Roughriders vs Alouettes: Montreal wins 38-16 on Thanksgiving
Key takeaways
- Montreal beat Saskatchewan 38-16 on Thanksgiving Monday at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. Davis Alexander threw five touchdown passes for the Alouettes.
- The win gave Montreal a perfect 9-0 record at home this season. The Alouettes had already clinched the East Division title before the game.
- Saskatchewan lost its fourth game in a row. The defending Grey Cup champions now sit at 8-8 after their Week 18 loss to Calgary started the slide.
The Montreal Alouettes beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-16 on Thanksgiving Monday. The game was played at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal. Davis Alexander threw five touchdown passes in the win.
Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October. The CFL is the Canadian Football League.
It is Canada's top pro football league. The league plays games on the holiday weekend every year.
What happened
Saskatchewan started fast. Kicker Brett Lauther hit a 43-yard field goal. That gave the Riders a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, according to theScore.
Montreal answered quickly. Alexander found Tyler Snead for a 9-yard touchdown pass.
The Alouettes took a 7-3 lead. But the Riders struck back late in the quarter.
Quarterback Trevor Harris hit Kian Schaffer-Baker for a 27-yard touchdown. Saskatchewan led 10-7 after the first quarter, according to theScore.
The second quarter belonged to Montreal. Alexander threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Charleston Rambo.
Lauther hit a 39-yard field goal for Saskatchewan. Then Montreal kicker Jose Maltos Diaz hit a 21-yard field goal.
The Alouettes led 17-13 at halftime, according to theScore.
Montreal broke the game open after the break. Lauther hit a 51-yard field goal for the Riders.
Then Alexander found Tyson Philpot for a 46-yard touchdown. Minutes later, Alexander hit Rambo again for a 51-yard score.
The Alouettes led 31-16 after three quarters, according to theScore.
Alexander added one more touchdown in the fourth. He hit Snead for a 5-yard score. That made it 38-16. The Riders scored no points in the final quarter, according to theScore.
The numbers show how Montreal took control. The Alouettes had 25 first downs to 15 for Saskatchewan.
Alexander threw for 403 yards. Montreal gained 493 total yards to 277 for the Riders, according to theScore.
Alexander entered the game 146 yards shy of 5,000 passing yards this season, according to CFL.ca. His 403 yards took him past that mark.
The returns and the misses
Saskatchewan got key players back for this game. Defensive back Tevaughn Campbell returned to the lineup.
He had been out since Week 9 with a forearm injury, according to 3DownNation. Campbell tied for the league lead with six interceptions in 2025, after returning to Canada from an NFL stint.
Lauther also made his return for the Riders. He was re-acquired at the trade deadline from Ottawa, according to 3DownNation.
He made 94.1 per cent of his field goals in 12 games with Ottawa, according to CFL. ca.
He kicked three field goals in this game, including a 51-yarder.
Return specialist Mathew Sexton was back too. He had looked to suffer a serious leg injury in Week 6, according to 3DownNation. He has one punt return touchdown in two games this season.
The news was not all good for Saskatchewan. Left tackle Payton Collins missed the game with an ankle injury, according to 3DownNation.
Daniel Johnson started in his place. Receiver KeeSean Johnson was also ruled out with an ankle injury.
Shemar Bridges replaced him in the starting lineup, according to 3DownNation.
Why it matters
The win gave Montreal a perfect 9-0 record at home this season. CFL.
ca had flagged that goal before the game. The home crowd got one more big win before the playoffs.
Montreal had already clinched the East Division title. They did that with a 37-10 win over Winnipeg, according to CFL.
ca. This game was about momentum and pride, not the standings.
For Saskatchewan, the loss hurts. It was their fourth straight defeat, according to theScore.
The Riders have not lost four in a row since a 0-5-1 stretch in 2024, according to CFL. ca.
The defending Grey Cup champions now sit at 8-8. Their most recent loss before this game came against the Calgary Stampeders in Week 18, according to CFL. ca.
The game was also a rematch of the 112th Grey Cup, according to CFL. ca.
Saskatchewan won that final. Montreal got its revenge on the holiday stage.
A full-circle day for Harris
The game carried deep meaning for Harris. His first CFL completion came on Thanksgiving Day in 2012, according to Riderville. It was a three-yard pass to Andre Durie on the final play of a game in Toronto.
Harris now has over 3,400 completions in his career, according to Riderville. He played this Thanksgiving game in front of members of his extended family.
The touchdown pass to Schaffer-Baker was his 30th passing touchdown of the season. CFL.
ca had noted before the game that he was one shy of that mark. He has now reached 30 twice before in his career.
Harris spoke about the losing streak before the game. "We're going to keep busting our butts for that," he said, according to Riderville.
He wants Rider Nation to feel proud of the team again. "I hope here in a couple of weeks that Rider Nation can look on the field and say they're proud of this team," he said.
What happens next
Saskatchewan must stop the slide fast. The playoffs are near.
Campbell's return should help the defense. Lauther's leg gives them stability in the kicking game.
The offense still needs to protect Harris and find its rhythm.
The Riders have split their last six games in Montreal, according to CFL. ca.
But this loss was the heaviest of the bunch. Their red zone defense held up early.
Montreal still scored 38 points.
Montreal heads into the playoffs with a full head of steam. They are 13-3 after this win.
They won at home all season. Their offense put up nearly 500 yards in this game, according to theScore.
Alexander and Philpot gave the home fans one more reason to cheer, as CFL.ca predicted. The East Division runs through Montreal now.
Football fans can also catch up on this weekend's other action, including the 49ers' 32-29 win over the Seahawks and our Browns vs Ravens week 6 preview. The holiday weekend delivered big games on both sides of the border.
The playoffs will show which team fixed its problems in time. For now, Montreal owns Thanksgiving. Saskatchewan owns the questions.
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