We’ll go out on a limb and suggest Davis Alexander can’t walk on water. Neither can he travel faster than the speed of light. But that’s about it.
The Alouettes’ 25-year-old quarterback continues to defy the odds and win games. Montreal’s third-string pivot less than a month ago, Alexander has displayed remarkable composure that belies his lack of experience. No obstacle or hurdle appears too onerous for him to overcome.
With only one practice this week after he returned to Arizona to be by the bedside of his ailing father, Matt, who is battling stage 4 lung cancer, Alexander propelled the Alouettes to an electrifying and heart-stopping comeback 27-24 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night before 28,123 hostile Mosaic Stadium spectators.
The game, pitting the respective division leaders, might have been the most exciting played this season in the CFL.
With 2:26 remaining in regulation time and Montreal trailing 24-21, Alexander directed a remarkable nine-play, 91-yard drive that had a bit of everything, including a 34-yard pass to Cole Spieker, a pass interference call against Riders cornerback Marcus Sayles and what was originally ruled a Saskatchewan interception by C.J. Reavis that was overturned by the league’s Toronto-based command centre, which determined the pass to Charleston Rambo was incomplete.
One play later, Alexander eluded the rush and scored on a 15-yard run at 14:30, not only straddling the right sideline, but making three potential tacklers miss, including Riders linebacker Adam Auclair, who should have made the play had he attacked at a better angle.
“I knew I was right near the sideline,” Alexander said in a post-game, on-field television interview from Regina. “All I was thinking was stay strong and don’t let the friggin’ foot touch. I didn’t even see the ruling on the field. I kind of started celebrating. I kind of didn’t. But if felt good to quiet this place down a little.
“Sometimes people forget that I can move a little bit,” Alexander told the media in the dressing room. “By the grace of God and by some light cleats, we were able to get into the end zone.”
Alexander is too hard on himself. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 285 yards, including a five-yard touchdown pass to tailback Walter Fletcher in the second quarter that capped a five-play, 70-yard drive. Alexander also had four carries for 33 yards, but the Alouettes only produced two offensive touchdowns against a stout Saskatchewan defence. He also was under frequent pressure behind an offensive line that must do better, and was sacked four times.
Following the Alexander score, Jose Maltos hit the upright with his convert attempt, meaning the Riders only required a field goal to send the game to overtime.
Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris moved his team from its own 35 to the Montreal 39, aided by a facemask penalty against cornerback Nafees Lyon. But on the final play of regulation time, Brett Lauther was wide left on his 48-yard field goal attempt.
While Lauther kicked three field goals, he incredibly missed four attempts, including two from inside the 40. A 38-yard try early in the fourth quarter was returned 128 yards for a touchdown by James Letcher Jr., providing Montreal with a 20-17 lead. The four failed attempts, combined with the Letcher touchdown, resulted in a potential 19-point swing.
“I’m at a loss for words as you can see,” Letcher said after the game. “I just have a lot of trust in my teammates and I know they have a lot of trust in me. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been super close all season to getting a touchdown, but I’ve been getting tackled by the last guy. I just stayed steadfast and ran to the end zone.”
Letcher’s return was one-yard shy of the team record set by Trent Guy against Toronto in September 2012.
Harris, the former Alouettes starter, was making his return after missing six games with a sprained left medial collateral ligament. And he did his best to rally his team, completing 31 of 39 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns. But the 36-year-old veteran has been plagued by injuries since signing with Saskatchewan as a free agent last season, limited to five games in 2023.
The Alouettes won their eighth consecutive game on the road, dating back to last season, eclipsing a team record that had stood since 2002-03. Montreal improved to a CFL-leading 9-1 and has lost only once in its last 18 games, including playoffs and the Grey Cup. The Als’ best start to a season was in 2004, when they went 12-1. Montreal also swept the two-game season series against Saskatchewan for the first time since 2016.
After starting the season 4-0, the Riders now are 5-4-1, including 0-3-1 in their last four. With 22 first downs, 433 yards’ net offence and after running 58 plays, Saskatchewan deserved a better fate. And its offence was on the field for more than 34 minutes.
While Montreal veteran quarterback Cody Fajardo has recovered from his hamstring injury and dressed for the first time since July 11, he never got on the field. Head coach Jason Maas has made it clear Fajardo won’t lose his job to injury. But, given Alexander’s success and moxie, when will Maas be willing to make that switch? Alexander is 3-0 as Montreal’s starter and 4-0 overall.