Local news delivered daily to your email inbox. Subscribe for FREE to the rdnewsNOW newsletter.

DeVonte Dedmon runs back two kicks for TDs, Redblacks beat Alouettes in OT

Aug 2, 2019 | 8:55 PM

MONTREAL — Lewis Ward’s third field goal of the night came in overtime, while DeVonte Dedmon ran back two kicks for touchdowns as the Ottawa Redblacks beat the Montreal Alouettes 30-27 on Friday. 

Ward has now made a league-record 67 consecutive field goals, with his 15-yard boot in extra time ending a four-game losing streak for the Redblacks. Dedmon finished with 377 total kick return yards along with his two TDs.

Ottawa quarterback Dominique Davis threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball once, but threw a touchdown and 164 yards passing in the win.

Als quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 13-of-25 passes for 120 yards and rushed for two touchdowns. He was briefly down in the second quarter and stayed in the game until partway through the second half. But he was removed and it was later reported that Adams Jr. entered concussion protocol. Backup Antonio Pipkin would take over in the third quarter and finish the game. 

Davis threw his first interception on his team’s second drive of the game —his eighth of the year — which led to an 18-yard Boris Bede field goal. Later in the quarter, Davis completed a pass to receiver Brad Sinopoli, only for the Canadian to fumble the ball and give possession back to Montreal.

Adams Jr. would score on a 13-yard run on his next drive, diving headfirst towards the pylon. He was briefly down on the play after the dive.

The Redblacks responded thanks to a 111-yard kickoff return from Dedmon, then completed a two-point conversion to cut their deficit to two points. But Adams Jr. responded by scoring his second rushing touchdown of the day, extending his team’s lead to 17-8 as the first quarter ended.

A second-quarter touchdown wasn’t scored until the final minute of the half when Dedmon scored his second touchdown on a 95-yard punt return.

The Alouettes entered halftime up 17-14.

The Redblacks capitalized off an Alouettes mistake early in the third. Adams Jr. was picked off by defensive tackle Michael Wakefield with the goal line at his back.

Davis then threw his first touchdown pass of the day to Sinopoli, giving the Redblacks their first lead of the night at 21-17.

Bede would then put the Als within one point through a 30-yard field goal, and would later tie the game at 21 points apiece through a single on the next kickoff.

Off another Redblacks fumble, the Alouettes would get another field goal from Bede, giving them a 24-21 lead with 3:02 left in the third quarter. Bede would add a fourth field goal with over ten minutes to play in the fourth, giving Montreal a 27-21 lead.

Ward then kicked two fourth-quarter field goals, including a game-tying score with two seconds left that sent the game to overtime.

The Redblacks scored first in overtime. The Alouettes would try to score on their next possession, but a fumble recovered by Ottawa would end the game.

NOTES: The announced attendance at Molson Stadium was 17,498.

Julian McKenzie, The Canadian Press