MONTREAL (CP) — Kerry Joseph heated up the quarterback debate in Toronto as
he tore through the Montreal defence for 17 third-quarter points,
although the Alouettes came back to earn a 34-34 tie with the Argonauts
in CFL pre-season play on Thursday night.
Joseph, the CFL’s outstanding player last year with Saskatchewan who
was traded to Toronto in March, is pushing incumbent Michael Bishop for
the starting job.
Bishop was also sharp, putting up 10 points in the first quarter.
Alouettes quarterback prospect Ricky Santos played the fourth quarter
and erased the 10-point lead built by Joseph with a three-yard
touchdown pass to Larry Taylor and Damon Duval’s 40-yard field goal
with 56 seconds to play.
Trailing 24-17 when he took over the ball to start the second half,
Joseph’s drives led to a 44-yard field goal by Robert Eeuwes, a
three-yard touchdown run by Andre Durie and a 14-yard TD pass to Arland
Bruce for a 34-24 lead.
It was the first game for two rookie head coaches — Marc Trestman in
Montreal and Rich Stubler in Toronto — and marked the return to action
of veteran kicker Mike Vanderjagt to the Argos.
The Alouettes got bad news before the game when scheduled starting
quarterback Marcus Brady suffered what the team called a minor back
injury during the pre-game warm-up, although he came in to hold the
ball for place kicks. Brad Banks got the start at QB.
Toronto struck quickly, as Bishop hit former NFL receiver Bethel
Johnson with a 77-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage
only 23 seconds into the game.
Bishop made it 14-0 on a one-yard plunge at 3:44 set up by a 17-yard toss to Obed Cetoute.
Banks hit Brian Bratton with a 20-yard TD pass at 8:31 and Banks ran in
from the one only 44 seconds into the second quarter to tie the game. A
Damon Duval field goal put Montreal ahead at 10:32.
Adrian McPherson took over at quarterback for Montreal midway through
the second quarter and found Eric Deslauriers with a 39-yard TD pass at
14:07, but Toronto QB Cody Pickett, who had fumbled a snap on his
previous possession, led a drive capped by Mike Vanderjagt’s 15-yard
field goal as time expired in the half.
Reggie McNeal played only briefly at QB in the fourth for Toronto before Pickett went back in.