Montreal Alouettes quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. gets set to pass as he is chased by Calgary Stampeders lineman Micah Johnson during second quarter CFL football action Sunday, October 30, 2016.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
Alouettes quarterback Rakeem Cato threw for 113 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 75 yards as Montreal stunned the league-best Calgary Stampeders 17-8 on Sunday.
Vernon Adams threw for 106 yards for Montreal (6-11-0) before leaving the game with an injury at the start of the third quarter. Wide receiver Tiquan Underwood had 77 receiving yards and a touchdown.
QB Drew Tate went 22 for 37 for 218 yards and two interceptions for Calgary (15-2-1), which had its 14-game winning streak snapped.
The Stampeders, who hadn't lost since June 25, also failed to tie the single-season CFL wins record.
Adams went down with a left-leg injury two plays into the third quarter after being tackled by Calgary defensive back Brandon Smith. Adams was writhing on the field and could not continue.
Tate started in relief of Bo Levi Mitchell, who got the day off with the Stamps having already clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the West Division final. The start was Tate's first since the final game of the 2015 CFL season.
The Alouettes, which were eliminated from playoff contention last week, got back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Montreal scored an abysmal minus-six yards of offence in the first quarter but the home side turned things around in the second.
The Als put together a 95-yard drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown run by Brandon Rutley to go up 7-5. The drive was highlighted by a 27-yard reception by Underwood, two big catches by Nik Lewis and 29 yards rushing by Adams.
After halftime, Cato scored on his first drive after coming into the game for the injured Adams. Montreal increased its lead to 14-5 at 3:19 of the third quarter when Cato found Underwood in extremely tight coverage in the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown.
The teams then exchanged field goals to start the fourth quarter.
Calgary attempted to mount a comeback late in the fourth but gave the ball away on downs at Montreal's nine-yard line after Tate threw an incomplete pass to Tory Harrison.
This is the first time this season the Stamps failed to score a touchdown in a game.
With 94 receiving yards on Sunday, wide receiver Lewis reached 13,000 career yards. He also recorded his first 1,000-yard season since 2012.
Notes: Attendance at Stade Percival Molson was 20,562. Calgary has a bye week next week. The Stamps lead the CFL in both points for (586) and points against (369).