Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo hands off to runningback Brandon Whitaker as they face the Edmonton Eskimos during first quarter CFL football action Thursday, July 25, 2013 in Montreal.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press
Brandon Whitaker rushed for more than 140 yards and scored a touchdown as the Montreal Alouettes ended a three-game losing streak with a 32-27 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on Thursday night.
Anthony Calvillo threw a touchdown pass to S.J. Green and Sean Whyte booted six field goals for Montreal (2-3), which has won seven in a row against the Eskimos over the last four seasons.
Cary Koch scored on a kick return and a reception while Calvin McCarty also had a TD catch from Mike Reilly. Grant Shaw kicked two field goals for Edmonton (1-4), which has lost three in a row.
There was a wild ending as Montreal took a five-point lead with one minute to play, but Reilly marched the Eskimos down the Montreal one-yard line with one play left in the game. However, John White was stopped behind the line of scrimmage by Chip Cox on the final play.
It was the first win by an East Division team over the West this season (1-6).
Edmonton has not won in Montreal since 2007.
The Eskimos trailed 26-13 early in the fourth quarter when they struck for two touchdowns in a 1:21 span to go ahead for the first time in the game.
Reilly helped set up the first one himself as he ran for 20 yards, then hit McCarty with a 20-yard TD pass at 2:16.
Whitaker fumbled on Montreal's next play from scrimmage, and one play later, Reilly found Koch in the end zone with a 24-yard pass for another TD.
But Montreal bounced back as a poor Shaw punt gave them the ball at the 29 and White booted his fifth of the night for a two-point lead with 4:12 left to play. He added another kick at 14:00.
The Eskimos used all three quarterbacks in the first half but picked up only a pair of Shaw field goals as Montreal took a 20-6 lead.
A weak punt by Shaw gave Montreal the ball on the Edmonton 40 and they converted that with a field goal 4:58 into the game. Reilly's 44-yard toss to Fred Stamps set up Shaw's 26-yard boot to tie it at 7:14.
Shea Emry picked off a Reilly pass at the 18 and, four plays later, Calvillo hit Green with a six-yard TD pass at 13:47. It gave Calvillo a personal record 22 straight games with a passing TD.
Jonathan Crompton took over at quarterback and promptly threw another interception to Emry, setting up White's 31-yard kick 5:36 into the second quarter.
Noel Devine then fumbled a punt on the Montreal 17 for his second kick return fumble in as many weeks. Kerry Joseph took over behind centre, but the Eskimos settled for Shaw's 18-yard field goal at 8:51.
A late Montreal drive saw Whitaker run in a TD from the 13.
The Eskimos answered back to start the second half as Koch returned a punt 81 yards for a TD at 4:39. It was the team's first punt return TD in two years.
Montreal hit back with two White field goals.
Kyries Hebert had two first-half sacks to take the league lead with seven.
Defensive tackle Scooter Berry and lineback Marco Brouillette didn't finish the game with injuries.