By Canadian Press

Vernon Adams Jr., Alouettes beat Eskimos 20-10 for third win in a row

Jul 20, 2019 | 5:43 PM

MONTREAL — Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw one touchdown and caught another as the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 20-10 in humid and hot conditions on Saturday for their first three-game winning streak since the end of the 2016 season.

Adams completed 15-of-22 passes for 191 yards for Montreal (3-2). He also ran for 44 yards. Kicker Boris Bede converted two field goals.

Trevor Harris went 29 for 44 for 271 yards for the Eskimos (3-2), who have lost two of their last three games. Harris also threw two interceptions, ending a streak of 228 consecutive passes without a pick.

Kicker Sean Whyte scored all 10 points for the visitors from three field goals and a single.

The Alouettes now have a winning record for the first time since the opening game of the 2017 season.

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The weather was a big factor on Saturday, for both the players and the 16,137 fans at Percival Molson Stadium.

Due to the extreme heat — 41-degrees Celsius with the humidex at kickoff — halftime was extended to 20 minutes for the players’ safety. The game was also suspended 25 minutes due to lightning in the area in the fourth quarter.

With wide receivers B.J. Cunningham and DeVier Posey out injured, the Alouettes needed to get creative on offence.

Montreal got on the board first on an inventive trick play at 9:14 of the first quarter. The home team capped off a 74-yard drive with a reverse flea flicker. Adams took the snap, handed the ball off to William Stanback, who reversed it to Eugene Lewis. The receiver-turned-quarterback then found Adams near the end zone for the 21-yard score.

Montreal led 10-3 in the second quarter after Whyte and Bede traded field goals.

It looked like Edmonton had tied the game late in the first half when Harris connected with Kenny Stafford in the end zone but the play was brought back for holding on Colin Kelly. The Eskimos settled for another field goal, Whyte’s second of the game.

Whyte cut the deficit to 10-9 early in the third quarter with a 48-yard field goal — the kicker’s 17th successful field goal in a row.

The Als responded when Adams found Jake Wieneke in the end zone for the five-yard score at 10:15 of the third to make it 17-9. The 75-yard drive was highlighted by Stanback’s 18-yard run and a 15-yard run by Adams.

Bede made it 20-9 with his second field goal with 9:50 left in the game.

Harris threw his first interception of the season in the first quarter when his pass to Tanner Green was picked off by Montreal’s Greg Reid. Harris threw another interception in the fourth quarter, this time to Taylor Loffler.

Notes: Prospective Alouettes owners Jeffrey and Peter Lenkov travelled to Montreal and were at the game. … UFC legend Georges St-Pierre was in also attendance.

Kelsey Patterson, The Canadian Press