By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com

Montreal – It all seemed so normal the past four weeks in Montreal.

The usual summer warmth that Montrealers are used to finally arrived, the Jazz Festival was up and running, and of course, the Alouettes were winning.

After running out of the gate with two straight victories compliments of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Alouettes (2-1-0) found themselves atop the East Division with the title of the CFL’s No.1 Offence.

The questions regarding the Als’ overall well-being that not too long ago haunted the team were gone, and the players walked with a swagger as if losing was no longer an option.

Enter the Calgary Stampeders.

In one of the most exciting games of the year so far, that very No.1 offence encountered a speed bump, struggling in the second half in a 23-19 loss to Calgary.

This week, quarterback Anthony Calvillo will look to rebound in Regina, where he and his Alouettes will meet the undefeated, reigning Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-0-0) at Mosaic Stadium.

If this game proves to be as surprising as both teams’ seasons thus far, then expect the unexpected.

Both are currently leaving their mark as the surprise teams of the 2008 CFL campaign, and although it’s still early, both are showing few signs of slowing down.

Following an uncharacteristic 8-10-0 season last year, the Alouettes shocked the league when they jumped out to a 2-0 start. With new head coach Marc Trestman’s impressive offensive scheme in place, they have resembled the powerhouse they once were.

The Roughriders are no different.

Coming off their third Grey Cup in franchise history, the Roughriders seemed lost in the off-season.

After losing head coach Kent Austin to Ole Miss and trading league MVP Kerry Joseph to Toronto over the winter, fans and media alike were skeptical.

However, after also jumping out to two convincing victories and escaping Hamilton with a controversial win against the Tiger-Cats on Saturday, the Roughies find themselves at 3-0-0, leading the West Division.

The Als will look to get back on track against the Roughriders after having failed to record a victory against Saskatchewan since October 2006, dropping three straight in the process.

Historically, however, the Als have performed very well in Saskatchewan, having won nine of 12 games at Mosaic Stadium since 1996.

The Alouettes and Roughriders meet at Mosaic Stadium in Regina at 7 p.m. (RDS, TSN, CKAC SPORTS, CJAD 800, 98,5 FM and CHOM)