RedBlacks hoping to play spoiler in clash with Alouettes

Oct 22, 2014 - 3:51 PM Ottawa, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - The Ottawa RedBlacks have just three games remaining in what has been a very difficult season, but that doesn't mean the expansion team won't put up a fight when it entertains the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night at TD Place.

The RedBlacks have been beaten black and blue in 2014, winning just two games in 15 chances. Since defeating Winnipeg back on Oct. 3 by a score of 42-20, the squad has dropped two outings, the latest of those being a 16-6 final versus Hamilton on the road last Friday.

Ottawa, which has been limited to single-digit scoring in three of the last four games and a total of six times overall this season, was held to a mere 201 yards of total offense by Hamilton. The visitors continued to hurt themselves though, as they committed 15 penalties for a loss of 100 yards while quarterback Henry Burris fought to give his new team a chance at competing.

Burris converted 14 of his 27 pass attempts for 160 yards and was sacked four times, as the RedBlacks struggled to get anywhere near the goal line. The only points of the contest for Ottawa, the lowest-scoring team in the league entering play this week with a meager 15.4 ppg, came courtesy of special teams on both sides as kicker Brett Maher logged a field goal and a single, while Hamilton's Justin Medlock conceded in the end zone.

While the RedBlacks continued to find points rather scarce, Montreal was showing signs of life at just the right time. The Als had won only once during the first eight games of the season, but have come on to secure four straight victories and six wins in the last seven decisions, thanks to a 20-12 final against Toronto at Rogers Centre last weekend.

Montreal, which is currently tied with Hamilton for the top spot in the East Division at 7-8, again followed the lead set by quarterback Jonathan Crompton who hit on 19-of-28 passes for 219 yards and a major. S.J. Green caught six passes for 91 yards and that one TD through the air, while backup signal caller Tanner Marsh accounted for the other TD for the Als as they worked their way through an unsightly 18 penalties for a loss of 165 yards.

Kicker Sean Whyte added a pair of field goals and a total of eight points for the resurgent Alouettes on their run to the top of the standings.

Defensively, the Als held opposing quarterback Ricky Ray to just 202 yards through the air and kept him out of the end zone. It also helped matters that the Argonauts shot themselves in the foot over and over again with 13 of their own penalties (133 yards).

With their latest efforts, the Als now find themselves in the middle of the pack when it comes to scoring defense, allowing 22.3 ppg. The RedBlacks are not far off that pace, giving up 25.7 ppg, but the bigger difference is how poor the Ottawa offense has performed.

Ottawa has run the fewest plays from scrimmage (1,095) and is last in the time of possession on the average (24:32). However, it is Montreal that is last in the league in yards per game on offense (285.6) and the only team averaging less than 7.2 yards per gain by way of the pass, producing a mere 6.5 yards per completion on the average.

The issue for the Alouettes this season has been trying to find a suitable replacement for the retired Anthony Calvillo, something that might well never happen. The team has used several quarterbacks in an effort to fill those mighty shoes, even inserting former Ohio State Buckeye and Heisman Trophy winner, Troy Smith, but just last week he was released by Montreal.

Montreal gunslingers have the lowest completion percentage (.541) in the league and have just as many INTs (13) as TDs, which is why the Als are showing a team efficiency rating of only 71.8, which surprisingly is lower than Ottawa (81.2), a team which has thrown the fewest TDs (11) in the CFL.

Not surprisingly though, Montreal won both previous meetings between these teams in 2014, first taking out the RedBlacks in Week 10 action at home by a score of 20-10, and then picking up a 15-7 victory in Ottawa in late September.

The only points scored by the RedBlacks in the latest meeting came on a 23- yard TD run by Jonathan Williams, while Burris converted all but seven of his 32 pass attempts for 253 yards. On a positive note, the hosts actually held the Montreal offense out of the end zone, allowing only a fumble return for a TD by the Montreal defense in the second quarter.

Crompton completed only 14-of-29 passes for 181 yards and tossed a pair of interceptions. The Als also suffered with 14 penalties for a loss of 139 yards.

In terms of an all-time series between teams from Montreal and Ottawa, the latter actually owns an 87-72-4 advantage in regular-season matchups dating back to 1946.