MONTREAL -- Chevon Walker scored three first-half touchdowns as the expansion Ottawa Redblacks downed the Montreal Alouettes 26-10 in pre-season CFL play Friday night.

The Redblacks, 1-1 in exhibitions, had a confidence-building performance behind veteran quarterback Henry Burris heading into their first regular season game July 3 in Winnipeg.

Brett Maher had a fourth-quarter field goal for Ottawa with backup Thomas DeMarco in the game.

Delbert Alvarado had a pair of field goals and Sean Whyte had another for Montreal, which went 0-2 in the pre-season under new coach Tom Higgins and looked shaky on both sides of the ball heading into their season opener June 28 in Calgary.

The less-than sellout crowd of 18,141 at Percival Molson Stadium got their first look at former NFL star Chad (Ochocinco) Johnson, on a comeback after last having played in 2011. He made a 13-yard catch on the Alouettes' first play from scrimmage but that was all as starting QB Troy Smith struggled to find his receivers.

Burris couldn't get a first down on Ottawa's first three possessions, but then couldn't be stopped the rest of the first half as he completed 17 of 22 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown against Montreal's first-string defence. The Redblacks led 22-7 at the intermission.

Smith completed nine of 17 for 122 yards in the opening 30 minutes and gave way to the equally ineffective Tanner Marsh early in the second half. Alex Brink also saw action.

The Alouettes got on the board first with Alvarado's punt single, but then Burris threw 28 yards to Dobson Collins to set up Walker's three-yard TD 12:16 into the game.

Montreal answered with a field goal, but Kierrie Johnson's 36-yard catch to the Montreal one set up the former Hamilton Tiger-Cats' second TD of the night 44 seconds into the second quarter.

Just before the intermission, Burris led an eight-play 85-yard drive capped by Walker's five-yard TD catch.

Unusually for the pre-season game, there were few penalties called and there were no fumbles or interceptions.

Last week, Ottawa lost 21-17 in Saskatchewan, while Montreal blew a lead in a 28-23 setback at Hamilton.

The league's nine teams will make their final cuts to get rosters down to 46 players on Saturday.