Alouettes reverse curse, running over B.C. for first B.C. Place win since 2000

The Montreal Alouettes broke an incredibly long-running slump Thursday, beating the B.C. Lions 23-13 to pick up their first win in B.C. Place since 2000 (they did win one game at the Lions' temporary home of Empire Field in 2010 while B.C. Place was under renovation), and they did it in an unconventional way. CFL offences are usually pass-first thanks to the constraints imposed by the three-down game, but Montreal was all about the ground game Thursday, picking up 251 rushing yards to 160 passing yards. It was an approach that worked out very well for the Alouettes, and one that may help them succeed down the road.

Montreal had three separate running backs pick up 50 or more rushing yards Thursday, with Tyrell Sutton collecting 111 on 14 carries (7.9 yards per carry), Stefan Logan adding 54 on five carries (10.8 YPC) and Brandon Rutley picking up 50 yards on 10 carries (5.0 YPC). The Alouettes also got some key contributions in the ground game from other players, with quarterback Tanner Marsh collecting 12 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries in run-focused packages, receivers Fred Stamps and Alex Charette adding 11 and eight yards respectively on a carry each, and quarterback Rakeem Cato picking up five yards of his own on one carry. The three-headed running back monster was key for Montreal, though, and it helped justify head coach Tom Higgins' oft-criticized decision to dress both Sutton and Rutley.

That ground game opened the way for the passing attack, and it helped that aerial attack be much more efficient. Cato only threw for 154 yards and one touchdown with one interception, but he completed 16 of 19 passes (84.2 per cent) on the night. That's much better than the (already-solid) 68 per cent rate he had averaged on the year, and it speaks to how important the rushing game can be for the Alouettes. Running backs were crucial in the passing game too, with Sutton catching four balls for 43 yards and Rutley catching two for 10 yards. For all of his impressive play this year, it's worth noting that Cato is still a CFL rookie, and one still acclimatizing both to the league and to his teammates in Montreal. The more support he can get from the ground game, the better.

This is far from an indication that everything's suddenly rosy for Montreal, of course. The Alouettes are only 3-5 on the year, and they're behind 5-2 Hamilton, 5-2 Toronto and 4-3 Ottawa in the East. Moreover, the Lions are only 3-5 as well, so it's not like Montreal beat the toughest opponent out there. There's a long road ahead for them still, and there's no certainty that they'll be able to make the playoffs or go deep in them. Still, they broke the curse Thursday, and they did so in a way that offers some hope for the future.