SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 20, 2013
Alouettes 36, Tiger-Cats 5: Troy Smith threw three touchdown passes in the first half of his first CFL start as host Montreal dominated Hamilton.
Tyrell Sutton ran for 84 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for the Alouettes (7-9), who can tie the Tiger-Cats for second in the East Division when the teams meet again next week in Guelph. Smith was 17-of-35 for 247 yards, connecting with slotbacks S.J. Green twice and Arland Bruce once for touchdowns.
Henry Burris completed 11-of-23 passes for only 106 yards as Hamilton (8-8) recorded just 270 total yards of offence. Defensive lineman Brandon Boudreaux was one of the few Tiger-Cats who produced, registering one sack and forcing a fumble.
Smith and Green set the tone early, teaming up for a 64-yard touchdown 8:04 into the contest and a 2-yard score 3:41 later. Sutton broke through Hamilton’s defence with a series of pounding runs, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown 5:46 into the second quarter, and Smith found Bruce for a 26-yard score with 32 seconds remaining to build a 31-3 halftime lead.
Smith slowed down considerably in the second half, but the Alouettes' defence kept Hamilton from gaining any momentum. Cornerback Geoff Tisdale intercepted Burris 5:51 into the third quarter, while defensive end John Bowman and linebacker Chip Cox finished with two sacks apiece.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Montreal KR Bo Bowling had 118 return yards in his first game of 2013. … Montreal LB Kyries Hebert recorded his eighth sack of the year - and first since July - in the fourth quarter. Hebert was sidelined for an extended period with a knee injury. … Hamilton backup QB Dan LeFevour replaced Burris late in the third quarter, completing 10-of-16 passes for 98 yards.