2023-11-04 23:50:33
Match Summary
MONTREAL – To defeat the same opponent a fourth time this year, the Montreal Alouettes only had to rely on their formidable defense and they deserved their revenge once morest the Toronto Argonauts.
Thanks to this 27-12 victory once morest the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Alouettes will meet the Argonauts in Toronto next Saturday for the Eastern final.
During the preparation week, head coach Jason Maas admitted that we had to rely on our strengths when the two opponents know each other by heart.
As was the story of the year, defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe’s unit was dominant, conceding only crumbs to the Tiger-Cats. Led by Matthew Shiltz, the former Alouettes quarterback, Hamilton’s offense had to settle for four field goals and no touchdowns.
Darnell Sankey, Lwal Uguak, Mustafa Johnson and Shawn Lemon (two sacks) particularly shone for the Montreal defense (5 sacks) which was nourished by the 20,127 spectators. It was a festival of dropped passes in addition to handcuffing Tim White, the most productive receiver this season.
“It’s like a record that skips every week!” They play at a very high level every game. No one is selfish in this defense and they have confidence and experience. It’s a dangerous combination,” targeted Maas, proud of this unit.
Sankey’s interception, obtained thanks to Johnson who had deflected the pass, allowed the Alouettes to begin a sequence 30 yards from the end zone. From the next game, Cody Fajardo joined Austin Mack for the major, his first in six games.
“I might know the best game in the world, but if we lose, it doesn’t matter. If you want to win the Gray Cup, you have to make this type of play. They are a good team, but we knew we were a better team,” Sankey said.
In the third quarter, when it was the visitors’ turn to make an interception – on a telegraphed pass from Fajardo – the Alouettes’ defense stood up once more, limiting the damage to three points.
Holding a 17-12 lead early in the final quarter, the Alouettes were able to hold on. As a result, Montreal remains the only team in the CFL with a perfect record (9-0) by leading following three quarters.
Fajardo, who now has a 2-2 record in the playoffs, recovered nicely in the following sequence. He completed a few profitable passes including a touchdown to Jake Harty, only his second in his career, who benefited from a judicious block from Mack. In addition, Fajardo completed some liberating runs proving that he can still use his mobility when the playoffs arise.
“He’s tough to bring down and he looked like the quarterback when he started. People kind of forget that it can be good for running. In the playoffs, there is no tomorrow. I think we’ll see him play like this a little more and I think that should be the case. He might have executed some plays in a better way, but he was effective,” Maas said.
“Several people doubted me. It took a big weight off my shoulders. It’s certain that I mightn’t have achieved this without my teammates, but all the work, the effort, the sweat, it pays off in the end. I am also very happy to have rewarded our fans with a playoff victory,” said Fajardo.
A little personal aside for Fajardo, he played in front of his father for the first time since 2019. When things didn’t go to his liking, it did him good to look towards his father to feel his support.
The Alouettes might have won more if the ground attack had been more effective. William Stanback was unable to stand out with the run, but he had some help passing and recovered with a long run in the final quarter. A better performance in this aspect would help next week once morest the Argonauts.
Let us point out that kicker David Côté had a good outing (4 for 4) at an opportune time.
This means that the Alouettes have beaten Hamilton five times (including the preparatory game) in 2023.
So it was not very surprising that the Tiger-Cats lost their composure at the end of the match. Chris Edwards was the big culprit for this conclusion as we felt the animosity throughout the game. Jeshrun Antwi left the sidelines to help teammate Jake Harty.
“It’s a shame, it was an emotional game and they knew their season was over. But it’s not good for our league and I hate to see it. Fortunately, we were able to control our reaction. It’s a black eye all the same,” commented Maas, who hopes that Antwi will not be suspended.
“That was my worry, it would be a big loss if Antwi mightn’t play. When you care regarding your teammates and you see one being knocked to the ground or taking a punch, it takes a very strong person not to react. That explains why Antwi left the sidelines. We don’t want that, but I think our players did a good job in dealing with this unclear situation which might have degenerated,” continued Maas.
This tumultuous ending, at least, allowed the crowd to have more time to celebrate the final seconds.
“Maybe they’re bipolar or something, but they’ve done the same thing two years in a row. It’s not team spirit, not at all, it’s not right. And even his own teammates knew it. We have the victory so bye! », Reacted Kristian Matte.
“With the lights and everything…I always dreamed of singing na-na-na. I was in the stands and there on the field, I’m living my dream right now. It’s incredible, I’m making the most of it,” concluded Dequoy.
1699147472
#CFL #Hamilton #TigerCats #lose #Montreal #Alouettes #Eastern #semifinal
