Ben Cahoon caught two touchdown passes to help Jim Popp to his first CFL coaching victory in a 35-8 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Monday afternoon.
Popp, the general manager, stepped in when Don Matthews resigned on Wednesday due to stress and anxiety.
The 9-6 Alouettes responded with a lopsided win that clinched a playoff spot in the East Division and also secured first place in the West for the B.C. Lions.
Saskatchewan, 7-8, lost a second game in a row and saw its hope of catching Calgary (9-7) for second in the West compromised with a weak effort against Montreal, scoring only one point on a missed field goal by Luca Congi and a late eight-yard TD reception by Yo Murphy.
The Roughriders saw starting quarterback Rocky Butler leave in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury. Kerry Joseph took over, but also struggled to move the ball, while star running back Kenton Keith was held in check all afternoon.
Robert Edwards scored his 14th TD of the season as Montreal took a 21-1 first-half lead. They added two safeties, a Damon Duval field goal and a 43-yard TD interception return by Davis Sanchez in the second half.
The teams will face each other again Friday night in Regina. The Alouettes are 19-2 against the 'Riders since 1996.
Cahoon caught TD passes of eight and 20 yards from Anthony Calvillo. He also got the 38 yards he needed to post his fifth straight 1,000-yard receiving season and got the receptions he needed to pass Tommy Joe Coffey (650) for 10th place all-time with 654 receptions.
A full house of 20,202 on a sunny afternoon at Percival Molson Stadium saw Montreal score on its opening drive when Edwards plunged in from the one.
Chip Cox partially blocked a Congi punt and Jeff Piercy took the ball to the Roughrider eight, where Calvillo hit Cahoon for a 14-0 lead.
Montreal nearly got another break when Jason Armstead dropped a punt and Etienne Boulay recovered, but officials ruled Boulay had gone in and out of bounds and awarded the ball to Saskatchewan.
Early in the second quarter, Richard Karikari intercepted a Butler pass and then fumbled on the return at the Montreal 35.
Butler was injured on the play and Joseph came in and moved the ball to the six, but Congi missed left on a 14-yard field goal attempt.
In the final minute of the half, Calvillo led a 10-play drive capped by Cahoon's 20-yard TD catch with nine seconds left on the clock.
Notes _ Popp was 0-2 as a head coach when he replaced the fired Rod Rust at the end of the 2001 season ... Matthews was second in Alouettes history with 86 coaching wins, behind Douglas (Peahead) Walker, who won 108 games from 1952 to 1959 ... Eddie Davis, who had an interception, and Jason French played their 100th games for the 'Riders.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
