By Canadian Press

Artis-Payne has game-clinching late touchdown as Alouettes top Redblacks 17-13

Oct 11, 2021 | 2:41 PM

MONTREAL — A late touchdown by running back Cameron Artis-Payne gave the Alouettes a 17-13 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Monday for Montreal’s first home win of the season.

Montreal’s Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 157 yards, adding one touchdown before an injury in the fourth quarter took him out of the game.

Filling in for CFL rushing leader William Stanback, Artis-Payne rushed for 122 yards for the Alouettes (4-4), adding the game-winning touchdown.

Ottawa quarterback Caleb Evans failed to throw a touchdown pass, racking up 125 passing yards and one interception.

Lewis Ward was the only Redblack (2-7) to score, kicking four field goals.

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Needing a successful late fourth quarter drive, Adams Jr. left the game hurt after getting tackled on a rush.

Matthew Shiltz took over at quarterback and helped Montreal to its game-clinching drive capped by a seven-yard rush from Artis-Payne with 42 seconds left to play.

Shiltz completed all three of his pass attempts in the drive for 36 yards.

The Alouettes entered the game with a bang. Almondo Sewell and Davis recorded two sacks on the two first plays of the game and forced a three-and-out. Montreal followed with their first touchdown, a five-yard pass from Adams Jr. to Jake Weinieke for his league-leading seventh touchdown.

Following a difficult first quarter where Evans was sacked three times, the Redblacks responded with a field goal from Ward in the first play of the second quarter.

Ottawa added two more points by keeping the Montreal offence in their own zone, forcing punter Joseph Zema to concede a safety and bring the score to 7-5.

With 57 seconds to go in the first half, Ward kicked a second field goal, his 20th of the season, to give the Redblacks an 8-7 lead by halftime.

Montreal regained their two-point lead in the third quarter with a field goal from David Cote. His 45-yard attempt brought the score to 10-8.

Cote then kicked his 20th field goal of the season to give the Alouettes a five-point lead.

Ward kicked his third field goal of the afternoon, bringing the deficit back to two points and added a fourth in the final quarter for a short-lived 14-13 Redblacks lead.

Before their final game-winning drive, Montreal conceded another safety with 3:33 to go in the game following two consecutive sacks by Ottawa, their fifth and sixth of the game respectively.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2021.

Tristan D’Amours, The Canadian Press