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News June 3, 2022

What a comeback!

The Als wrapped up their preseason schedule with a thrilling 27-26 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks at Percival Molson Stadium on Friday night.

Yes, these games don’t mean anything in the standings, but they were both pretty entertaining. There were two lead changes in the final minute of last week’s loss in Hamilton and there was a game-winning touchdown drive in this week’s clash, too.

Vernon Adams Jr. plays more than a quarter:

Vernon Adams Jr. got the start in this game. This was the first time he suited up since suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury against the Redblacks last October. Adams Jr.’s night got off to a great start, as he led the Als down the field on the opening drive before scoring on a quarterback sneak.

On the second drive, the Alouettes were able to extend their lead to 10-0 thanks to a David Cote field goal.

Things became a bit more difficult after that. The 29-year-old threw three interceptions before coming out of the game midway through the second quarter.

Adams Jr. finished the night 6-for-12 with one rushing touchdown, three interceptions and 12 yards rushing on three carries.

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Solid night for Jeshrun Antwi

Jeshrun Antwi got a second consecutive start in the preseason and the second-year tailback had a nice night. The Canadian ran the ball six times for 33 yards with a longest of 15 yards.

There’s no denying that William Stanback is going to be the starting running back when he’s healthy, but Antwi has shown that he can step in and do a solid job.

The 24-year-old put together a very solid training camp. Expect him to contribute on special teams while getting a handful of carries per game during the regular season.

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Marc-Antoine Dequoy starts at safety

Marc-Antoine Dequoy played safety in the second half during last week’s game in Hamilton, but he was with the starting defence tonight.

Dequoy made his presence felt early, as he separated a pair of Ottawa receivers from the football on the first two defensive drives.

It looks like the speedster has a legitimate shot of being the starting safety for the Alouettes in Calgary on opening day.

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Tyrell Richards + Brock Gowanlock

Tyrell Richards stepped into the middle linebacker position at the start of the third quarter and it didn’t take long for him to make a difference in the game.

While blitzing, Richards smoked Redblacks quarterback Tyrie Adams so hard, he knocked the ball out of his hands. Brock Gowanlock snagged the ball out of mid-air and rumbled up the field into Ottawa territory.

Speaking of Gowanlock, he finished the night with the tackles and three quarterback sacks, including one on Ottawa’s final drive with Montreal up by one point.

Nobody liked losing David Menard to the BC Lions in free agency last winter, but it looks like the Als have another quality Canadian defensive end that will be able to make the occasional play on defence.

Oh, by the way, Gowanlock was an eight-round pick (!!!) in the 2021 Draft.

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Davis Alexander did it again:

For the second week in a row (yes, it’s only preseason), rookie quarterback Davis Alexander led the Alouettes on a crucial touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to give them the lead.

Last week, the team couldn’t hang on to that late advantage, but they learned their lesson against the Redblacks on Friday night.

Alexander helped set up a Ryth-Jean Giraud go-ahead score by connecting on a bomb with receiver Fabian Guerra.

The 23-year-old finished the game 9-for-13 for 127 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.