By Canadian Press

Alexander, Alouettes stage late comeback for 26-25 win over Argonauts

Jul 17, 2025 | 8:59 PM

MONTREAL — Davis Alexander ran for a 10-yard touchdown with 1:46 remaining as the Montreal Alouettes rallied for a 26-25 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Thursday.

The Alouettes quarterback improved to 8-0 as a starter, matching Danny McManus’s CFL record of eight straight victories to begin a career.

Alexander initially showed rust with a costly interception in his return from missing two games with a hamstring injury, but bounced back for 303 passing yards, one passing touchdown and his game-winning score for Montreal (4-2), which had lost two in a row without him.

The Alouettes trailed 25-7 before they started a comeback late in the third quarter.

Cole Spieker and Sean Thomas-Erlington also scored touchdowns, while Jose Maltos kicked two field goals and Joseph Zema added a single before 19,354 at Molson Stadium after a rainy day in Montreal.

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Nick Arbuckle threw two touchdown passes and one interception, going for 242 yards in his sixth consecutive start for defending champion Toronto (1-5) while 2023 outstanding player Chad Kelly remained injured.

Damonte Coxie, Deonta McMahon and David Ungerer III scored touchdowns for Toronto. Lirim Hajrullahu kicked a 45-yard field goal while John Haggerty added a single.

The Alouettes claimed the season series after winning 28-10 over the Argos on June 6. The East Division rivals meet for one more regular-season matchup Sept. 19 at BMO Field.

Toronto took a 25-7 lead six minutes into the third quarter when Arbuckle found Ungerer alone with a 14-yard end-zone pass, capping a 76-yard drive.

Late in the quarter, the Alouettes responded with their first touchdown off a gutsy play on third down as Spieker hauled down Alexander’s 10-yard pass for a score, cutting Toronto’s advantage to 25-14.

Spieker then caught the ball and ran for a 38-yard gain in the fourth quarter before Thomas-Erlington rushed three yards into the end zone to make it 25-20. Montreal missed the two-point conversion.

Then came a number of momentum swings.

On Montreal’s next possession, Alexander fooled the Argos defence with some play action and found Spieker for a 47-yard reception. Spieker, however, fumbled the ball just before crossing into the end zone.

Arbuckle then fumbled the ball at the Toronto 21 after a sack from Lwal Uguak, leading to a 10-yard TD rush from Alexander, who injured himself on the play.

The Alouettes took a 26-25 lead with 1:46 remaining after another missed two-point conversion, but Kabion Ento sealed the win with an interception.

The first half featured a slow opening 20 minutes for both offences, but Toronto finally broke into the end zone twice in a short span in the second quarter.

Arbuckle hit Coxie on a five-yard TD strike with 5:16 remaining in the first half, capping a 10-play, 70-yard drive in which the quarterback completed passes to four different receivers.

On the ensuing drive, Toronto defensive back Tarvarus McFadden picked off Alexander and returned the ball 38 yards to the Montreal 15, setting up McMahon’s two-yard run for a score as the Argos took a commanding 18-4 lead with 2:46 left.

A second Maltos field goal cut it to 18-7 before halftime.

Neither side reached the red zone in the first quarter. The Alouettes — who didn’t run the ball until 2:40 remained in the second quarter — totalled only 142 yards in net offence in the opening half.

Their best chance at a touchdown came four minutes into the second quarter when Alexander tried to create some magic with a deep ball to Austin Mack, but McFadden broke up the pass.

NOTES: Alouettes receiver Tyson Philpot was a late scratch due to a knee injury. Daniel Oladejo took his place in the lineup. … Montreal signed veteran defensive lineman Shawn Lemon to a contract through the rest of the season before kickoff. The CFL reinstated Lemon from a gambling suspension Wednesday. The 36-year-old still needed to serve a two-game suspension after testing positive for a banned appetite suppressant.

UP NEXT

Alouettes: Visit the Calgary Stampeders next Thursday.

Argos: Host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 26.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press