THE CANADIAN PRESS

CALGARY -- The Calgary Stampeders turned their game around.

After two straight losses, quarterback Henry Burris threw for 412 yards and four touchdowns in a 46-21 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.

It was Calgary's first win over the Als since beating Montreal 22-14 in the 2008 Grey Cup final.

The Stampeders took over top spot in the CFL with a 10-3 record. The Alouettes dropped to 9-4, but remain in control of the East Division.

The two clubs, already assured themselves of playoff berths, meet again in Montreal on Oct. 11. If the B.C. Lions (4-8) lose at home to Winnipeg on Saturday, the Stampeders clinch a home playoff game.

Friday's win was crucial for Calgary as the Stamps attempt to stay ahead of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who were second in the West Division at 8-4 heading into Saturday's game against Toronto.

After their two-game series against Montreal, Calgary heads to Regina on Oct. 17 to face the 'Riders.

"Montreal and Saskatchewan are two teams we have to be victorious against because we didn't beat neither one of them last year," Burris said. "They were the two teams in (last year's) Grey Cup and if you expect to be there in the end, you've got to beat the teams like this whenever you have the opportunities."

Wide receiver Romby Bryant had a pair of touchdowns for Calgary. Ken-yon Rambo, Drew Tate and Nik Lewis also scored for the hosts in front of 31,167 at McMahon Stadium. Rob Maver made all three of his field-goal attempts.

Andrew Hawkins, S.J. Green and Jamel Richardson had touchdowns for the Alouettes, whose kicking game was compromised when Damon Duval suffered injuries to his kicking foot and then his leg in the first and third quarters respectively.

Montreal middle linebacker Shea Emery and receiver Ben Cahoon were forced to fill in. Emery finished with 293 total kicking yards, while Cahoon made his two convert attempts.

"Duval has two minor injuries to his kicking leg," Montreal head coach Marc Trestman said. "We'll know more (after) an MRI on the first of the week. We've got to see where we are with him on Monday and we'll go from there.

"I don't have a plan because I don't know what the existing injury is."

With three receptions Friday, Cahoon was four away from the CFL's all-time record.

After losing in overtime in Saskatchewan two weeks ago and then playing their worst game of the season in a 29-10 loss to the B.C. Lions at home, Calgary came out the gates hard Friday and scored 24 points on their first four possessions.

"That's our offence. We got a lot of playmakers," Rambo said. "All we gotta do is open up that offence wide open and spread the ball around and we're going to make plays for Hank."

Burris was terrible against B.C., but he was on his game Friday with four touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Photos were circulated to media and on the internet earlier this week of Burris shirtless and wearing a black bra standing next to a woman wearing a white bra. The quarterback said the photos depicted a birthday prank and that they didn't distract him from his game preparation for Montreal.

"All the hoopla, that wasn't nothing," the quarterback said. "I was more bothered by the game that we played last week."

Montreal's Anthony Calvillo finished 17 for 33, passing for 211 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Backup Adrian McPherson made three-of-five passes for 35 yards and was intercepted once.

"They really put it to us today and really made us look average which is not what we want to be," Calvillo said. "Now we've got a full nine, 10 days to really think about what just happened and get back on the field come Thanksgiving day."

Duval's leg connected with the helmet of Calgary's Jabari Arthur after a third-quarter punt and the Montreal kicker went down clutching his thigh. Duval left the field limping.

After his 59-yard kickoff in the first quarter, Duval was in on a tackle of Calgary returner Jon Cornish, who rolled over Duval's right kicking foot. Duval punted once more during the half, but was clearly suffering.

"We don't want him making tackles and being around the ball," Trestman said. "That's what necessitated the injury. He's done a great job of tackling the three years I've been here, but that's the last thing we want in our kickoff game and our punting game is to have him have to make tackles."

Bryant scored his second TD of the night on a 40-yard pass from Burris at 5:59 of the fourth quarter. Maver was good from 23 yards out at 1:16.

Emery conceded a safety late in the third quarter to give Calgary a 36-21 lead heading into the fourth. Calvillo threw his third touchdown pass of the night 16 yards to Richardson at 5:08 of the third quarter to keep the visitors in the hunt.

Lewis showed no ill effects from a minor knee injury that kept him out of last week's game against B.C. The receiver bowled over Montreal cornerback Mark Estelle en route to the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown at 2:44.

Maver's 34-yard field goal ended the first half 27-14 in favour of the hosts. The drive started with Malik Jackson's first career interception on Calvillo's pass intended for Cahoon.

Montreal stayed in striking distance with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Calvillo to Green at 12:48 of the second quarter.

Calgary's Tate has often been inserted to finish scoring drives from short yards. The Stampeder backup quarterback dove one yard for the major at 8:07 for his fourth touchdown on 20 carries this season. Maver opened the second quarter with a 29-yard field goal.

Montreal halved a 14-point deficit late in the first when Calvillo marched the Als 91 yards on 11 plays and finished with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Hawkins.

With the Stampeders in poor field position from their own doorstep, Rambo tucked a short pass from Burris under his arm and took it all the way in for a 100-yard TD with three Alouettes on his tail. Burris passed Kent Austin for ninth in all-time CFL passing yards with that throw.

It was the longest reception of Rambo's career and the longest passing play of Burris's. Burris fired the football to Bryant sprinting down the right sideline and he ran it in for a 61-yard touchdown at 3:08.

Notes: In addition to Duval's injury, Als starting centre Paul Lambert left the game with a bicep injury . . . Calgary running back Joffrey Reynolds moved past former Ottawa Rough Rider and Toronto Argonaut Dave Thelen into ninth on the CFL's all-time rushing list . . . Lewis extended his games with a reception to 117 straight . . . Kerry Watkins, the Montreal Alouettes' top receiver, is expected to miss the remainder of the CFL season with a separated shoulder. Watkins was placed on the nine-game injured list Friday and will likely be out for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.