GAME NOTES: The Marc Trestman era officially begins for the Montreal Alouettes. Trestman will make his CFL head-coaching debut for Montreal. The longtime NFL assistant coach was hired in the offseason to replace Jim Popp, who went back to his full-time duties as the Alouettes general manager. Trestman would appear to have a big job on his hands. Montreal is coming off an 8-10-0 record last season that was the club's first losing mark since it returned to the CFL in 1996. Anthony Calvillo returns at quarterback for Montreal after leaving the team late last season when his wife was diagnosed with a form of cancer. However, Calvillo won't have his favorite target to throw to as slotback Ben Cahoon is on the injured list and will miss the game. So too will running back Jarrett Payton, the son of former NFL star Walter Payton. The same applies to backup quarterback Marcus Brady. So CFL veteran Brad Banks will be holding the clipboard for the Alouettes. An interesting matchup will be Montreal's offense versus Hamilton's defense. The Alouettes were the CFL's worst team last year protecting the passer, giving up a league-high 68 sacks. The Ticats new defensive coordinator is Denny Creehan, the former Calgary Stampeders defensive coordinator whose philosophy is to put a lot of pressure on quarterbacks using a variety of blitz packages. And while Calvillo remains one of the CFL's top passers, mobility isn't his forte so the expectation is Creehan's scheme will rely heavily on the blitz to put pressure on Calvillo and get to him before he can find the open receiver downfield, force him to throw early or flush him out of the pocket. Mobility is no problem for Hamilton quarterback Casey Printers, who can control a game as much with his legs as he can with his feet. Printers joined the Ticats late last year after being cut by the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and really didn't show the form that made him the CFL's outstanding player in 2004 while with B.C. However, Printers won't be counted upon to solely lead the run game. That responsibility will lie on the capable shoulders of speedy tailback Jesse Lumsden. Injuries limited Lumsden to 10 games last year but he still averaged over seven yards a carry. When healthy, Lumsden can take over a game and is capable of ripping off huge runs each time he carries the football. The numbers: Hamilton was 3-6 at home last year and 1-9 within the East Division. Montreal was 3-6 on the road but 5-5 against conference rivals. Keys to the game: Montreal comes into the game with more than 10 players on the injured list, and again there are questions about whether its offensive line can adequately protect Calvillo. And if the Ticats enjoy success early, then the partisan Ivor Wynne Stadium gathering will be yet another challenge for the Als to overcome. Hamilton was the CFL's worst team last year with its 3-15 record but the expectation is that the Ticats will be vastly improved in 2008. Printers has had the benefit of being with his teammates from the start, unlike last year when it was obvious to all that he was having trouble learning both the offense and his new teammates on the fly. If this boils down to a battle of the kickers, then expect a tight contest. Hamilton's Nick Setta was the CFL's scoring leader last year and hit on 45- of-53 field goals while Montreal's Damon Duval was 32-of-45. Both are also solid punters.