MONTREAL 31 HAMILTON 29
Sean Whyte delivered the one 40th birthday present Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo wanted above all.
Whyte kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired and Montreal extended its winning streak to three with a 31-29 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday.
Montreal scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-yard touchdown run by Brandon Whitaker and a 17-yard field goal by Whyte which put the Alouettes up 28-26 at 12: 09.
Hamilton's Luca Congi kicked his fifth field goal of the game with 1: 22 remaining, a 47-yarder to put the Tiger-Cats up 29-28.
Whyte's third field goal came at the end of a 45-yard drive that began with a 12-yard run by Calvillo.
"Everything happens so quickly out there," Whyte said. "One minute you're on the sideline, the next you're out there kicking the ball.
You don't really have time to get nervous. Everybody did their job tonight. A.C. did an awesome job of leading the gang down the field."
The Molson Stadium crowd of 22,140 was in a festive mood with many wearing party hats handed out by the Alouettes.
Calvillo brought his party to life with a milestone touchdown pass to S.J.
Green, hitting the Alouettes' receiver in the end zone for a 10-yard strike 9: 53 into the second quarter.
"I didn't notice the party hats," Calvillo said. "I was really trying to concentrate on the game and that's the tough thing. I hope my birthday never lands on a game day again."
Calvillo's 436th career touchdown pass moved him past Warren Moon into second place all-time in pro football history. Moon threw 435 touchdown passes, including 144 with Edmonton from 1978-83. Brett Favre threw 508 touchdown passes, all in the NFL.
Chris Williams tied a CFL record with his fifth kick return touchdown of the season for Hamilton in the second quarter. Williams returned Whyte's punt 70 yards, tying Henry "Gizmo" Williams' CFL single-season record set in 1991.
