Alouettes take down Bombers in Eastern Semi-Final

There are many parallels that can be drawn between the Montreal Alouettes’ 2025 season and their 42-33 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Eastern Division Semi-Final.
Just like the start to the season, the Als came out guns blazing on Saturday afternoon at Percival Molson Stadium. They held a 17-0 lead before the end of the first quarter, and they were up 25-3 at one point in the opening half.
But just like they hit the skids in the middle of their 2025 campaign, the Als struggled in the middle of the game. They carried a 25-6 advantage coming out of half-time, but the Blue Bombers managed to take a 27-25 lead before the third quarter was seven minutes old.
Despite turning the ball over twice during that stretch, the Alouettes found a way to get themselves back on the rails to finish strong, just like the last few weeks of the season.
Do you see what I mean? There’s no doubt that the Eastern Semi-Final mirrored their season, and it all worked out in the end.
Here’s what stood out on Saturday:

The turning point:
There were many key plays that allowed the Alouettes to clinch a victory on Saturday, but when momentum was completely on Winnipeg’s side, there was one play that seemed to get the Als on track.
With just over seven minutes to go in the third quarter and the Als trailing by two points, quarterback Davis Alexander aired the ball out to Austin Mack for a huge gain. It was an impressive grab because Mack had to make a last-second adjustment to the ball before making the grab. On the very next play, running back Stevie Scott III punched the ball into the end zone to restore the Alouettes’ lead.
“I probably made the wrong read on the play because number 0 was up top,” Alexander admitted after the game. “He was fading inside, and Mack did a great job of running to open space. I threw him outside and he makes a heck of a catch.”
Mack was one of three Alouettes receivers to collect 95 yards or more in Saturday’s contest. The Ohio State product had three receptions for 98 yards, while Tyson Philpot had 10 receptions for 135 yards, one receiving touchdown and one rushing major. Charleston Rambo finished the game with five grabs for 95 yards.

The Stevie Scott Train:
Coming into this game, a lot was made of the Bombers’ rushing attack which is led by Brady Oliveira. There was no doubt that in order to win, the Als had to slow the Canadian tailback. But it wasn’t the Winnipeg running back that stole the show on Saturday, it was Montreal’s back that made headlines after the game.
In his first playoff start, Scott III ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. He added three receptions for 29 yards.
Scott III consistently gained five yards or more on first down, which allowed the Alouettes offence to find themselves on second-and-medium throughout the night. That made life easier for the rest of the group.
“Shoutout to my offensive line because without them, none of this would’ve been possible,” he said after the game. “They created holes and making seams for me…Even if Winnipeg knew we were going to run the ball, they still have to stop us.”
The former Indiana Hoosier did well to show his offensive line respect because they literally pushed him forward on Saturday night.
After the defence forced a turnover in the fourth quarter, Scott III got the ball in the red zone when he appeared to be stopped in his tracks. But centre Justin Lawrence and right guard Donny Ventrelli continued pushing Scott III towards the Winnipeg end zone. That’s how he scored his second touchdown of the night. It was a remarkable scene, and it gave the Als a nine-point advantage with under 10 minutes remaining.
“That play right there hopefully shows the chemistry of our team,” Scott III added. “A lot of guys don’t really do those kinds of things. But the chemistry within this team and within ourselves and the belief and love that we have in one another is amazing. That play alone shows how much we care about each other.”

Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund sets the tone on defence:
Canadian defensive end Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund has been a perfect fit since being signed as a free agent before the 2024 season. In his first two years with the Alouettes, he’s been named the Most Outstanding Canadian in the East Division, and he showed his value to Noel Thorpe’s unit again against Winnipeg.
Adeyemi-Berglund finished the night with one quarterback sack, two forced fumbles (both on Zach Collaros) and a fumble recovery.
Several players admitted after the game that Adeyemi-Berglund was one of a handful of players that delivered an emotional speech after the final team meeting on Friday.

Kori Roberson Jr. seizes his opportunity:
Rookie defensive tackle Kori Roberson Jr. wasn’t even sure if he’d be in the lineup at the start of last week, but he ended up starting at defensive tackle and playing a key role in his team’s victory.
With the Als holding a slim two-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Bombers offence was driving into Montreal territory when Roberson stripped Oliveira of the ball. Safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy recovered, and Scott III scored just a few plays later to make it a two-possession game again.
The 24-year-old from Houston, Texas played in seven games this year, but he hadn’t been in the lineup since Sep. 13. With the injury to Mustafa Johnson and the release of Shawn Oakman, a starting job was up for grabs, and his managed to make the most of it.
“If you’re in our building, you better be ready to play,” head coach Jason Maas said when asked about Roberson Jr. “We don’t have people just hanging around…because you don’t know when your opportunity is going to come. For (Roberson), it got called late last night. He was ready for the moment. I was in the weight room with him this week. He was squatting 405 pounds with Don Callis when everybody had left the building. It was 7:00 p.m. when I was there working out. You know it means something when a guy who hasn’t played in five or six weeks is doing that late in the season.”

What’s next?
For the fourth year in a row, the Alouettes will play in the Eastern Division Final. They’ll head to Hamilton to take on the Tiger-Cats next Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET. The winner of that game will take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders or the B.C. Lions in Winnipeg for the Grey Cup the following week.