ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO – It was the invasion of Rider Nation as the undefeated Roughriders came into town to do battle with the 1-1 Argonauts.
The Double Blue immediately got the Riders on their heels with an impressive opening drive. Completions to the returning Dontrelle Inman, Andre Durie, Chad Owens and Chad Kackert saw the Argos set up an early field goal for K/P Noel Prefontaine. He would hit from 44-yards out and stake the Argos to a 3-0 lead.
After a Taj Smith drop stalled the Riders opening drive, the Argos once again marched the ball into Rider territory. A too many men penalty gave the Argos a chance at a field goal from 46-yards out, but Prefontaine was wide right and the Argos took just the conceded single. 4-0 Argos early.
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Related: Argos Vs. Riders |
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VIDEO: Durie First Quarter Score |
The Riders offence finally got on track on their second drive though they received some help from both an offside and roughing the passer penalty on the Argos defence. WR Rob Bagg eventually punched it in the end zone on a play extended by a bootleg from Riders QB Darian Durant. Riders grab the lead 7-4.
However, the first quarter would belong to Andre Durie.
Coming on the Argos third drive of the quarter, Durie would record catches of 31 and 9 yards before finally punching in the TD with a 10-yard catch and run. He would finish the first quarter with 68-yards receiving. The Argos took an 11-7 lead at the end of the second frame and QB Ricky Ray went a perfect 10-for-10 to start the game.
Then the momentum swing would come.
A potential 88-yard interception return by Jamie Robinson would be called back following a pass interference call on his catch. The ball came back and the Riders took advantage, eventually punching it in on a Kory Sheets rush up the middle. A rough turn of events saw the Riders take a 14-11 lead on a 14 point swing.
Ray’s first incompletion came in the second quarter, leaving him with 12 straight completions to start the game. Those 12 straight completions tied an Argos record for third all time with Condredge Holloway and Doug Flutie. Mike Rae’s record of 17-straight completions remains intact.
The Riders and Argos traded stunted drives right until the end of the second quarter.
A breakdown in coverage for the Double Blue with under a minute left allowed Durant to toss up a 61-yard bomb to WR Taj Smith. It was the Riders longest play from scrimmage of the season, and a 21-11 lead was born for Gang Green.
The Argos would add to their total before the half as the offence orchestrated a 4 play 44 yard drive ending in a 44-yard Prefontaine field goal to end the half. Prefontaine connected on the point after attempt, and the Argos went into half with 21-14 deficit on their hands.
After a Riders single put them up 22-14, Gang Green extended their lead even further.
Again, Smith and Durant connected on a big play, this time for 70-yards for the score. Smith did all his damage on just two catches for 131-yards to put the Riders out to a 29-14 commanding lead.
A penalty ridden game for the Argos continued in the second half as the team received penalties for illegal participation, unnecessary roughness, pass interference, holding and offside hurt on both offence and defence.
The Riders added another field goal to push their lead to 32-12 with just over 10 minutes left in the game the Argos were not done.
On the following drive, Ray found RB Chad Kackert all alone in the Riders secondary. A beautifully thrown corner route from Ray landed right in Kack Attak’s hands for a 48-yard TD. Kackert’s first reception touchdown of 2013 still left the Argos in a 32-21 hole.
That would be as far the Boatmen would get as they could not muster any more points in the comeback attempt.
Sheets added a touchdown with just over two minutes left in the game, finishing with 26 rushes for 178 yards and two touchdowns.
Zach Collaros would check in for the Argos to finish out the game. He lead an impressive drive with multiple completions to SB Juaquin Iglesias and capped the 102 yard, eleven play drive with his own two-yard rushing touchdown with under thrity seconds left in the game. 39-28 Riders is how it would end.
Toronto falls to 1-2 to start the year while the Roughriders continue to be the only undefeated team in the CFL and improved to 3-0.
The Argos travel to Winnipeg in week four for a showdown with the Bluebombers.