ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
MONTREAL – The last time Ricky Ray returned from a left knee injury he threw for 383 yards and 4 touchdowns; Ray’s return this evening could give the Argos a chance to take a two-game lead in the Eastern Division.
Put simply, the Argos came out on fire.
On the first play from scrimmage, Alouettes returner Noel Devine brought the kick back to the 30-yard line and then promptly fumbled it. Shane Horton recovered the rock, and it was Argos ball.
Ray wasted no time.
A swing pass to Andre Durie for a first down, and then a fading corner route to the emerging John Chiles in the end zone gave the Argos a 7-0 lead after only 90 seconds.
At the 7:30 mark of the first quarter, Noel Devine continued to be the Argos best player on the field. In his first CFL game, DB Alonzo Lawrence stuffed Devine at the line of scrimmage and forced another fumble.
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Related: Argos vs. Als |
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And immediately, again, Ray found Chiles in the corner of the endzone. Do not scroll up, this is not a recording.
14-0 Ray and Chiles over the Alouettes.
The Boatmen defence would then force the Alouettes offence into a 49-yard field goal attempt, and it was Chad Owens’ turn to take the spotlight. Sean Whyte’s field goal attempt missed wide left, Owens took the ball in the endzone and took it 118 yards back to paydirt. It was Owens’ first missed field goal returned for a touchdown since the 2010 season (Week 16 vs WPG) and the longest kick return of his illustrious career.
The Alouettes would head back to the drawing board on offence, but the same continued to happen.
Calvillo would find a receiver across the middle of the field, and again the swarming Argos secondary would force yet another fumble. Rookie Alonzo Lawrence eventually scoop the loose ball up, and the offence started at their own 40-yard line.
The Argos could not take advantage this time, but a spectacular “coffin corner” punt from Noel Prefontaine forced the Alouettes offence to march the entire field on the staunch Argonauts defence. After only one first down, the Alouettes kicked back to the Boatmen.
Unsuccessful drives by both offences slowed the pace in the second quarter, but a familiar foe of Anthony Calivillo’s would make his presence felt around the halfway point.
Calivillo tried to go down field to a seemingly open receiver, but 6’6” Cornerback Pat Watkins had other plans and rose up to intercept the pass. It was the Argos fourth forced turnover of the half, and Watkins first INT of 2013.
The Boatmen took the ball around the 50-yard line, and they marched it right down into Alouettes territory yet again. Ray completed passes to Mike Bradwell, Andre Durie and finally Jason Barnes in the endzone.
28-0 Argos on Ray’s third touchdown pass of the first half.
QB Zach Collaros would come into the game for the Argos offence towards the end of the second quarter (and finish out the game), setting up a 43-yard field goal attempt for Noel Prefontaine.
“Pre” was good, and the lead was extended to 31-0.
On the final play of the opening half, Sean Whyte would break the shutout with a 48-yard field goal to send the game into halftime at 31-3 Argos as the crowd at Percival Molson Stadium “cheered” their Als into the locker room.
Collaros would begin the second half behind centre for the Boatmen, as with a 28-point lead Head Coach Scott Milanovich took the opportunity to give Ricky Ray a break. Ray would leave the game going 15 of 18 for 152 yards and 3 touchdowns.
At the halfway point of the third quarter, Collaros and the Argos offence would march the ball downfield from deep in their own zone helped by consecutive unnecessary roughness penalties by the Alouettes defence.
Collaros would show a plethora of skill sets on the drive, using his feet to earn one first down, then finding Chad Owens in the flat for another. The drive would stall at the 50-yard line, but another successful punt by Prefontaine forced Noel Devine to kneel the ball down in the end zone and concede the single.
32-3 Argos with 4 minues to go in the third quarter.
The Alouettes began the fourth quarter with the ball at the 50-yard line, and Anthony Calvillo would finally put points on the board for Montreal’s offence. Calvillo found receiver Brandon London by himself in the middle of the field for a 48-yard touchdown. The score would cut the Argos lead to 32-10 early in the fourth.
The Als would march down the field again but only end up with a field goal from 16-yards out, making the scoreline 32-13 Argos with just over 8 minutes remaining in the game.
The Argos offence would find it difficult to keep any sustained drives alive, but Collaros and the offence were able to take around 3 minutes off the clock on the ensuing offensive possession, giving the Alouettes the ball back with 5 minutes to go.
Hold on.
Noel Devine would fumble the ensuing punt from Prefontaine, his third of the evening, and give the Argos back the ball at the Alouettes 32-yard line. Two consecutive run plays by Curtis Steele and Quinn Porter set the table for Prefontaine from 42-yards out. “Pre” would be good from 42, and it boosted the Boatmen’s lead to 35-13 with 3:35 remaining.
Alouettes QB Tanner Marsh would get his first chance to play a CFL snap, and he never even got a chance to touch the ball. The centre snapped the ball off the shoulder of the crossing running back, forcing the ball to the ground. Defensve Tackle Kiante Tripp would scoop up the loose pigskin, and in turn give the Argos their seventh forced turnover of the night.
After two run plays, Prefontaine would hit from 36-yards out with 30 seconds left, and the Argos added to their lead making it 38-13.
That is where this one would end. The Boatmen win three straight regular season games for the first time since Week 13-15 of the 2007 season, and in the meantime take a two game lead in the Eastern Division with a 4-2 record.