ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO – Returning home riding a three-game winning streak, the Argos welcomed the 1-5 Edmonton Eskimos to the Rogers Centre on a beautiful Sunday night for some CFL football.
The Argos started with the ball and on a night that saw over 800 members of “Aloha Toronto” in the stands, QB Rick Ray went the way of the Flyin Hawaiian early and often.
Following two completions to Owens, the Argos found themselves in a third and short in Edmonton territory. Back-up QB Zach Collaros would come into the game and on a bootleg found full back Zander Robinson out in the space with no green and gold to be seen.
Robinson took the pass 45-yards for the score, giving the Argos an early 7-0 lead.
Edmonton responded with a drive of their own but Chris Jones’ unit stood strong in the red zone as they have all season and stalled the Esks who settled for the Grant Shaw field goal.
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Related: Argos Vs. Esks |
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MUST SEE: Zander Robinson 45-Yard TD VIDEO: Chiles Hauls In 31-Yard TD |
The Eskimos tacked on another field goal with less than two minutes left in the first quarter to climb to within one.
7-6 is how the quarter ended with the Argos leading the Esks by one.
Quarter number two continued with the Esks sustaining drives but coming up short in Argos territory as Shaw completed another field goal at the 13:36 mark to give the green and gold their first lead of the game.
Two former Eskimos would put the Double Blue back in front midway through the second quarter when Ray found SB Jason Barnes at the back of the endzone for the major. Set up by a 26-yard run by RB Curtis Steele, it was Barnes’ first TD against his former CFL team. The score put the Argos out in front again 14-9 as Ray completes his first ten passes for 90-yards and a touchdown.
On the next series, the Esks felt the wrath that is rookie LB Shane Horton, who recorded his third sack of the season forcing Edmonton to punt.
Following a stunted Argos drive, the Esks finally found the endzone. QB Mike Reilly found Cary Koch at the back of the endzone putting Edmonton ahead 16-14.
With the Argos driving near the end of the second half, Ray once again put his name in the Argos record books. On a completion to SB Andre Durie, Ray completed his 17th consecutive pass to tie the Argos record for consecutive compleitons in a game. Ray tied QB Mike Rae, who completed 17 straight passes in 1975 against Montreal.
Ray’s next pass to WR Dontrelle Inman was overthrown in the back of the endzone and not only would Ray not set an Argos record, the Boatmen settled for the field goal.
K/P Noel Prefontaine connected on the chip shot attempt and the Argos took a slim 17-16 lead into halftime.
The Boatmen picked up the second half where they left of driving down the field 90-yards on five plays including two receptions for RB Quinn Porter. Ray capped the drive with a 30-yard TD pass to John Chiles, his fourth TD in four games.
Edmonton and Toronto exchanged stalled drives for the majority of the third quarter until the Argos defence would help put some points on the board as they kept Edmonton pinned at their own goalline and forced the green and gold to concede the safety. 26-16 Argos.
Another short drive from Edmonton and the Boatmen made them pay.
Ray drove the team down the field to the red zone when an Eskimo rusher would knock the ball loose. Don’t fret, OL Jarriel King found the loose ball, scooped it up and the big man rumbled up the field to turn the play from a loss to positive yardage.
On the next play, Ray found Owens in the endzone for the Flyin Hawaiian’s second receiving TD of 2013 extending the Argos lead to 33-16.
The Eskimos added a single on a missed Shaw field goal to bring them to 17 points to the Argos 33.
With nothing going for the Argos on offence, the green and gold got the ball back and this time found pay dirt from the red zone. Reilly found WR Shamawd Chambers in the corner of the endzone for the touchdown on a jump ball which Chambers brought down in dramatic fashion. 33-23 Argos still lead by ten.
Shaw and the Eskimos continued to chip away at the Argos lead, adding another field goal with 2:10 left in the game to bring them to within seven points.
Just when it looked like the Eskimos were primed for the comeback, Ray found John Chiles down the field for a 49-yard grab to put the Argos in scoring position.
Prefontaine connected on his 26-yard field goal attempt and put the Argos back up by two scores with just 1:05 left in the ball game.
The Esks tacked on a touchdown as time expired but the Argos still pulled out the 36-33 win and extended their winning streak to four games.
Sitting at 5-2, the Argos host the Calgary Stampeders in week 9 when they will honour the 1983 Grey Cup Champions and don throwback jerseys complete with the Argos Boat Logo.