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Alouettes put win streak on the line against dangerous Argonauts

Wed 11th, August 2010

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - The top two teams in the Eastern Division clash for the second time in the last three weeks as the Toronto Argonauts host the Montreal Alouettes at the Rogers Centre in Ontario Saturday night.

At the moment, the Als and Argos are also the only two teams in the division who are playing over .500, as Hamilton and Winnipeg struggle with identical 2-4 marks. Since losing the season opener to Saskatchewan in a wild double- overtime affair, the Als have settled down to take five straight decisions and are now tied with the Calgary Stampeders for the best record in the league overall.

Last week Montreal exacted revenge against the Roughriders as they slipped by with a 30-26 win at home, even though the offense sputtered in the second half and the hosts managed just six points after the break yet still came away with their 12th straight victory at home nonetheless.

Quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who was named the CFL Offensive Player of the Month for July, came out firing as he hit SJ Green for a 67-yard gain on the game's opening play from scrimmage. Calvillo finished the night 17-of-25 for 252 yards and a pair of TDs, but was also sacked three times and actually left the field near the end, giving Chris Leak a few snaps to handle.

Ben Cahoon came up with a couple of receptions for the Als, giving him a total of 971 for his career and that means he is now just one behind Darren Flutie for second place on the all-time CFL receptions list. Terry Vaughn, who once played for Montreal, is first on the charts with 1,006, a number that is certainly attainable as long as Cahoon and Calvillo stay healthy and on the field. Still, one concern has to be that Cahoon has 21 catches so far in 2010 and has yet to visit the end zone. Then again, the 13-year veteran had 89 receptions for 1,031 yards in 2009 and only scored twice then as well.

As for the Argos, they continue to chase Montreal in the standings and are doing so even though they are seventh in the most recent power rankings in the CFL. Last week Toronto needed a huge effort from running back Cory Boyd as the rookie celebrated his 25th birthday by scoring three touchdowns, including the game winner with under a minute to play in a 29-28 final versus Edmonton on the road.

Boyd, who was named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts, generated a game-high 164 yards on 25 rushing attempts, taking some of the heat off quarterback Cleo Lemon who had his best game yet as he converted 23- of-34 passing for 292 yards and a score in the close call.

Not only is Boyd first in the league in rushing with 648 yards, he is also first in terms of total yards from scrimmage with 718 through six games. The production from Boyd has not only made the Argos successful, it has aided Lemon, who is still learning the ropes in the CFL. Of all the quarterbacks slated to start this week, Lemon has the lowest efficiency rating at 77.3, basically because he has more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four) at the moment.

Someone who doesn't face the same problems as Lemon in the pocket is Calvillo, who is enjoying the top efficiency rating in the league this week at 110.2. As someone who is second on several all-time passing charts in the CFL, Calvillo is again carving up defenses with his 69.7 percent accuracy and his strong decision making which has resulted in just two interceptions on 218 attempts thus far in 2010. Calvillo has also shown an affinity for beating up on Toronto, having thrown for no less than 336 yards in five of the last six games in which he has attempted a pass versus the Argos. Perhaps even more telling are his 13 TDs and mere two picks in the last six meetings with the Argos.

Montreal thrashed the Argos in the first meeting of the season just two weeks ago, dominating at home in a 41-10 final. In that contest Avon Cobourne went wild for the Al with his 115 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and another 116 yards on eight catches. The quarterback comparison was rather embarrassing, as Calvillo threw for 394 yards and two TDs, while Lemon accounted for just 143 yards and was sacked three times.

The Als have now won seven in a row over Toronto and maintain a healthy 102-80-3 mark in the all-time series during the regular season, dating back to 1946.