The Alouettes will look to snap their longest winless skid of the season (two games) on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa. This is the most important game of the season so far, as this is a battle between the top two teams in the East. After last week’s draw in Calgary, the Als now find themselves four points ahead of Ottawa for first place. A win wouldn’t clinch first place for the Alouettes, but it would give them a nice cushion atop the standings.
For Alouettes fans who want to experience the action live at TD Place, REDTAG is offering discounts on flights to Ottawa. Check out their offers here.
“There are high implications in this game, and we realize it,” head coach Jason Maas said.
“As the season progresses, the implications are bigger and bigger. That’s what makes them bigger games. Our guys are ready for it. We play with effort and heart all the time, but there’s a little bit more into this one. Our guys are going to be ready. All three phases, all 45 players will be ready to go.”
Please note that the game is set for 3:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game exclusively on CTV and RDS.
Lwal Uguak makes his season debut for #Alouettes & DB Lorenzo Burns, who was signed to the PR just a couple of weeks ago, will play his first CFL game.
Huge game in Ottawa tomorrow afternoon! Please note the 3pm start time! pic.twitter.com/NkMaRwnUPF
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) September 20, 2024
This is the second meeting between these two teams in 2024. The Als beat the Redblacks at Percival Molson Stadium 47-21 back on June 20th. These two squads will play one more time on Thanksgiving Day Monday in Montreal.
Success in The Nation’s Capital:
The Alouettes have been excellent at TD Place in Ottawa dating back a few years. This team has won eight straight games on the Redblacks’ home field. They haven’t dropped a game in Ottawa since Aug. 31, 2018.
Since taking over as head coach of the Alouettes, Maas has never lost a game to the Redblacks. The team won all four regular season matchups last year and the only head-to-head clash this season.
Getting off to a quick start will be important if the Alouettes want to extend this win streak over Ottawa. In the last two games, the Als have been down 10-0 after the first quarter. That’s something they’ll need to avoid at all costs.
Lwal Uguak returns to lineup:
In the CFL, you’re only as good as your Canadian content, and the Alouettes are getting a serious boost on that front for this game.
General manager Danny Maciocia was able to get defensive end Lwal Uguak to return this week.
The 24-year-old attended training camp with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers after signing with the team this past winter. His arrival comes at a perfect time, as the team has been without star defensive end Shawn Lemon (suspension).
Uguak finished his rookie CFL season with 16 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and three knocked down passes at the line of scrimmage. He isn’t just a pass-rusher. He’s a complete defensive end that can cause havoc at the line of scrimmage.
“I don’t think I’m just a pure pass-rusher,” Uguak said earlier this week. “I think there are many different aspects to my game. I think I’m balanced in a lot of areas. I think I can make plays when I need to. I can also use my size and length to my advantage to make a play. My game isn’t one dimensional.”
Starting safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy will miss a second consecutive game due to a head injury. Rookie Arthur Hamlin, who took his spot in the lineup last week in Calgary, will start again.
Dequoy, 30, has two interceptions, one forced fumble and 22 defensive tackles in 11 games this season.
Former Alouette to miss Saturday’s game
Former Alouette Adarius Pickett, who is now with Ottawa, won’t play in this game. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last week against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Weak-side linebacker Frankie Griffin is also expected to miss Saturday’s clash.
