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Calvillo throws for 477 yards, 5 TDs to rally Montreal past Winnipeg 44-40

Sep 25, 2010 - 4:03 AM WINNIPEG (CP) - Anthony Calvillo threw for 477 yards and five touchdowns to rally the Montreal Alouettes to a 44-40 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday.

Two of Calvillo's TD passes were caught by Brian Bratton, including Bratton's second TD of 48 yards with 1:18 to go in the game.

Damon Duval booted a 19-yard field goal with 25 seconds left to seal the win.

The defending Grey Cup champion Alouettes moved their record to 9-3 in front of 26,154 fans at Canad Inns Stadium.

The Bombers fall to 3-9 with their sixth loss this season by seven or fewer points.

Calvillo completed 36-of-54 passes and had no interceptions. Bombers quarterback Steven Jyles was 18-of-31 for 328 yards with four TDs and one interception.

Winnipeg had a 33-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter when Bomber defensive end Odell Willis forced a critical turnover.

Willis hit Calvillo's arm when it was down at his side and the ball popped out. After the ball went off a Bombers' foot, linebacker Joe Lobendahn picked it up and ran three yards into the end zone to give Winnipeg the 40-31 lead at 2:19.

The play was reviewed because the ball went off defensive tackle Dorian Smith's foot, but the touchdown stood.

Duval booted a 27-yard field goal that was followed up by Bratton's score and then Duval's 19-yarder at 14:35.

Calvillo also threw TD passes to receivers Jamel Richardson, S.J. Green and Andrew Hawkins. Duval added a 14-yard field goal and missed on a 42-yard attempt.

Bomber rookie receiver Greg Carr scored a pair of TDs in his CFL debut.

Carr, a six-foot-six Florida State product who joined Winnipeg on Sept. 1, scored on TD catches of 71 and 74 yards in the second quarter. However, he injured his right leg and left the game late in the third quarter.

Bomber third-year receiver Aaron Hargreaves also scored his first career touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Jyles.

Terrence Edwards caught his ninth TD of the season, Justin Palardy booted a 40-yard field goal and Duval conceded a safety to round out Winnipeg's scoring.

Winnipeg had a 26-17 lead at halftime despite a slow start.

Montreal's first possession of the game featured four straight passes to team-leading receiver Kerry Watkins.

Watkins first caught a 19-yard pass from Calvillo that was ruled out of bounds, but overturned on a challenge.

His second catch was a 38-yarder, but then things went bad.

Watkins had a two-yard loss after being tackled by Bomber defensive back Deon Beasley and then a throw to him in the end zone bounced off his chest.

The Alouettes settled for Duval's 14-yard field goal.

Winnipeg's offence went two and out on their first possession and Montreal returned to the field for an eight-play, 76-yard drive capped by Richardson's 20-yard TD reception.

That drive also put the spotlight on Watkins, but for the wrong reason.

Bomber defensive back Clint Kent fell on Watkins and sent him to the sidelines with a suspected shoulder injury. He was later seen wearing a sling on his left arm.

Duval conceded a safety at 12:27 of the first quarter to put two points on Winnipeg's side of the scoreboard.

The Bombers used their next possession to score their first TD with Jyles' 39-yard pass to Edwards. The drive was aided by a 31-yard run from Fred Reid.

Carr opened the second quarter with his 74-yard TD catch just 17 seconds in to put Winnipeg up 16-10.

After Duval went wide on a 42-yard field-goal attempt, Bomber halfback Jovon Johnson ran the ball out until Duval hit him and the ball squirted out.

However, it flew into the hands of Winnipeg defensive tackle Don Oramasionwu and he got to his own 42-yard line. The drive finished with Palardy's 40-yard field goal.

The teams exchanged long touchdowns in the last two and a half minutes of the first half. Green scored on a 65-yard reception and Carr replied for Winnipeg with a 71-yarder.

Hargreaves stretched the Bomber lead to 33-24 with his 11-yard TD reception at 8:15 of the third quarter.

A questionable pass interference call on Johnson helped moved the sticks and Hawkins ended the drive with his first TD of the season that closed Winnipeg's lead 33-31.

Notes: Montreal slotback Ben Cahoon caught his 1,000 career pass in the fourth quarter. ... Bomber defensive end Phillip Hunt notched a quarterback sack to boost his league-leading total to 11. Montreal DE John Bowman also had a sack and is second with nine.