Maltos’ late go-ahead field goal lifts Alouettes to 23-21 win over Stampeders

Montreal Alouettes' Jose Maltos, right, kicks a field goal during second half CFL football action against the Calgary Stampeders in Calgary, Thursday, July 24, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY — Jose Maltos received a hero’s welcome from his teammates after kicking the longest field goal of his CFL career.

Maltos booted the go-ahead 58-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining as the Montreal Alouettes (5-2) earned a 23-21 win over the Calgary Stampeders (5-2) in front of 19,863 fans at McMahon Stadium on Thursday.

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When the Mexican-born kicker returned to his team’s locker room, he was mauled by his teammates who congratulated him while chanting: “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé.”

“It feels good – important game, important kick,” said Maltos, whose previous longest kick was from 53 yards out. “My teammates are great. I love them and I’m grateful to have them on my side.

“We’re happy because we need these kind of wins. Every kick is important to me, so that was pretty good.”

Following his heroics – which included four other field goals, a convert and a single – Maltos received praise from Montreal head coach Jason Maas.

“He’s made some clutch kicks for us since he’s taken over and he’s got an outstanding percentage career-wise already,” Maas said. “He just has a good knack for those types of moments and that’s what he’s shown us. That was a tremendous (game-winning) kick. It was one of the best kicks I’ve seen.”

Montreal quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 30-of-40 passes for 280 yards to go with one touchdown to Chris Spieker and one interception.

“Man, we needed that one,” Bethel-Thompson said. “It feels great to finally play my role for this team. It’s a special locker room. What coach Maas has built is a special place and I’m just so grateful to have done my job. That was an unbelievable kick at the end by Jose.”

Dedrick Mills had a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Stampeders (5-2), who had won their previous three games.

“We ran the ball well for three quarters, but not the fourth quarter,” said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson. “And that’s when you need to run the ball … and we just didn’t do it.”

Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Dominique Rhymes and also completed a short pass to Erik Brooks in the end zone for a two-point convert after Mills’ second rushing score.

Near the end of the third quarter, Adams scrambled out of the pocket and ran for a seven-yard gain before he was hit hard by Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette. Although he got to his feet and walked to the sidelines, he was assessed for a head injury and didn’t return to the game.

“I’m expecting it was on the one hit.” Dickenson said. “I’m not really going to speculate on what happened, but I know that he went in the tent and didn’t come back, so that was obviously something that we know can happen.

“A lot of teams are playing with their backup QB, including Montreal, so we have to be able to function and get points and get first downs, and we weren’t able to do it.”

Defensive back Adrian Green picked off an errant pass by Bethel-Thompson for his league-leading fourth interception of the season and ran it back to Montreal’s 44-yard line to help set up Calgary’s first touchdown.

Four plays later, Mills ran for a seven-yard touchdown with 1:53 remaining in the first quarter, which gave Calgary a 6-0 lead after a missed convert by Rene Paredes.

After Tyler Snead’s 42-yard diving catch put Montreal at Calgary’s nine-yard line, the Stampeders held the Alouettes to a 10-yard Maltos field goal.

Adams then engineered a five-play, 77-yard drive that he finished off by tossing a 33-yard TD pass to Rhymes at 5:10 of the second quarter to put the Stamps up 13-3.

The Als responded at 9:18 when Spieker caught a seven-yard TD pass from Bethel-Thompson to cap off a quick eight-play, 77-yard drive.

On the ensuing kickoff, Maltos booted an 88-yard single to pull the Als within two points of the Stamps.

Maltos finished off the first half by making a 36-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to put Montreal ahead 14-13.

The Stamps drove the ball 65 yards down the field before Mills ran in for a nine-yard score on the sixth play of the drive at 3:43 of the third quarter. A successful two-point convert gave the Stamps a 21-14 edge.

Thanks to a pair of field goals by Maltos in the fourth quarter – a 28-yard kick at 6:22 and another from 20 yards out at 12:17 – Montreal cut Calgary’s lead to just 21-20.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.

Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press