MONTREAL (CP) - Anthony Calvillo threw two touchdown passes before leaving the game with an apparent injury and the Montreal Alouettes still held on for a 41-38 victory Sunday that dealt a blow to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' playoff hopes.
Kerry Watkins passed the 1,000-yard mark for a fifth straight year and caught a touchdown pass for the Alouettes (13-2), who also got touchdowns from Ben Cahoon, Avon Cobourne, Jamel Richardson and rookie Michael Giffin.
Second-year backup Adrian McPherson was efficient replacing Calvillo, and he orchestrated what turned out to be the winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to ice the victory.
The Tiger-Cats (6-9) had a prolific day offensively with nearly 600 yards gained, but were unable to finish drives and had to settle for Nick Setta field goals three times in the second half.
Kevin Glenn, making only his fourth start of the season, had 491 yards passing and threw touchdown passes to Marquay McDaniel and Arland Bruce in Hamilton's fourth straight loss.
The game turned toward the end of the first half when, with Hamilton driving toward the Montreal end zone looking to build on a 15-14 lead, McDaniel had the ball stripped by Als linebacker Chip Cox. Jerome Brown recovered the fumble at his own seven-yard line and ran it back 93 yards to the Hamilton 10.
Two plays later, Cobourne plunged into the end zone to give Montreal a 21-15 halftime lead instead of facing a 22-14 deficit.
Montreal opened the second half with a five-play, 65-yard drive capped by a nine-yard touchdown for Cahoon, only his second of the season, to extend the lead to 28-15 at 3:17 of the third.
McPherson came in for Calvillo midway through the third quarter, setting off a battle of field goals. Montreal's Damon Duval kicked two from 42 and 18 yards, while Hamilton's Setta booted three from 44, 24 and 12 yards to make it 34-24 with just under 10 minutes to play. Both short Setta field goals came after McDaniel then Bruce dropped passes on the Montreal goal-line.
McDaniel redeemed himself by catching a 14-yard touchdown pass from Glenn at 8:37 of the fourth to make it 34-31 Montreal.
McPherson then led the Alouettes down the field, helped largely by a pass interference penalty on Hamilton halfback Chris Thompson that put the ball at the Hamilton 10-yard line. McPherson found Richardson in the end zone two plays later to make it 41-31 with 2:02 left in regulation.
The Tiger-Cats weren't finished, however, as Glenn marched them downfield in 1:14 for a 23-yard touchdown pass to McDaniel, but Hamilton was unable to recover the onside kick and Montreal ran out the clock to win 41-38.
The Tiger-Cats wasted several chances to put an uncharacteristically sluggish Alouettes team away in the first half.
The Alouettes found the end zone on their first possession, thanks largely to two costly Hamilton penalties. McPherson, who is brought in on short-yardage situations as a sneak threat, found an open Giffin in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown pass at 6:22 of the first. It was a first career TD catch for the fullback from Kingston, Ont.
Hamilton struck right back with a four-play, 67-yard drive capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass to Bruce less than two minutes later to make it 8-7 Hamilton.
Calvillo found Watkins from 11 yards out at 3:41 of the second to put Montreal up 14-8, a play set up by a 63-yard catch-and-run by Richardson.
Hamilton jumped back in front 15-14 at 7:33 of the second on a one-yard quarterback sneak from third-stringer Adam Tafralis.
The Ticats were driving toward the end of the half when McDaniel had his decisive fumble, and Hamilton never recovered.
