Music: {allcanada} BURRIS, CALVILLO FACE OFF IN EPIC QB BATTLE IN CALGARY ON TSN

Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - One of only two teams in the Western Division with a winning record heading into week nine of the 2011 CFL campaign, the Calgary Stampeders try to hold on to the top spot in the division as they entertain the always dangerous Montreal Alouettes Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium.

You can see the game on TSN with coverage beginning at 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt.

Calgary is one of the hotter teams in the league at the moment, thanks to a three-game win streak and victories in five of the last six outings overall. The Stamps have been out of action since August 12 when they toppled Saskatchewan on the road by a final of 45-35.

In that matchup, Calgary streaked out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back, scoring at least one major in every quarter to secure the double-digit triumph. Henry Burris was clutch for the visitors as he converted 21-of-29 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns, while surviving one sack. The signal-caller also had the luxury of leaning on a ground attack that posted two more touchdowns and the defense as Keon Raymond raced 117 yards for a score on an interception return to set a new franchise record.

However, as great as Raymond's return was and the dominance of Burris in the pocket, the defense as a whole nearly let one slip away as it surrendered a whopping 543 yards to the slumping Roughriders who only recently fired head coach Greg Marshall and offensive coordinator Doug Berry for the abysmal start.

As for the Alouettes, they rebounded from back-to-back losses to Hamilton and Saskatchewan with a defeat of Toronto to kick off the month of August and then a 27-4 thrashing of the once-mighty Edmonton Eskimos. Against Edmonton, a club that raced out to a 5-0 start this year before falling in three straight to come back to the pack, Montreal secured a 20-3 halftime edge and held on from there at home a couple weeks ago.

Quarterback Anthony Calvillo continued his assault on the CFL record books as he became one of only a handful of professional football players to reach an incredible 70,000 passing yards in the triumph as well. Calvillo, who is now just over 2,100 passing yards shy of the all-time CFL mark set by Damon Allen (72,381), completed 19 of his 33 pass attempts for 261 yards and two scores. Calvillo did suffer three sacks in the contest however.

Jamel Richardson did most of the damage further down the field for the Als as he reeled in a game-high seven passes for 110 yards and both TDs from his quarterback. Keeping the Edmonton defense on its toes was running back Brandon Whitaker who gained 73 yards on 12 carries which far out-paced the Eskimos who finished with minus-one yard on the ground in the matchup.

Calvillo, who continues to build on the CFL's all-time record for pass completions and TDs through the air, is currently the only regular starter in the league with an efficiency rating in triple digits, boasting a mark of 106.2 through seven games and that has allowed the squad to move to within a game of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Eastern Division standings. The QB leads the league in TD passes so far this season with 14, against a league-low three interceptions.

Now fifth in the league in receiving yards with 567 on 40 catches, Richardson has been making his touches pay off in a big way with five touchdowns, tying him for second-most in the league with several receivers at the moment.

If having Richardson were not enough, Calvillo also enjoys hooking up with S.J. Green who has turned his 36 receptions into 592 yards and three majors as well. To add to the firepower perhaps, on Tuesday the Als signed Perry Floyd to their practice squad, a player who can be a valuable kick returner if given the opportunity. In a flurry of transactions, the club also traded offensive lineman Dylan Steenbergen to the Edmonton Eskimos and let go defensive lineman Luc Mullinder the same day.

It is an embarrassment of riches for the Alouettes right now, the team leading the league in scoring with 31.7 ppg and overall offense with 412.9 ypg as their 18-year QB continues to defy the odds and make magic every time he takes the field.

When it comes to putting up points, Calgary is second in the league with an impressive 27.7 ppg, the team averaging 33.0 ppg over the last three victories. The Stamps are also right behind the Als in terms of overall offense with 376.9 ypg, so this could easily be a high-scoring affair if each team has it's way with the opposing defense.

Speaking of defense, Calgary is second in the league in yards allowed with just 331.7 ypg, the Alouettes close behind with 336.2 ypg. The Stampeders, currently even in terms of turnovers, has enjoyed the exploits of Raymond who has a total of three interceptions so far in 2011, returning two of them for scores.

Nik Lewis, who continues to catch passes game after game, is the only receiver for the Stamps in the league's top-10 in yardage with 514 yards on 38 catches. In addition to Lewis, the Stamps also have a proven commodity coming out of the backfield in Joffrey Reynolds, a running back who has gained at least 1,200 yards in each of the previous six seasons. Reynolds, who scored once and gained 59 yards on 11 attempts versus the Roughriders the last time out, is first on the team thus far with 339 yards, three touchdowns and 66 carries.

Montreal, which has won three of the last four meetings between the squads, posted a resounding 46-19 victory in the most recent encounter last October. Dating back to 1946, and taking into consideration only games played during the regular season, the Als cling to a slim 31-30-1 edge over Calgary.

The teams are slated to meet once more this year, with Montreal serving as host at the end of October.