route to their 19th Grey Cup title. Article content Article content Alexander — in his first game since the Alouettes traded '23 Grey Cup MVP Cody Fajardo — rushed for 50 yards on four attempts to improve to 5-0 as a starter in the CFL. Article content The 26-year-old quarterback also threw one interception on a warm, hazy night as prairie wildfire smoke drifted into Quebec on Friday. Article content Tyson Philpot caught one touchdown pass, Issac Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble into the end zone, and Caleb Evans rushed for a major before 21,480 at Molson Stadium. Article content The Alouettes' defence held the Argos to just 34 rushing yards, and Alexandre Gagne tied a CFL single-game record with seven special teams tackles. Article content Veteran QB Nick Arbuckle, last year's unexpected Grey Cup MVP, threw for one touchdown, two interceptions and 273 yards on 20-for-32 completions for Toronto (0-1). The Argonauts lineup featured 13 different starters compared to last year's championship game. Article content Toronto also started a second consecutive season without starting QB Chad Kelly, who broke his tibia and fibula late in last year's East final. Article content Montreal kicker Jose Maltos went 2-for-3 with a rouge. Toronto's Lirim Hajrullahu went 1-for-1 on a 45-yard field goal. Article content Article content Montreal took a 15-3 lead heading into halftime when Adeyemi-Berglund returned a fumble 17 yards into the end zone after Shawn Oakman laid out Arbuckle with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. Article content The play stood after review — instead of being ruled an incomplete pass — despite the fact Arbuckle released the ball before Oakman's hit. The league ruled that Arbuckle did not have a throwing motion before the ball left his hands. Article content Things only got worse for the Argos as James Letcher Jr. returned a kickoff 67 yards to open the second half. Article content Alexander then ran 12 yards and completed three passes to set up Evans' one-yard QB sneak into the end zone as the Alouettes took a 22-3 lead 4:29 into the half. Article content Derek Slywka intercepted Alexander's deep pass with five minutes remaining in the third quarter for his first pick in the CFL. Article content Alexander appeared to injure himself late in the third quarter when a Toronto defensive lineman fell on his legs. He rolled round on the field, holding his left knee in pain, but ultimately stood up on his own and returned to play on the next drive.
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Inside the CFL: Is Alouettes QB Davis Alexander ready to be the guy?
There's an opening for a part-time waiter at Goldie's Sports Cafe in Scottsdale, Az. Article content The position was formerly held by Davis Alexander between December and April, when he was the Alouettes' third-string quarterback. The work was good. The tips were even better. A weekend double shift might result in an extra US$500 on top of his hourly wage. Article content Article content But now that Alexander is Montreal's starter and is paid accordingly — he's guaranteed a reported $258,000 this season and could earn as much as $336,000, including a $120,000 signing bonus — he might have figured he no longer needed the spare change. Article content Article content The money hasn't changed the 26-year-old native of Gig Harbor, Wash. He still drives a 2017 Kia Optima with 86,000 miles on the odometer because it runs perfectly fine. But so much more in his life has drastically changed. Article content Article content Last July 11, when quarterback Cody Fajardo sustained a hamstring injury, Alexander remained on the bench. Instead, Fajardo was replaced by Caleb Evans and the Als suffered their first loss of the season after five wins. Nonetheless, Evans remained the starter in Montreal's next game, against Saskatchewan. But with the Als trailing by 13 points at halftime, head coach Jason Maas finally turned to Alexander. Article content Montreal won that night along with the next three games Alexander started. The Als also beat Ottawa on Oct. 14 with Alexander behind centre, and management had seen enough. Alexander, a potential free agent, was signed to a three-year contract extension on Nov. 27, three weeks before Fajardo was traded to Edmonton for QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Article content Article content There are times Alexander must want to pinch himself to ensure he's not dreaming. Article content 'Cody Fajardo went from winning the Grey Cup, (suffering) a fluke hamstring injury and the organization decides to move on from him,' Alexander told The Gazette this week. 'Your life can change so fast. I'm thankful, blessed and I don't want it ever to be taken away from me. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. Article content 'I want to cherish it all and I'm thankful for it all,' he added. 'But there's more that I'm striving for than this milestone.'
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Inside the CFL: Is Alouettes QB Davis Alexander ready to be the guy?
By There's an opening for a part-time waiter at Goldie's Sports Cafe in Scottsdale, Az. The position was formerly held by Davis Alexander between December and April, when he was the Alouettes' third-string quarterback. The work was good. The tips were even better. A weekend double shift might result in an extra US$500 on top of his hourly wage. But now that Alexander is Montreal's starter and is paid accordingly — he's guaranteed a reported $258,000 this season and could earn as much as $336,000, including a $120,000 signing bonus — he might have figured he no longer needed the spare change. The money hasn't changed the 26-year-old native of Gig Harbor, Wash. He still drives a 2017 Kia Optima with 86,000 miles on the odometer because it runs perfectly fine. But so much more in his life has drastically changed. Last July 11, when quarterback Cody Fajardo sustained a hamstring injury, Alexander remained on the bench. Instead, Fajardo was replaced by Caleb Evans and the Als suffered their first loss of the season after five wins. Nonetheless, Evans remained the starter in Montreal's next game, against Saskatchewan. But with the Als trailing by 13 points at halftime, head coach Jason Maas finally turned to Alexander. Montreal won that night along with the next three games Alexander started. The Als also beat Ottawa on Oct. 14 with Alexander behind centre, and management had seen enough. Alexander, a potential free agent, was signed to a three-year contract extension on Nov. 27, three weeks before Fajardo was traded to Edmonton for QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson. There are times Alexander must want to pinch himself to ensure he's not dreaming. 'Cody Fajardo went from winning the Grey Cup, (suffering) a fluke hamstring injury and the organization decides to move on from him,' Alexander told The Gazette this week. 'Your life can change so fast. I'm thankful, blessed and I don't want it ever to be taken away from me. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. 'I want to cherish it all and I'm thankful for it all,' he added. 'But there's more that I'm striving for than this milestone.' As the Als prepare for Friday's regular-season opener against the Toronto Argonauts at Molson Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM) much remains to be discovered. But the burning question, and the one that ultimately will define Montreal's season, is simple: Is Alexander ready to be the guy? While Alexander is beginning his fourth season, his playing time has been limited. At 6-feet and 195 pounds, he's far from the CFL's biggest quarterback and probably doesn't possess the league's strongest arm. But there's something about him. He's a leader, competitor and winner. Alexander has moxie, even continuing to play last season while his father, Matt, lost his battle to lung cancer. Management believes in Alexander. So do his teammates. 'His leadership qualities ... and his confidence,' receiver Tyson Philpot said. 'That confidence bleeds onto us as a receiver group.' 'His competitive edge,' added receiver Austin Mack. 'He's been in this offence a few years. You're starting to see someone grow in this offence. The way he has taken command of everything, taken ownership of that role. You're seeing a guy with confidence. You can see it in his aura.' The backup quarterback is often the most popular player on a team because he plays sparingly and little is expected. Everything Alexander accomplished last season — he passed for 1,347 yards and six touchdowns while completing 69.5 per cent of his throws and was intercepted only twice — was gravy. He also gained 166 yards rushing on 24 carries with three touchdowns, but took some hellacious hits that might make Maas grow old before our eyes. Now, all that will be expected. Most quarterbacks — Alexander included — thrive under that pressure and are determined to meet those demands. 'I know this city is a huge sports town, and that's one thing I love,' Alexander said. 'They're going to let you hear it, whether you're playing good or bad. That's how I want it to be. Nothing's going to change about me. If we have to win a game 13-10, we win the game. That's the only thing that matters. 'There's different types of pressure situations. The pressure of being a starting quarterback week in and out is different than going to win a two-minute drive,' added Alexander, who did precisely that at Saskatchewan on Aug. 16. 'I'd like to think I'm built for it. I don't feel like I'll be fazed under pressure — but only time will tell, I guess.' Alexander has paid his dues, learning under Vernon Adams Jr., Trevor Harris and Fajardo. Alexander also can lean on Maas and offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo, both former CFL quarterbacks. If general manager Danny Maciocia has surrounded Alexander with a competent supporting cast on offence, he won't necessarily have to win games by himself. Meanwhile, Alexander has quickly discovered the perks that go with being the Als' starting pivot. He gets recognized more frequently. Restaurant meals occasionally are free or come with a discount — not that Alexander wants to be treated differently, he insisted. And next Saturday evening, Alexander has been invited to a Canadian Grand Prix event at a downtown hotel. He attended the same event a year ago — as Fajardo's plus-one.
