Montreal Alouettes' Brandon Whitaker (2) runs for a touchdown against the BC Lions during first half CFL football action in Montreal, July 4, 2014.CHRISTINNE MUSCHI/Reuters
Brandon Whitaker and linebacker Chip Cox scored first quarter touchdowns and the Montreal Alouettes held on for a 24-9 CFL victory over the B.C. Lions on Friday night.
The Alouettes (1-1) rebounded from a lopsided season-opening loss in Calgary last week, while the Lions' (0-2) troubles with turnovers and anaemic offence continued for a second straight week.
Sean Whyte added three field goals for Montreal.
Backup quarterback John Beck, who replaced Kevin Glenn in the final two minutes, threw an eight yard touchdown pass to Courtney Taylor with 1:20 left in the game for B.C. to go with Paul McCallum's third-quarter field goal.
Kevin Glenn, picked off four times last week, threw two more interceptions, including one to Marc-Olivier Bouillette in the end zone to kill a promising drive early in the fourth quarter.
The Lions had newcomer Ryan Cave playing left tackle after only two practices with the team. It wasn't all his doing, but Glenn was sacked four times by John Bowman in the first half alone as the Alouettes took a 20-0 lead.
Glenn was picked off 7:36 into the game by defensive lineman Scott Paxson, who flipped the ball to Cox for a 20-yard touchdown that had the crowd of 20,018 on its feet. It was Cox's fifth career TD.
Troy Smith, sharper with his passes than a week ago and effective running the ball as well, led a nine-play, 71-yard drive capped by Whitaker's 32-yard TD run at 13:27.
Whyte added a pair of field goals in the second quarter, one of them set up by an Andrew Harris fumble that was recovered by Jerald Brown on the B.C. 43 yard line.
Back-up quarterback Tanner Marsh fumbled on a third-and-short play into Solomon Elimimian's hands at the Montreal 40 to set up McCallum's 24-yard field goal to put B.C. on the board 5:41 into the second half.
Whyte added a single on his second missed field goal of the game 5:26 into the fourth, but then made one from 48 yards with 2:34 left in the game.
Glenn threw only seven picks all of last season with Calgary, but has six in only two games this season.
B.C. had two touchdowns in the first quarter of a loss at home to Edmonton last week and didn't get another until Taylor's late score on a drive aided by three Montreal penalties. A two-point conversion attempt failed.