THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — A Noel Prefontaine 47-yard single with 23 seconds remaining helped lift the Argonauts over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 25-24 Saturday night at Rogers Centre.
Prefontaine missed a 38-yard field goal try, but Toronto managed to tackle the Bombers’ returner in the end zone for the single. In keeping with the bizarre nature of the night, Prefontaine’s boot came after his initial try hit the upright. However, officials had called the play dead seconds before due to a whistle being blown in the stands.
Running back Cory Boyd helped carry the Argos offence, running the ball 12 times for 109 yards.
Winnipeg got the ball at its 35-yard line and third-stringer Justin Goltz drove the Bombers to centre field, but was sacked by Toronto’s Claude Wroten on the game’s final play.
Toronto (3-9) halted a three-game losing streak and earned its first win in six tries against East Division rivals this season.
Meanwhile, Winnipeg (8-4) suffered its first loss to a conference opponent in six games this season. The Bombers played the second half minus quarterback Buck Pierce, tailbacks Fred Reid and Carl Volny and defensive tackle Doug Brown. Specific details of their injuries weren’t immediately available but Pierce gave way to backup Alex Brink late in the first half after being hit hard by Toronto’s Kevin Huntley.
Wroten’s sack capped a bizarre contest that was dominated by miscues and missed assignments as the two teams combined for seven turnovers.
Evan McCullough’s 60-yard return off a lateral put Toronto ahead 22-17 at 14:18 of the third. Jamie Unertl recovered Terrence Edwards’ fumble and returned it 12 yards before pitching to McCullough, who brought the Rogers Centre crowd to its feet.
Then just 25 seconds into the fourth, Anthony Cannon blocked a Mike Renaud punt at the Winnipeg 33-yard line. The Bombers’ Clinton Kent recovered but was tackled in the end zone for the safety to put Toronto ahead 24-17.
The contest took yet another bizarre twist at 10:41 of the fourth when Toronto’s Chad Owens fumbled a punt and the ball bounced into the end zone. Winnipeg recovered, but was penalized for interfering with Owens’ recovery attempt as well as objectionable conduct to give the Argos possession at their 35-yard line.
Winnipeg scored on Brink’s 18-yard TD strike to Clarence Denmark at 7:59, which was set up by Ian Logan’s interception of former Bomber quarterback Steven Jyles.
Jyles faced his former team for the first time since being dealt by Winnipeg in March. Jyles ran for a TD and threw for another but was picked off three times, one of which was returned for a touchdown for the second straight game.
Former linebacker Chris Gaines led a spirited chant after he and his 1991 Grey Cup champion teammates were honoured at half time on Saturday. Click here to see the halftime tribute video, download wallpapers and more.
Jyles was replaced by Dalton Bell late in the fourth.
Toronto paid tribute to its ’91 Grey Cup-winning team at halftime and the team sported throwback uniforms and the ‘A’ insignia on their helmets.
Jovon Johnson and Glenn January scored Winnipeg’s other touchdowns. Justin Palardy added the converts and a field goal.
Chad Rempel also had a touchdown for Toronto. Prefontaine booted three converts and another single.
January’s fumble recovery in the end zone pulled Winnipeg to within 15-14 at the half. The former Argos offensive lineman gained possession of Volny’s fumble at 14:20 of the second.
That capped a 36-yard, six-play drive that Brink finished after Pierce left.
Johnson returned a Jyles interception 27 yards for a TD on Toronto’s opening offensive play just 1:53 into the game. But Jyles made up for it on Toronto’s next possession, capping a six-play, 67-yard drive with an 18-yard run at 4:58 to make it 7-7.
After a Prefontaine single, Jyles staked Toronto to a 15-7 lead with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Rempel just 56 seconds into the second.
Toronto was in glorious position to increase its lead when Byron Parker returned an interception 45 yards to the Winnipeg 21-yard line. But the Argos dipped into the realm of the bizarre when Grant Shaw botched the hold on a 22-yard field goal try, threw a pass to Prefontaine who then heaved a throw downfield that Jonathan Hefney intercepted at the nine-yard line.
Notes: Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice began his CFL coaching career in Toronto as the club’s quarteback/running back/receivers coach. He returned to the Argos in ’06 as their receivers coach, spending two years in that post. … Edwards signed with Toronto in ’05 but was released prior to the end of training camp.