Montreal Alouettes running back Jeshrun Antwi runs for a gain during the first half against the Hamilton Tiger Cats in Hamilton. The Alouettes won 38-12 on June 23, 2023.Peter Power/The Canadian Press
The Cody Fajardo-Jason Maas reunion continues to produce results for the Montreal Alouettes in the young 2023 CFL season.
Fajardo rushed for a score and connected with receiver Austin Mack for two more touchdowns to help the Montreal Alouettes to a 38-12 victory against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday.
The 31-year-old Fajardo signed a two-year free-agent contract with Montreal in the off-season to reunite with Maas.
The latter was hired by Montreal as head coach two months earlier after working with Fajardo for three years as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive co-ordinator.
The pair has the Alouettes (2-0) off to a perfect start.
“Coach Maas has made the transition easy,” Fajardo said. “He’s made me feel comfortable, as has my receivers and the rest of the guys.
“I’m just grateful to be here. It’s a second opportunity for me. Things didn’t go the way I wanted last year. Winning makes it fun.”
Fajardo completed 19 of 25 for 292 yards and no turnovers to spoil the Ticats (0-3) home opener before a crowd of 23,180 at Tim Hortons Field.
“Cody and I have been together now, going on four years,” Maas said. “We’re very comfortable with one another. It’s just more him getting comfortable being here. He’s assimilated himself extremely well with his new teammates.”
Mack caught five passes for 81 yards, while Kaion Julien-Grant was good for six catches and 94 yards.
After falling behind 6-0 on first-quarter field goals of 13 and 39 yards from Hamilton kicker Marc Liegghio, the Alouettes attack was ignited by a 77-yard punt return from Chandler Worthy to end the opening 15 minutes.
A 48-yard pass to Mack was Fajardo’s first touchdown pass coming midway through the second quarter.
Ciante Evans’ 34-yard interception return set up Fajardo’s four-yard rushing touchdown and a comfortable 21-6 first-half advantage.
“It was three phases of football for us,” Fajardo said. “We got a huge spark with Chandler on special teams scoring for us early. We had a bit of a slow offensive start to the game, but then we started finishing with the ball in the end zone. We didn’t take field goals. We finished with touchdowns, and our defence held them to field goals.”
All of Hamilton’s offence came from the right leg of Liegghio. He nailed a third field goal of 32 yards in the final minute of the first half and a fourth of 44 yards in the third quarter.
Tiger-Cats head coach Orlondo Steinauer hoped a week off would help his club rebound from its early-season struggles.
“I think everybody could use the break,” Steinauer said. “We need to play better football to win. We need to come out of the bye and be 1-3.
“We have to make more plays and make less mistakes.”
Julien’s 43-yard reception set up Mack’s second touchdown – a five-yard catch – late in the third quarter.
Hamilton quarterback Matt Shiltz completed 25 of 47 for 345 yards and two interceptions. The second interception resulted in a 71-yard touchdown return from Montreal defensive back Wesley Sutton in heavy rainfall with 6:58 remaining.
Shiltz connected with slotback Tim White on passes of 61 and 54 yards on the first two drives. But Hamilton settled for field goals on each occasion.
A 15-yard field goal from Montreal’s David Cote completed the scoring with 2:10 remaining.
Mitchell update
Hamilton moved injured quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (groin) to the six-game injured list on Friday.
He departed in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field last Sunday after completing 16 of his 24 pass attempts for 161 yards and two interceptions.
Hamilton signed 24-year-old Florida Atlantic product N’Kosi Perry with Mitchell out long-term.
Up next
On July 1, the Alouettes host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-1) at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. The Tiger-Cats have a bye week and return to action when the Ottawa Redblacks (0-2) visit on Saturday, July 8.