All eyes will be on quarterback Chris Leak's first professional start, as the Alouettes take on B.C. Friday night at Molson Stadium. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)

What's at stake

Looking to remain in top spot of the CFL's East Division, the Montreal Alouettes (6-2) come off a bye week ready to protect their home turf when the lowly B.C. Lions (1-7) come in for a visit Friday night. The Als have yet to lose at Molson Stadium, and despite starting third-string quarterback Chris Leak, the team remains an overwhelming favourite to dispose of the last-place Lions, who have dropped their last seven contests after opening the season with a victory.

Players to watch

B.C.

Yonus Davis. Not much has gone right for the struggling Lions during this forgettable season, but Davis has been one of the few bright spots for the team. The rookie kick returner is second in the league with an average of 25.4 yards a return. Davis was recently named special teams player for the month of August after posting 111, 161 and 225 return yards in three games.

Montreal

John Bowman. With quarterback Anthony Cavillo out (sternum), more pressure falls on the Montreal defence to weather the storm while its ailing leader attempts to get back in the lineup. Bowman has been a force this season for the Als. The five-year veteran leads the CFL with four forced fumbles and is tied for first in sacks (7) with Winnipeg's Phillip Hunt.

Game day quarterbacks

B.C. — Casey Printers (60-114, 782 yards, 3 TDs, 2 Ints)

Montreal — Chris Leak (11-17, 103 yards, 0 TDs, 1 Int)

Both clubs have major questions at the most important position heading into Friday night's clash. The Lions have used three QBs this season — Casey Printers, Jarious Jackson and Travis Lulay — but none has made a difference. Printers will get the start against Montreal. The former CFL most outstanding player has only taken part in two-plus games to this point, looking nothing like the impact QB of years past.

Chris Leak also faces a big challenge as he replaces Cavillo in his first pro start — a tall order for any inexperienced pivot. Leak — a former Florida Gator star — was thrust into action two weeks ago against Winnipeg after Calvillo was knocked out of the game in the first half. Leak slowly found his groove and helped Montreal get past the Bombers in the final 30 minutes.

Injury update

The Lions received quite the scare last week when receiver Darius Passmore collided with a sign on the sidelines versus Calgary last week. Passmore was wheeled off on a stretcher after suffering injuries to his neck. While the receiver will be fine, it appears Steven Black will take his spot at receiver.

Calvillo hasn't recovered enough from the bruise sternum he incurred two weeks against Winnipeg. The veteran quarterback is well enough to throw in practice, but head coach Marc Trestman won't take any chances and will reevaluate Calvillo on a weekly basis.

Last matchup

The last time these two teams met on July 16, the Als barely walked away with a 16-12 victory at Empire Field in Vancouver. Montreal needed a pair of fourth-quarter field goals by kicker Damon Duval to hold off the Lions.

---

What they said

"People think I've never gone through this before, but I know losing. Whether it's a Western final or a Grey Cup, I've lost some big, big games. And then, you have months to think about what went wrong, how you could have changed things. It takes an emotional toll." — B.C. Lions coach Wally Buono on his team's miserable 1-7 record

"This is a game I've played my entire life, since I was eight. I want to go out and have fun. I'm going to play the game and be myself. Whatever that is, you'll see it. But I know there'll be adversity." — Montreal quarterback Chris Leak on his first pro start